NBA’s Growing Interest in Europe, Concerns and Tensions in EuroLeague, Messina’s words

News from Serbia about an NBA plan for Europe, ready to be activated, brings to mind Ettore Messina’s words to Eurohoops at the end of October.

"I’m concerned because I would not like to go back to 2000 when we had two leagues". he said, a phrase that now takes on a different tone.

Meridian Sport reports a very tense situation within EuroLeague Basketball. IMG, a longtime partner of the competition, is allegedly threatening legal action if the clubs do not choose Abu Dhabi for this season’s Final Four.

At the same time, the clubs are delaying signing new agreements, exploring their options and evaluating new opportunities, particularly in light of revenues that fall short of those projected when the current project began in 2016. It is crucial to understand the unity among these clubs and their commitment to launch a new, shared path over the next 10-15 years, with a strong and unified leadership.

In his conversation with Eurohoops, Ettore Messina stated: "For the future of basketball, I think the most important thing is to find a solution, let’s say, a common plan with FIBA and NBA. Because at some point, when Adam Silver talks about something in Europe, considering their power and their economic, technical, and other resources, especially what they have set up in Africa, I am concerned. I would like us to have something in common in the future."

The progress so far has been less than expected: "I think we missed a huge chance 15 years ago to become the development league of the NBA. I think that that was a mistake in envisioning the future. If we had become, let’s say not in a diminishing way, but the G League, the league where players could have developed, now we would not be in this situation where the market is closed, where it’s very difficult to get players and where more or less our future it’s a concern because we are becoming an aging league". 

An open attitude: "I don’t think that in basketball you can see any organization, FIBA, Euroleague or the NBA like enemies because that would be stupid. I think we are a microcosmos compared to the rest of the world. Compared with soccer, basketball is a small unit and I think we need to do our best to have better relationships and more balance".

In short, something is indeed moving.