By Christian Radnedge
LONDON, Oct 8 (Reuters) - The National Basketball Association and International Basketball Federation (FIBA) say they remain committed to building a league in Europe despite the Euroleague having turned down their collaboration offer at a shareholders' assembly on Tuesday.
The future of European basketball is in the balance, with the NBA saying it is keen to move forward with its NBA Europe project in 2027 whether a deal is reached or not.
The current premier competition in European
basketball, the Euroleague, has said it is open to collaborating with the NBA but voted on Tuesday against accepting an NBA proposal.
“A partnership between the Euroleague, FIBA and the NBA to unify the European basketball ecosystem would unlock the game’s enormous potential across Europe," said a joint statement from the NBA and FIBA on Thursday.
"The NBA and FIBA remain committed to moving forward with a new professional men’s league in Europe and helping build a stronger, more sustainable basketball ecosystem alongside partners who share our vision of growth, opportunity and the core principles of the European sports model."
Speaking later on Thursday at the 'Leaders Week' sports industry conference in London, NBA Europe Director George Aivazoglou confirmed that they were "moving ahead with plans for a launch next year."
"We're very serious and consistent in terms of our intention to work with everybody who shares our vision of the future," Aivazoglou said.
Aivazoglou also confirmed that their league would start with 16 teams, adding it would reward teams through qualification on sporting merit more than the Euroleague setup. He expressed doubts about the current format of European basketball.
"There is a serious value gap for European basketball. We don't think it's reaching its potential. And we have a perspective about what has happened and what needs to happen to move things forward."
In parallel, the Euroleague says it is moving forward with its own expansion project, which brings with it the prospect of competition between the two bodies.
A senior sports executive told Reuters on Tuesday that any collaboration was unlikely to begin before 2028.
Talks between the NBA and Euroleague regarding a deal could continue but there is no deadline for a deal to be agreed.
A person attending the Euroleague shareholders' assembly on Tuesday told Reuters they will meet again within a month to decide on the allocation of long-term Euroleague licences.
(Reporting by Christian Radnedge and Ruairidh Barlow; Editing by Ken Ferris)
