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Recently, Jorge Garbajosa, the president of FIBA Europe, mentioned during an official press conference for Eurobasket that he had been “hearing” 2027 as a possible launch year for NBA Europe.
The ongoing situation in Great Britain, however, seems to offer not only additional clues about this timeline but also a partial confirmation.
Specifically, the newly established GBBL announced in a statement to the British publication “Yorkshire Post” that its inaugural season will be postponed until 2027, aligning with the expected debut of NBA Europe.
Their complete statement reads: “GBB League Ltd. (GBBL) will commence the first season of its new British basketball league in September 2027, coinciding with the anticipated first season of NBA Europe. This timeline allows us to collaborate effectively with the British Basketball Federation (BBF), the Home Country Associations, and the broader British basketball community to prepare for the launch of a new elite academy aimed at nurturing young players who represent the future of the Great Britain National Team. Two NBA Europe teams, based in London and Manchester, are anticipated to participate in the GBBL’s upcoming league.”
Under the leadership of Marshall Glickman, former acting CEO of Euroleague Basketball and ex-president of the Portland Trail Blazers, the GBBL has sparked controversy, as member clubs are currently engaged in their own league, the SBL, following the tumultuous 777 situation that nearly derailed professional basketball in Britain.
The SBL, which has completed its inaugural season, has also initiated legal proceedings against the British federation for granting a license to GBBL, which has prompted FIBA to establish a special task force to address the matter.
While it was already understood that the NBA was focusing on the London and Manchester markets, this is the first definitive mention of them in the NBA Europe initiative, along with a tentative start date.
Originally, it was anticipated that NBA Europe would launch in the 2026-27 season, capitalizing on the expiration of the joint venture between EuroLeague and IMG in the summer of 2026, especially since some EuroLeague teams have yet to sign the proposed new ten-year agreements that would bind them for the upcoming decade.
