NBA and UK government collaborate to expand recreational basketball in England
LONDON (AP) — The U.K. government and NBA have teamed up to expand recreational basketball in England through an investment of 10 million pounds ($13.7 million) ahead of the possible launch of an NBA-affiliated league in Europe.
The funds will go toward building courts and providing more playing opportunities for women, girls, people with disabilities and ethnic minorities, the government and NBA said Wednesday.
The announcement came a day after NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said that a new basketball league based in Europe — which the NBA and FIBA hope to jointly launch — could begin play in 2027 or ’28.
The NBA is also set to play at least six regular-season games in Europe over the next three seasons, starting with a pair of games between the Memphis Grizzlies and Orlando Magic this season — in Berlin on Jan. 15, then in London on Jan. 18. A game will be played in Manchester, England in the 2026-27 season.
The government's announcement Wednesday said both parties are "committed to exploring additional games in the future.”
Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Silver met at No. 10 Downing Street in July “and have agreed to work together on the growth of basketball in the U.K. and potential future investment opportunities around NBA Europe,” the government’s announcement added.
Each side will contribute 5 million pounds in the initiative.
NBA Deputy Commissioner and Chief Operating Officer Mark Tatum thanked the government’s efforts to “provide safe spaces for people of all backgrounds and abilities to learn and play the game.”
“We look forward to working more closely together in the years to come, including around the potential launch of a new pan-European league that would bring more world-class basketball to fans in the U.K.,” he said.
Basketball is the second-most popular team sport for young people in England, the government said. It added that NBA fandom among U.K. adults has grown by 24% in the last three years.
“Basketball is booming in Britain — and this investment will help take it to the next level, opening up the game to thousands more people right across the country," Starmer said.
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