As NBA plans for new pro league in Europe progress, EuroLeague re-enters the conversation
The NBA continues to move apace with its plans to potentially launch a new European basketball league.
More than two months after commissioner Adam Silver announced that the NBA is looking into the idea, deputy commissioner Mark Tatum told The Athletic that the NBA continues to have discussions with potential stakeholders in the league. It has spoken with several investment banks, aside from The Raine Group, which has been working with the NBA since last year, about coming on as financial advisors before the NBA goes to market and begins to sell equity stakes in its new European league franchises.
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The most significant conversations might have been the ones the NBA had several weeks ago with EuroLeague officials and representatives of all 13 permanent EuroLeague teams at FIBA's Geneva office. The NBA is working with FIBA on its plans.
The two leagues have had a frosty relationship over the last year after the EuroLeague turned down the NBA's offer to partner with EuroLeague to run a European basketball league. But the relationship seems to have thawed in recent months. Former San Antonio Spurs star Tony Parker, the owner of ASVEL, a French basketball club in the EuroLeague, has served as an intermediary between the two sides, and they have become more open to talks about their collective future.
'It was really the first time that all three parties, including the clubs, had sat down together to talk about what the future of European basketball should look like,' Tatum said. 'So I'd say there was a really productive, good conversations there. Out of that came several conversations directly with clubs, but I think everyone is of that mindset that there's a bigger opportunity for us to grow the game of basketball in Europe, and now it's just about figuring out what the right model is to do that.'
EuroLeague CEO Paulius Motiejunas also said that there may be a future together for the two sides in Europe.
'It is becoming more obvious that we have to work together,' he told The Athletic. 'I believe it is the first meeting of many where we should find ways to grow basketball. FIBA's wishes are clear and simple and easy to get to. So it is up to both leagues to find ways to grow European basketball. Our history and fan base and teams would be a strong backbone to build on.'
Tatum said that the European basketball league could launch in two to three years. There already seems to be some movement ahead of that.
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Alba Berlin, one of the top teams in Germany, announced that it would leave the EuroLeague, where it played under a wild-card entry, to join FIBA's Basketball Champions League. That move has been viewed as laying the groundwork to eventually join the NBA's future league. Tatum said it was a sign that Alba Berlin bought 'into this vision of a revamped top-tier league in Europe that is going to service fans, the millions of basketball fans in Europe that currently aren't serviced today.'
It could also portend a future where the EuroLeague or some of its teams are involved in the NBA's European league when it finally launches.
'Our vision is that we are going to be operating the top-tier league in Europe,' Tatum said. 'Clearly, the EuroLeague, I think, has done a pretty nice job of growing the game, but there are millions of fans that argue the service in that model, and like I said, they're one of the stakeholders there. So to the extent that they're interested and engaged with us on how to create the best model, yes, we're wanting to continue to have those conversations.'
(Photo of Adam Silver and Secretary General of FIBA Andreas Zagklis during a March press conference: David Dow / NBAE via Getty Images)
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