Interest in London's NBA Europe Team, Battersea Power Station Eyed for Arena

While the NBA has yet to concretely announce the status of bids and confirmed cities for the launch of NBA Europe in 2027/28, there's already interest in London's Battersea Power Station as a potential site for an arena to house a future London team.

Sources cited by The Athletic confirm that discussions have taken place through intermediaries regarding this possibility for a city where many believe fan engagement will be a significant challenge due to the lack of basketball tradition and quality clubs in the British capital and across the country.

The undeveloped Battersea Power Station property is one of several locations under consideration for a London franchise's arena. However, in 2012, Chelsea (Premier League) unsuccessfully attempted to acquire the power station, proposing to integrate its four chimneys into a 60,000-seat stadium, before the site was sold for its current redevelopment project.

While London explores its options – with intentions also to establish a team in Manchester, UK – other European clubs are expressing interest in joining NBA Europe. Mecit Mert Cetinkaya, Galatasaray's board member responsible for basketball operations, stated that the Turkish club believes it can be the first from the country to join NBA Europe. According to Cetinkaya, Galatasaray emerged as a strong candidate after discussions and presentations by both current and previous administrations.

The executive added that the proposal received a positive response, although negotiations on the business model and financial terms are still ongoing. For this to materialize, Galatasaray would need to establish a separate basketball public limited company, named Basketbol AS.

In Serbia, contacts have also been made. Zeljko Drcelic, president of Belgrade's Red Star, confirmed that the Serbian club held talks with NBA representatives regarding the proposed European competition.

However, Drcelic emphasized that Red Star's current priority remains securing a long-term EuroLeague license to become a permanent member of Europe's premier club competition. The Serbian club president also expressed uncertainty about whether Serbian clubs would be included in the NBA Europe project.

While Istanbul was among the 12 target cities for a maximum of 16 clubs, 12 of them permanent, in the first NBA Europe season, Serbia was not on that list. Madrid, Barcelona (Spain), Paris, Lyon (France), Berlin, Munich (Germany), London, Manchester (Great Britain), Milan, Rome (Italy), Athens (Greece), and Istanbul (Turkey) were the priority markets until a few months ago.

Previously, it was reported that Indian-American billionaire Nikesh Arora is in negotiations to secure the London team for NBA Europe. The CEO of Palo Alto Networks, a New York-based cybersecurity company, reportedly met with a consortium of investors willing to offer over a billion dollars (€868 million) for the license.

Last year, Nikesh Arora led the Cricket Investor Holdings Limited group, also known as Tech Titans, which acquired 49 percent of the London Spirit cricket team for €169 million.

Meanwhile, in what is seen as another way to promote NBA basketball in Great Britain, the London Lions are set to become the first British club to face an NBA team in a historic clash against the Blazers, scheduled for the NBA preseason on October 12th, at the Moda Center in Portland.

The Lions, who compete in the EuroCup, enter this matchup as Super League Basketball champions, having won all domestic trophies last season. They are coached by Tautvydas Sabonis, son of former Lithuanian star Arvydas Sabonis, who played seven seasons for the Blazers, and brother of Domantas Sabonis, currently with the Sacramento Kings.

"I'm excited to play a preseason game against an NBA team, and even more so against the Portland Trail Blazers in Portland, a city that holds great significance for me and my family," Tautvydas declared.

Martynas Purlys, General Manager of the Lions, highlighted the event's importance. "Playing a preseason game against the Portland Trail Blazers is a historic moment for our club and for basketball in the UK," he stated. "We see this opportunity as recognition of the progress and ambition of the London Lions organization, as well as a significant milestone for British basketball as a whole."