By Eurohoops Team/ info@eurohoops.net
A new name among changes for the annual U18 tournament organized by Euroleague Basketball.
Germany, Turkiye, and Serbia will host the tournaments of the 2024-25 season.
More details on the 2024-25 installment of Adidas NextGen EuroLeague were shared in a press release on Friday.
Per the press release: “The 2024-25 edition of Europe’s premier U18 basketball competition will debut with a fresh name, look, and feel. The newly rebranded Adidas NextGen EuroLeague (formerly known as the Euroleague Basketball Adidas Next Generation Tournament) will mark its 23rd edition. With a new name and logo, it aims to strengthen its connection to the Euroleague Basketball ecosystem and highlight its status as the premier platform for emerging talent in Europe, serving as a natural pathway for future pan-European stars.
The NextGen will debut in Istanbul in late November, then it is the turn of German cities Munich and Ulm in mid-January and early February, respectively, before the fourth and final qualifier is held in Belgrade. This will be the 17th year in a row that Belgrade has acted as the host for an NextGen Qualifier.
There have been no changes to the format, so the winner of each Qualifying Tournament will advance to the finals, which will be held on the same weekend – and in the same city – as the 2025 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Final Four.
During each tournament, the Next Generation Team will be present, with this squad made up of young stars from clubs not affiliated with other NextGen sides. Like last year, the Next Generation Select Team will not take part in the eight-team Adidas NextGen EuroLeague Finals.
This year’s first Qualifying Tournament will be held between November 29 and December 1, 2024, in Istanbul, with Bahcesehir College Istanbul acting as the host club. The action will take place at the newly renovated Basketball Development Center in the Turkish city.
The next club to act as the event host is FC Bayern Munich, with the Munich edition of the Qualifying tournaments taking place between January 17 and 19, 2025. This tournament will be held at BMW Park, Bayern’s former home, and will feature an LED floor.
Staying in Germany, ratiopharm Ulm – a club renowned around the world for young talent – will host the third NextGen Qualifying Tournament between February 7 and 9, 2025. These games will be played at the club’s Orange Campus.
Last but not least, the Serbian capital of Belgrade will welcome the teams competing in the fourth Qualifier, with Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade serving as the host club. Between March 7 and 9, 2025, this edition of the NextGen Qualifying Tournament will be played at Aleksandar Nikolic Hall.
This season marks the 23rd edition of the NextGen. Some of the biggest names in basketball have passed through the competition, including future stars such as Luka Doncic, Victor Wembanyama, Kristaps Porzingis, Domantas Sabonis, Milos Teodosic, Vasilije Micic, Nikola Mirotic, Donatas Motiejunas, Dario Saric, Jonas Valanciunas, Omri Casspi, Luigi Datome and Goga Bitadze, among others.”