If the NBA’s going to plant roots in Europe, it won’t be guessing. Three cities stand above the rest – Paris, London, and Milan.
Paris already feels like the league’s unofficial capital overseas. Between the success of the Metropolitans, Wemby’s global pull, and the city’s existing love affair with basketball culture, it’s the most natural fit. The infrastructure’s there. The fandom’s real. And the American investment wave that’s come through French basketball in the past two years gives the NBA a ready-made foundation.
London, meanwhile, remains a commercial layup. The time zone, language, and access to global sponsors make it impossible to ignore. It’s less about if and more about how soon. Milan might be the dark horse – steeped in basketball tradition, home to Armani Milano, and positioned in a market that blends fashion, sport, and global branding as well as any city.
These aren’t just cities with arenas. They’re global brands in themselves. If the NBA’s truly going European, these are the three franchises that could turn expansion from an experiment into a cultural revolution.
Berry Winn, raised in the red clay of Dalzell, South Carolina, is a founder of Catch12 and a serial entrepreneur with expertise in content, marketing, and negotiation. These days he might be considered an old head, but basketball still runs through his veins the same way it did when he first fell in love with the game.
