The Pistons are about to become the NBA's European sales pitch

The Detroit Pistons will tip-off the NBA season at 3PM ET, which happens to be prime time in Europe. 

That’s not a coincidence, as the NBA is trying to broaden its European audience by increasingly having games that slot into better times on the other side of the Atlantic. 

As someone who lives in Ireland, I couldn’t be happier about it, as it means a few times a year I won’t have to stay up until 3 o’clock in the morning to watch a game. 

The Pistons and Celtics didn’t get the prime-time game in the states, but more fans will be watching in Europe (at least one on this island), which is exactly what they want ahead of their big move. 

NBA Europe is coming and it could change everything 

I love the idea of Detroit becoming Europe’s team by some weird trick of schedule and there is precedent for it, as I see a lot of freaking Jaguars fans in London simply because they’ve played there many times and area always on TV for some reason. 

Detroit already played a game in France, so It's possible they are one of the teams the NBA will push overseas, who knows. 

What we do know is that the NBA is opening a league in Europe, likely in 2027-28, and it could have a profound effect on how the league works in the future. 

The level of play across Europe (even in Ireland) has increased exponentially over the last few decades, and an NBA league in Europe will only help that development. 

Not only are these teams going to be feeder systems for the NBA, but eventually we could see a huge international tournament similar to the Champions League in European football. 

With NBA Africa already up and running, Adam Silver likely envisions a future where all of these teams play against each other. 

He’s talked endlessly about how he wants an NBA version of the FA Cup or Champions League and has already gotten the ball rolling with the NBA Cup. 

Once NBA Europe takes off, it won’t be long before we see some type of international tournament; you can bank on it. 

Until then, I’ll be holding down the Pistons in the north of Ireland and enjoying the rare afternoon game, including the opening salvo of the 2026-27 NBA season. 

But it may not be long before the Pistons are playing the London Tea Bags or whatever they’ll be called in some version of the Champions League. 

The NBA is already an international league that has nearly a decade-long run of foreign-born MVPs, but the vision seems much broader and extends beyond US borders. The Pistons will be one of the teams selling basketball to European fans, so let's hope they give us a good show.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow