By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
The NBA is actively looking into options in Europe, widely referred to as a league called NBA Europe. In addition to the expansion plans being confirmed by NBA commissioner Adam Silver on several occasions over recent months, the FIBA Secretary General Andreas Zagklis and other officials of the International Basketball Federation have also opened up and welcomed the idea.
In an interview with SportsPro, Euroleague Basketball Chief Executive Officer Paulius Motiejunas shared his view on another league potentially joining a crowded field of club continental competitions in Europe.
“To read comments about another league in Europe, for me personally, doesn’t make any sense,” he said, “We already have four different leagues. We, as EuroLeague, have the best product possible. I don’t think it’s something that should not be valued and understood and appreciated, because what the clubs and the league have achieved in 25 years, it’s amazing.”
“I understand the NBA’s approach and I appreciate how big they are, it’s the number one basketball league in the world,” continued the 44-year-old Lithuanian executive, “But I don’t like the mentality that, ‘oh, we’ll come and we’ll teach everybody how it’s done’. Obviously, everybody wants to listen to the NBA or wants to see what they can offer. But to have five leagues, we’re forgetting the fans. You turn on the TV and you don’t know what team is playing what competition.”
Besides the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague and BKT EuroCup organized by Euroleague Basketball, FIBA running the Basketball Champions League and FIBA Europe Cup shape the four continental leagues currently fitting in the winter schedule of European basketball.
“Doesn’t make any sense, not only for the fans, also for all the revenues that we can get going to sponsors and offering the same investment. Again, difficult to understand,” the Euroleague Basketball CEO talked about a potential introduction of a fifth competition, “If you think about NBA, FIBA, and EuroLeague, I think we need to protect basketball, and we need to compete against other sports and grow the game of basketball.”
“I understand the willingness to expand and come and do the games and so on,” he referred to fixtures of the NBA Regular Season held in the Old Continent, “We, together, need to protect basketball, and if we compete with each other, between each other, then the other sports gain momentum; they get better than us and we are here to protect basketball. Again, I repeat myself, but that should be the motto of everybody.”
Photo Credit: EuroleagueBasketball.net