The NBA is no longer tiptoeing around Europe. It is laying track.
According to Joe Vardon of The Athletic, the league is moving forward with plans for a European-based competition targeted for an October 2027 launch. One franchise that appears central to those plans is Alba Berlin.
The timing of this weekend’s games in Berlin and London was not accidental. Both cities are being evaluated as potential anchor markets, with Alba Berlin widely viewed as the NBA’s preferred representative in Germany.
Commissioner Adam Silver did not hide his admiration.
“To me, they are an exemplar of how a top-tier club should be run and organized,” Silver said, citing Alba’s youth development, fan support, and long-term infrastructure. He also pointed to the Magic brothers Franz Wagner and Moritz Wagner as products of the Alba system and proof of concept.
Alba does not have the financial muscle of European giants like Barcelona. What it does have is something the NBA values just as much: scale, structure, and pipeline. Vardon notes the club operates one of the strongest farm systems in the world, with a city-wide network of coaches and development staff.
There is also a cleaner political path. Alba no longer has a binding agreement with the EuroLeague, which removes a major obstacle.
“EuroLeague is not financially sustainable,” owner Axel Schweitzer said, adding that the NBA’s platform offers access to a much bigger market.
The NBA is still years away from tipoff. But Berlin, and Alba Berlin specifically, already look like part of the opening lineup.
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