{
  "id": 19517791,
  "title": "London Lions set for EuroLeague snub but refuse to give up on 2030 bid",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/11/london-lions-set-for-euroleague-snub-but-refuse-to-give-up-on-2030-bid",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-11-11T15:28:36.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "City AM",
    "slug": "city-am",
    "url": "https://www.cityam.com/london-lions-set-for-euroleague-snub-but-refuse-to-give-up-on-2030-bid/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The London Lions appear set to be rejected in their bid to join the EuroLeague basketball as a merger with the NBA is considered. Over a dozen teams applied for expansion franchises, with numbers increasing from 20 to 24 in 2025 and to 28 in 2030. Among those selected are Valencia Basket, Paris Basketball, Dubai Basketball, Maxima Roma, Hapoel Tel Aviv and Greek team PAOK BC. London Lions, along with Virtus Bologna, Napoli Basket, Partizan Belgrade and Crvena Zvezda, were overlooked for permanent franchises. They are also bypassed for one of four three-year wild card spots ahead of the 2030 expansion phase. The selections must still be ratified by the EuroLeague board, but are expected soon. London Lions CEO Lenz Balan remains committed to their goal of being the first UK team in the EuroLeague by 2030, with plans for a 15,000-seat arena and strong partnerships. The delay allows time for potential talks between EuroLeague and the NBA, who plan to launch their own European competition in 2027. NBA Europe is seeking a team in London, with a successful bid reportedly worth around $1bn. This news could impact London Lions, who have overcome administration issues and are performing well in the second-tier EuroCup. Other rejected bidders include Besiktas, Hapoel Jerusalem and Aris Thessaloniki, with Aris' bid raising questions about owner Richard Hsiao's wealth.",
  "summary": "London Lions look set to be rejected in their bid to join EuroLeague basketball as the competition considers a merger with the NBA. The Lions were among more than a dozen teams from across the continent who applied to become EuroLeague expansion franchises, with the number of teams due to increase from 20 to 24 [...]",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}