SHANGHAI, May 2 -- National Basketball Association Commissioner David Stern sees more of a need for new pro 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 Monday's playoff game 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 joint venture between the NBA and someone in China about an NBA-sponsored and -branded league in China."

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