Adam Silver says NBA will explore playing All-Star Game overseas

NBA commissioner Adam Silver says the league could explore playing its All-Star Game outside of the United States and Canada. "There are no plans in the drawer

NBA commissioner Adam Silver says the league could explore playing its All-Star Game outside of the United States and Canada. 

"There are no plans in the drawer yet, but it’s something that as the NBA continues to grow around the world I’m sure we’ll look at it down the road," Silver told the New York Daily News. "Right now, because of the scheduling issues and the additional time that would be required to move the game outside of the U.S. or Canada it’s not realistic right now. But as we look to grow the league, there are so many great cities outside the United States that would love to host a game. It’s something we’d look at."

• NBA announces judges for 2015 Slam Dunk contest

The NBA's first regular-season game in Europe was in 2011, when the New Jersey Nets and Toronto Raptors played in London. London has hosted several NBA games in the years that have followed. The league also played preseason games this season in Turkey, Germany and Brazil. 

Silver has previously expressed interest in placing NBA franchises in Europe. He said last month that "a lot of work needs to be done" in order to expand to Europe. European expansion would be feasible only if the the league had at least four overseas teams, Silver said.  

- Dan Gartland