By Aris Barkas/ barkas@eurohoops.net
The announcement was almost expected, the tone was amicable, and FIBA Secretary General Andreas Zagklis emphasized his intention to unite the sport. However, the road to hell is paved with good intentions.
Last night’s announcement was not a declaration of war, but it was certainly perceived, at least by some EuroLeague stakeholders, as one.
As NBA commissioner Adam Silver clarified, there’s no deal with anyone yet; however, with FIBA and the NBA sending a powerful message and the EuroLeague mentioned just as “that league,” it’s obvious that the two parties are set on a collision course.
Two rival basketball ecosystems
For many months, there were speculations about how the NBA may expand to Europe. Right now, it’s obvious that in 2026, we might end up on one side with the EuroLeague and the EuroCup, while on the other, the new “NBA Europe League” will be the rival to the EuroLeague, accompanied by the Basketball Champions League as the second competition of the FIBA-NBA European ecosystem, creating a landscape similar to the 2000-01 season, the first EuroLeague season with FIBA operating the rival “Suproleague” for one year.
At the moment, this appears to be the most likely competition format on the table, with the Basketball Champions League giving the right to their top teams to compete in the semi-closed “NBA Europe” league.
The “pyramid structure” which was described by Zagklis has the national leagues on the bottom, which will give qualification to the Basketball Champions League, and then the next step would be to get a spot in the new league. Practically, it’s a copy of the current EuroLeague system, with the seal of FIBA and the NBA, with a more strict qualification process via the domestic leagues.
That’s why there are even now rumors that clubs like ALBA Berlin and Juventut Badalona will join the Basketball Champions League, aiming for a future in the new NBA-FIBA project.
Clubs entering free agency and the Madrid issue
The number of “permanent” spots in the new competition mentioned was 12, and this might not be an accident. Without CSKA Moscow, there are currently 12 clubs with an A license in the EuroLeague, so the message is clear.
Of course, Basketball Champions League clubs with a long history and ambitions like Unicaja Malaga and AEK would also like to be part of the new league, but it’s obvious that the NBA wants to lure as many EuroLeague clubs as possible.
That’s why the key date remains the summer of 2026, when the current joint venture between the EuroLeague and IMG expires. Of course, IMG and the EuroLeague have already announced the extension of their partnership, which includes very different conditions compared to the current one, but the clubs can sign the new contracts until the summer of 2026. Per Eurohoops sources, many of them have not signed yet.
Still, there’s one club, much more important than others, which can set the tone for the future. As Eurohoops reported in December, Real Madrid is the most coveted EuroLeague powerhouse, and if the Spanish giant decides to join the new project, the blow to the EuroLeague would be huge. Barcelona is expected to follow Madrid’s lead, and the balance of powers will change overnight.
There’s no solid indication yet about Madrid’s plans, but multiple sources confirm that the club has recently distanced itself from the rest of the EuroLeague, keeping its cards closed.
Tony Parker’s role
The only club that has openly admitted in public and also in the EuroLeague board meetings that they are in contact with the NBA is ASVEL. While the club’s status can’t be compared with Real Madrid, ASVEL is also a club with an A EuroLeague license.
Per Eurohoops sources, Parker has remotely joined one of the last EuroLeague board meetings, with a clear message to the rest of the league, one he repeated publicly on an interview with French newspaper L’Equipe: “We either reach an agreement or the NBA comes alone”.
The French basketball icon has offered himself to the league as a contact with the NBA, but nothing has been decided yet on this matter. It remains to be seen if things will change since Parker openly admitted that he feels that there must be a merger of the EuroLeague with the NBA and wants to see ASVEL in the new project.
The failed last meeting between EuroLeague, FIBA, and the NBA
The three sides met for the first time in 2021, with FIBA initiating the meeting, as Andreas Zagklis wanted, after COVID, to bury the hatchet and unite all stakeholders. No concrete details about this meeting ever came out; however, according to one source close to the situation, at the time, the NBA has proposed the possibility of a streaming partnership, integrating all basketball competitions under their service, creating a global “Basketball Netflix”. This never happened.
Since then, EuroLeague and FIBA continued to have an open line of communication, getting on July 2023 a deal about the “Windows” Calendar which at the time was considered the first step for the definite end of their long time feud, leading also to the merger of the EuroCup with the Basketball Champions League.
Things have changed a lot since then, especially almost one year ago when the NBA asked again to meet with FIBA and the EuroLeague. The meeting was not made public, and essentially, what the NBA proposed this time was taking over the EuroLeague, getting a 50%-50% ownership deal, but giving very little back in exchange.
The offer was rejected. NBA, as it’s now proven beyond any doubt, was eager to enter the European market, and when Adam Silver says that nothing yet is a done deal, essentially he is extending an invitation to all stakeholders, including the EuroLeague, but obviously under his conditions.
That was evident just a few days ago when, according to Eurohoops sources, the last meeting between FIBA, EuroLeague, and the NBA was held with no results. This time, the NBA was not represented by Silver or by deputy commissioner Mark Tatum, who is expected to play a key role in the European project since he is also the representative of the NBA in the FIBA central board. Once more, all sides agreed to disagree, and the schism was confirmed.
That’s why EuroLeague wasn’t really surprised by the announcement. That’s why the discussion of the EuroLeague expansion has officially opened, and that’s why a lot of things might happen faster than expected until the summer of 2026.
And while currently, things are not looking good, it’s obvious that if all the stakeholders are really interested in the good of the sport in Europe, an honest deal, or even an honest compromise between all of them, must be found sooner than later.