And the basketball commissioner confirmed the China expansion would occur before the long-standing plans for five franchises in Europe.
Stern was responding to questions asking if the domestic league would see any more additions to the 30 clubs so far taking part.
Said Stern: “I think 30 teams is a nice, round number, and I would not be recommending to the NBA owners to expand.
“What we will see in the next couple of years, coming out of the Beijing Olympics, is the possibility of some joint venture between the NBA and someone in China about an NBA sponsored and branded league in China.”
