NBA basketball commissioner1 David Stern meets with the media before the start of Game 4 of the Washington Wizards Eastern Conference playoff game against the Cleveland Cavaliers in Washington April 30, 2007. [Reuters]

US National Basketball Association commissioner David Stern sees more of a need for new pro² basketball teams in China than in North America.

"I think 30 teams is a nice, round number, and I would not be recommending to the NBA owners to expand," Stern said before Game 4 of the first-round playoff series between the Washington Wizards and Cleveland Cavaliers.

"We will see in the next couple of years, coming out of the Beijing Olympics, the possibility of some joint³ venture between the NBA and someone in China about an NBA-sponsored and -branded league in China."

Stern added that "an NBA of China" is closer to happening than what he called a 20-year plan for having five franchises⁴ in Europe, and that, "domestically, we have enough teams."

On the topic of a new building for the Orlando Magic, the commissioner said there was a recent "midnight handshake" and that "they're working to finalize⁵ the deal, but with a very robust⁶ contribution from the team, there are now plans for a new arena⁷."

Stern has said that Orlando would be a candidate to host All-Star weekend with a new building