With a view of Hyde Park and Buckingham Palace just a stone’s throw away, the big boss of the NBA welcomes his guests in one of the largest palaces in London. Accompanied by his assistant Mark Tatum and the Greek George Aivazoglou, the general director of the NBA for Europe, Adam Silver shakes hands with that smile that accompanies him all the time.
Before returning to Paris in 2027 and 2028 for regular season matches, the NBA planted its flag this week in Berlin and then in London. She came to court the two capitals which, she hopes, will join with Paris her future NBA Europe.
France will be part of the adventure and the NBA still has two cities in mind: Lyon with Tony Parker’s Asvel and Paris. Adam Silver said it again this Saturday at English tea time in front of around ten European media. “Paris is a market in which we absolutely want to be,” insists one of the most powerful bosses in world sport. And when he thinks of Paris, he thinks PSG. “They play at the highest level of competition in football and they have the know-how to operate a basketball club at the highest level, if that interests them. Yes, it’s a club we are talking to. »
“PSG brings a level of expertise in terms of marketing, building a global brand”
The former lawyer, however, did not take advantage of the windfall to reveal the status of his discussions with QSI (Qatar Sports Investments). But these exist. “We know very well that to this day, Paris Saint-Germain still has nothing in terms of basketball. No team, no structure yet, continues Mark Tatum, Silver’s deputy specifically in charge of the NBA Europe file. This is the case for the football clubs which will join us, I hope (Manchester, Rome, etc.). However, the association of PSG with Jordan Brand and Kevin Durant (minority shareholder of PSG) is obviously basketball-related. So, I think there’s a lot of things we want and can identify with them when it comes to basketball. »
Adam Silver bounces back: “One of the very intriguing and therefore exciting things about PSG is their ability to build a brand, a culture, a community as they have succeeded in football. There is no doubt that PSG brings a level of expertise in terms of marketing, promotion, building a global brand which is very interesting. They also have an incredible fan base that I’m sure has a side interest in basketball. »
With Real Madrid expected to leave the Euroleague and commit to the American league, the NBA is clearly counting on PSG to be one of the leaders of its project.
“There are also things to look at in Paris Basketball”
For the moment, it’s the price of the entry ticket to take the plunge that is raising eyebrows. Adam Silver knows this. A sum in excess of 500 million euros remains the basis but this will be determined according to the market power of the city concerned. With Paris, the NBA’s largest market in Europe, it is unlikely that it will be revised downwards. “We must be aware,” said Adam Silver in a low voice, “that this sum is not only intended to build a team to play in NBA Europe. It is to build a project that will revolutionize many things with, in the long term, a return on investment that is certainly distant at first but seems assured. In the United States, no franchise loses money, quite the contrary. »
The NBA boss knows Paris well. He will therefore return in a year then in 2028 for two new regular season matches. This is proof of the league’s attachment to the French capital. He therefore knows that there is another club in the area, which works: Paris Basketball. But he lets George Aivazoglou describe the situation of the French champion club in the eyes of the NBA.
“Paris is one of the most fascinating cities for us and the period is really interesting,” replies the Greek. The players in basketball in Paris are positioned and our job is to meet them, discuss and engage with them. PSG is a global brand but a club like Paris Basketball did not exist a few years ago. They succeeded in galvanizing Paris. So there are also things to look at in that area. »
There are a few months left to finalize a project which, if implemented, will revolutionize European sport, beyond basketball. “We still have in mind to start in 2027,” says the commissioner. Time is running out, it’s very short but it’s still our plan. »
