NBA Commissioner David Stern received an informal proposal from a delegation of mighty Spanish sporting club Real Madrid that could lead to five NBA expansion franchises one day being placed in Europe, ESPN is reporting.

Stern on Thursday met Real vice president Jose Sanchez and former NBA All-Star Vlade Divac, Real's new head of basketball operations, before he attended the Philadelphia 76ers' exhibition game against host Winterthur Barcelona at the Palau Sant Jordi, part of the NBA's Europe Live preseason tour.

Sanchez and Divac floated the idea of returning with a formal proposition for five ownership groups in five European cities to join the NBA simultaneously at an unspecified future date.

"Our response to that was we would be happy to talk about that and that we look forward to receiving a proposal from you," said Stern, who confessed that such expansion into Europe has long been a dream.

Via ESPN

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