By Johnny Askounis and Nikola Miloradovic/ info@eurohoops.net
FIBA Secretary General, Andreas Zagklis went into several topics during an end-of-year video conference on Monday.
“I think the question about how serious the NBA is should be asked to the NBA,” he replied about a potential expansion of the NBA in Europe.
“There is clear interest and there are ongoing discussions with FIBA,” he added, “FIBA has a consistent approach.”
“Respecting the national teams and national leagues,” he continued, “We have a very well-developed ecosystem of national leagues. And certainly, we must protect the work of not only a few clubs but almost 500, 600 clubs.”
The plan for a potential expansion of the league based in North America to the Old Continent remains unclear.
“The next month, we will see where we are in this matter,” the 44-year-old Greek executive concluded the answer, “It’s something that has been on our radar. We tried to bring everyone together. This was not possible. So, our job is to continue to have conversations, serious conversations with all our partners.”
More ongoing negotiations
Beyond the expansion talks, Zagklis opened up about younger players using overseas options in the NBA or the NCAA.
“There is a close working relationship between FIBA and ULEB, and it has been part of ongoing conversations with the ECA. A collective bargaining agreement, with a set amount, is one side of the coin; the other is that a player wishing to join the NBA requires a Letter of Clearance from FIBA. We are aware that, since the new club can only pay up to a certain amount, the question arises: what happens with the rest? Do they request loans, or negotiate for lower buyouts? This is an area where we can improve,” he said, “It has been part of our discussions with the NBA for an extended period. With the new CBA, there are fewer moving pieces in this puzzle.”
“The NCAA is a growing concern for different stakeholders,” Zagklis went into more and more prospects developing their talents through college basketball in the United States, “According to FIBA statutes, an expert working group was endorsed by the Central Board. I would recommend looking at the FIBA Migration Report. You’ll find that in NCAA Division 1, there are 806 international male players and 828 international female players. We need to carefully analyze this trend. An increase in numbers is not always a cause for concern. Sometimes, the NCAA is a good step for players, but in other cases, it’s not ideal. Clubs may not receive compensation, or players may lack stable academic opportunities. We are still in the initial phase of our analysis. It’s also important to note that FIBA is a secondary regulator, while the NCAA is the primary regulator, and they are currently involved in two legal disputes. We must protect the FIBA ecosystem without imposing unnecessary restrictions on player development.”
“Untapped potential in Europe”
Falling short of talking about Abu Dhabi hosting the Final Four of the 2024-25 edition of the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague, since Euroleague Basketball has yet to officially confirm the location of the season-ending tournament, Zagklis talked about European basketball strengthening relations with the Middle East.
“I feel very strongly that there is a lot of untapped potential in Europe. Basketball in Europe is punching below its commercial potential. We have not managed to fully realize the true commercial value of what basketball can bring, despite the growth of top competitions on the calendar. I believe FIBA has demonstrated this by opening new markets in Europe, but there is still more to do within Europe before looking outside,” he mentioned, “In Central, Northern, and Western Europe, there is significant appetite for basketball that we are not fully leveraging for our clubs. The world champions are Germany, France played in the Olympic final and hosted it, and we have games in London that are not even part of our top leagues. Not to mention Scandinavia and Poland, as well as strong economies like Czechia and Hungary. We are absent in Rome and several other major cities, which must be a focus.”
“We are very excited for what is coming”
In his opening statement, Zagklis explained how the basketball tournament dominated the 2024 Olympic Games, the Basketball Champions League expanding from Europe and the Americas to Asia, and the European installment of the BCL in Belgrade establishing the glass floor as a new part of the sport worldwide, and the 2024 Intercontinental Cup featuring five continents for the first time.
“We are very excited for what is coming,” he previewed more important events in 2025.
Photo Credit: FIBA