David Stern estimates NBA revenue up 20 pct to $5B

NEW YORK (AP) — NBA Commissioner David Stern estimates revenue will be a record $5 billion in the current season, an increase of about 20 percent from the league's last full season in 2010-11.

Speaking Tuesday at Beyond Sport United, a gathering of global team, league and industry executives at Yankee Stadium that focuses on social responsibility. Stern said NBA expansion to Europe is probably at least a decade away and that it likely would make sense to add several clubs there at once.

Stern announced last month that he will retire on Feb. 1, 2014, 30 years after he took over from Larry O'Brien, so international expansion will be passed on to Adam Silver, who has been deputy commissioner since 2006.

The league's revenue estimate is for the year ending next Sept. 30. That puts the NBA third among the major North American leagues, trailing the NFL ($9 billion) and Major League Baseball ($7.5 billion), but ahead of the NHL ($3.3 billion).