The National Basketball Association said Friday that it had begun negotiations with world basketball body FIBA and the EuroLeague about unifying the game in Europe. The organization of basketball in Europe fractured in 2000 amid arguments over TV rights. “As part of our ongoing collaboration with both stakeholders, we recently were invited to engage in discussions about how we can work together to grow basketball in Europe. We look forward to participating in subsequent conversations moving forward,” NBA spokesman Mike Bass said.
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The EuroLeague, the competition which features the continent's best clubs, however strenuously denied a report in Spanish sports newspaper Marca that the talks were intended to create an "NBA Europe". "The subjects discussed in this meeting never included the creation of a division of the NBA in Europe," EuroLeague said in a statement.
“FIBA confirms that, following an invitation to the President and CEO of Euroleague Basketball, but also to the shareholders of ECA, a meeting was held in mid-September to discuss the unification of European Basketball. As a key factor in the development of basketball and given that it’s a longtime partner of FIBA, the NBA was also invited and participated in the meeting. After the end of the discussion, all parties agreed to meet again in the coming months.”
Ahat’s also must be noted is that the proposed plan does not include the creation of a league based on the model of BAL, a joint venture between FIBA and the NBA in Africa, as was mentioned in a report by the Spanish newspaper “Marca”.
The NBA and FIBA have begun negotiations for the creation of NBA Europe, an overseas division of the league according to a report by Marca.
The shift in continental basketball could be about to occur and it will be huge, with the NBA preparing to form a European Conference alongside FIBA, which would leave the EuroLeague behind. The European conference would be built under the NBA umbrella, essentially calling it NBA Europe, and it will be a selection of the best players in the world outside of the North American division.
MARCA has learned that the NBA and FIBA are well on course to create this league and negotiations are right on track. A quick explanation means that Fenerbahce isn't immediately going to play against the Los Angeles Lakers, but it will see control of the brand pass to the NBA, which is likely to then see a number of teams work with their European counterparts and form development partnerships.
Prudence is now the main concern for the project, they want to take the right steps and avoid the PR calamity that came with European football's attempts at forming a Super League. It would be the largest competitive basketball project created in decades and Adam Silver, NBA commissioner, has already sent a letter to Bertomeu expressing his intention to form this new league.
