Key facts
- NBA Europe is targeting an October 2027 launch, aligned with the 2027-28 NBA season
- League organizers are aiming for 16 European teams, with London and Manchester expected to be included
- Final ownership bids closed in June, with reported bids of $500m to $1bn per target host city
- OG Anunoby is part of a UK quartet in the NBA with Jeremy Sochan, Amari Williams and Tobi Lawal
- Anunoby is a two-time NBA champion and helped the Knicks win their first title since 1973 in 2025
- No NBA team has repeated as champion since the Golden State Warriors in 2017 and 2018; there have been eight different champions in eight years
New York Knicks forward OG Anunoby says the NBA’s planned European league, currently known by the working title NBA Europe, could push basketball in the United Kingdom to a new level. Anunoby spoke to BBC Sport while back in his birth city of London during his off-season, where he has also invested in redeveloping a grassroots basketball court in Camden alongside City Hall, the National Basketball Players’ Association and Camden Council.
What is planned for NBA Europe
The new league is targeting an October 2027 launch, timed to run alongside the start of the 2027-28 NBA season. Organizers want 16 European teams involved, with London and Manchester both expected to be among the host cities. The deadline for final ownership bids passed in June, and the NBA has reportedly received bids ranging from $500m to $1bn (roughly £372m to £745m) per target host city. Identities of confirmed franchises are expected to start being announced later this year.
Laura Pinnell, the NBA’s vice-president and head of Consumer Group for Europe and the Middle East, said planning remains on track and that demand has surged since bidding closed. She singled out the UK as one of the league’s biggest opportunities, citing active discussions around both a London and a Manchester franchise, and pointing to potential benefits for fan growth and youth participation.
Anunoby’s role and UK ties
Anunoby, 29, is described as the most prominent current NBA player of UK origin. He is part of a UK quartet in the league alongside Portland Trail Blazers forward Jeremy Sochan, Boston Celtics forward Amari Williams, and Tobi Lawal, who is set to make his NBA debut this season with the Dallas Mavericks. Anunoby called the growth of basketball in London and Manchester exciting and said the new league could take the sport to another level in the UK.
Anunoby’s recent form and the season ahead
Anunoby is a two-time NBA champion and played a starring role in the Knicks’ 2025 title run, their first championship since 1973. He and the Knicks celebrated the title with New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani over the summer. Looking ahead, Anunoby said his goal for the upcoming season is to help the Knicks win back-to-back championships. The NBA has had eight different champions across the last eight seasons, and no franchise has repeated as champion since the Golden State Warriors won consecutive titles in 2017 and 2018. Anunoby was asked which of the Knicks’ 29 rivals poses the biggest threat to that goal, though his full response was not detailed in the available reporting.
Sources
Featured photo: All-Pro Reels via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0)