The head of the Euroleague is very frustrated with the negotiations with the NBA

Even if it is NBA and theEuroleague As we speak, the two camps appear to be very far from cooperating on the subject of NBA Europe. While during the first talks everyone talked about constructive dialogue, the feedback became more and more tense. I Paulius Motiejunasthe head of the Euroleague, no longer hides his frustration.

“We are still in talks with the NBA. We will meet again and continue the dialogue. But we are very frustrated”as explained by Paulius Motiejunas and in the magazine El Pais. “Whatever proposal we give them, they seem unwilling to make concrete progress.”

It must be said that the plans of the two camps are almost philosophically opposed. On the NBA side, we want to concentrate on the big European economic markets, even if they don’t have a basketball culture like in England. Serbia, the country of basketball, for Adam Silver, on the other hand, is absolutely not a priority…

“The NBA is trying to attract some of our clubs and exclude others. This does not work. We participated in these meetings and made proposals, but we are not moving forward. The Euroleague model is completely different. The NBA wants to build basketball around business, we build business around basketball. »

“If things continue like this, the NBA will only hurt European basketball”

The problem is that the NBA promises profits that the EuroLeague never made. L’ASWELL is already in the process of secession and, more seriously, in Real Madridthe FC Barcelona and the Fenerbahçe they are reluctant to do the same.

“We are in better financial shape than ever” transport portant Paulius Motiejunas. “Our revenues have increased by 45 percent in the last two seasons. We have new sponsors. The TV audience has increased by 30 percent in five years, and last season more than three million fans visited the matches, which is a record.”

But that doesn’t stop clubs from running budget deficits from season to season.

“Even though I say we’re in talks, there’s not much progress and they’re just following their plan. The NBA is announcing that they’re going to start their league, they’re talking about cities and teams… From our point of view, this is not the right path.”concludes the head of the Euroleague. “That said, it’s bad news. We don’t need new competition. We already have four, this would be the fifth. With the right approach, they would help. But if things continue like this, the NBA will only hurt European basketball.”