Commissioner of the NBA Adam Silver expressed confidence A couple of weeks ago, the NBA and EuroLeague will eventually work out a merger agreement after EuroLeague shareholders rejected the NBA’s initial offer.
The NBA is partnering with FIBA as it plans to create its own European league, tentatively known as NBA Europe.
Talking to Reuters’ Elvira Paulina and Ruairidh BarlowEuroLeague CEO Chus Buena reiterated that EuroLeague is open to discussions with the NBA, while warning of the possibility of fragmentation of the European market if the NBA goes ahead with plans to launch a new league next fall.
“If they decide (to enter the market), it will be a disaster. And they know, we know, and we don’t want it“, Buena told Reuters.”We had some talks after (Euroleague shareholders meeting in Como, Italy). And the position of the hosts was very clear.
“We will always be open to listening and talking to the NBA about any potential deal. But it has to make sense to us. The phone lines are open, and if something doesn’t work out, maybe something will work out in the future.”
NBA Deputy Commissioner Mark Tatum said at a media session on Tuesday that his new league would make the “biggest investment ever” in European basketball, according to Tim Reynolds of the Associated Press. Tatum reiterated that the NBA hopes to merge with the EuroLeague.
“We continue to hope that we will reach an agreementTatum said.But we are ready to continue anyway. … To reiterate, our model will provide clubs with a much faster path to profit. Over the first decade, we forecast multibillion-dollar distributions to clubs. This will give them much more financial stability. This will give them an opportunity to reinvest in the basketball ecosystem.”
Many British media reported that the NBA plans to meet with the heads of several prominent football clubs who will be in London this week for the Ballon d’Or ceremony. however, Mark del Rio from the Spanish newspaper SPORT heard that the Euroleague club “Barcelona” will not take part in these meetings, which will be held on Tuesday, and “Bayern” Munich will also. Real Madrid – reportedly one of NBA Europe’s main supporters – will attend the meetings, confirms Sporty.
