From the time Adam Silver visited Paris, the NBA commissioner saw the life of the basketball crowds. That dropped an idea in his head. Silver is pushing for an NBA Europe league. And although it is in its preliminary stages, he has also set a priority. “We’ve been having direct conversations with stakeholders this week. We want to respect the traditions of European sports, no matter what direction we take,” he said.

The introduction of the plan has attracted ownership interest. Even the NBA officials see the potential. But as far as the existing European competition, Adam Silver is facing his first opposition. It comes from the EuroLeague’s CEO Paulius Motiejunas. Having a celebrated league in place, he simply doesn’t see the need for the NBA to take on such a project.

“To read comments about another league in Europe, for me personally, doesn’t make any sense. We already have four different leagues. We, as EuroLeague, have the best product possible. I don’t think it’s something that should not be valued and understood and appreciated, because what the clubs and the league have achieved in 25 years, it’s amazing,” Paulius said as per Basket News.

Given the popularity and resources the NBA attracts, Motiejunas does understand to some extent the temptation for Silver and the NBA to consider an expansion. However, he doesn’t appreciate one sentiment. “I don’t like the mentality that, ‘oh, we’ll come and we’ll teach everybody how it’s done’,” the EuroLeague CEO opined.

It’s understandable that the leagues in Europe won’t be thrilled with such news. It’s presumable that an NBA Europe league could offer tantalizing salaries in comparison to these leagues, given their financial backing. Furthermore, the NBA already has a giant waiting for the operations to begin.

Adam Silver and the NBA have a big investment

So far, the plans to expand in Europe remain in the preliminary stages. No real foundation has been set for the expansion. However, that doesn’t mean hints aren’t out. Notably, it is reported that the NBA will announce a multi-year in deal conjunction with the City Football Group.

They are the executives behind soccer giants like Manchester City. The arrangement, though, is only to host regular season games at the Co-op Live Arena in Manchester. The arena, worth $458 million, and the dynamic in place is said to be the start of what will be the entrance of Middle Eastern owners for the Europe expansion.

It opens up the potential for massive financial aid for the NBA. The league has seen improved relations with the Middle East. Over the past few seasons, they have held games at Abu Dhabi. Hence, it’s not far to think such companies could be part of the NBA’s expansion plans.

But for some relief to the EuroLeague, the NBA isn’t looking to attack the cities that have great basketball representation. Adam Silver has identified a few markets to leverage, which include Paris, London, Manchester, and Berlin. Moreover, rumors also claim that they could approach soccer clubs to expand—a model the EuroLeague sees with teams such as Real Madrid and FC Barcelona.

However, the talks of an expansion are still far from materializing. Silver does want to do it. And the actions are being taken. But it’s still too early to determine just how soon it could come to life.