Idman.biz
FIBA President Jorge Garbajosa spoke about the NBA European League.
Idman.Biz reports that the League is scheduled to launch in 2027.
"The NBA understands the values of the European sports model better than anyone. We have built relationships based on trust and time. When you combine this with a passion for basketball, the numbers add up. The NBA is the best commercial volume generator in the world, and at the same time the league will respect the values of basketball in Europe. For me, it sounds very appealing. It's about the sustainability of competitions and clubs. Whether it's a Spanish, Turkish, or Italian club, any team has the right to participate in this tournament, regardless of the franchise system. In the future, 20-30% of participants will qualify based on sports qualities and fair distribution of prize money. It will be an open competition. Nothing has been signed yet.
Nothing is perfect, but the main beneficiaries of this competition will be national leagues. Because their ambitions will finally come true. The fact that they are considering participating in this project is already a great stimulus. It's interesting: while... Some monopolize and increase the number of games, but we at FIBA do the opposite - we take care of the players. We will have more open competition.
By the way, when I played in the 24-team EuroLeague, I only had to play 24 games to become a champion. Now, the first stage alone is 38 games, plus a trip to Dubai (for the "Final Fours")", AS newspaper quotes Garbajosa.
