LOS ANGELES.- The owners of the teams of the NBA They authorized those responsible for the League to initiate a deep analysis of the repercussions of expanding beyond the current 30 franchises, said Commissioner Adam Silver.
The meeting of the Board of Governors of the NBA held on Tuesday in Las Vegas is the first time that the owners of the teams officially address this issue, which has been the subject of conversations for years.
Cities such as Las Vegas or Seattle have been pressing for years to get a hole in the Great Basketball League, although Silver warned that there is no calendar set for an eventual expansion of equipment.
“There is a significant step now that we commit ourselves in this deep analysis,” said Silver. “It’s something we were not prepared for before,” he added.
However, Silver reiterated that it is “too soon” to give details about what could come in the future.
“But beyond this, it is really the first day of this analysis. In terms of price, possible calendar, it is too early,” said the NBA commissioner.
The person responsible for the competition said it was a “really complicated” issue, both for economic repercussions and sports.
For example, the inclusion of more teams can dilute the talent of the league and affect competitiveness, he explained. In the economic one, it can devalue the existing franchises, he added.
No balance
Silver said that at the meeting he did not perceive how many owners are in favor of the extension. “There was no feeling in the room that people were taking sides,” he said.
“A consensus formed quickly that the league administration had to do this work (…) The appetite in the room would define it rather as curiosity,” he said.
The owners of the American League also received a presentation on the project of a European League backed by the NBA.
“There is an expansion of another type that is the European opportunity,” said Silver.
“It would be an independent league that we contemplate operating in Europe, but the fact that we will be creating new basketball teams in the continent is related,” he said.
