EuroLeague CEO downplays NBA's planned European entry concerns: 'Having a theory is one and making it work is two'

EuroLeague CEO Paulius Motiejunas is not impressed by NBA’s plans to enter the European market as he downplayed the impact of the biggest basketball league coming to Europe.

EuroLeague is a 20-team club competition which crowns the best team in European basketball, much like the UEFA Champions League. It is regarded as the second best basketball competition in the world after NBA which has been planning to enter Europe for a long time.

A big step towards a competition in Europe came on Monday for NBA as it announced a partnership with the world basketball body FIBA and said that existing clubs as well as potential owners are being talked to.

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EuroLeague dismisses NBA plans

NBA’s entry threatens to change the entire European basketball scene but EuroLeague CEO is not too worried.

“We’ve only heard the plan or the fireworks of how amazing it will be, how much potential there is,” EuroLeague CEO Paulius Motiejunas was quoted as saying by the Guardian. “But having a theory is one – and making it work is two. We’ve been here for 26 years. We know how Europe functions.”

EuroLeague consists of 13 “shareholder” clubs immune from relegation and seven more join these via qualification or invitation. Clubs like Real Madrid, Barcelona and Bayern Munich are part of the league.

NBA, on the other hand, is hoping to come up with a 16-team model which will have 12 permanent members.

“The NBA has been announcing and announcing things for a year but still it’s nothing that you can grasp on,” Motiejunas said. “As businessmen, these are team owners, they also begin to see it’s a little bit of a broken record of ‘we will announce later,’ … The ’27 start is already around the corner.”

However, three shareholder clubs, including Real Madrid, have not renewed their 10-year licenses. Reports state that at least two of these clubs are favouring the NBA project.

Barcelona recently indicated it will extend for another 10 years beyond this season and Motijeunas says the deal is important.

“It’s a big deal, of course. It’s an important brand, and we’re happy that they committed,” Motiejunas said.

“We focus on ourselves,” Motiejunas said. “We will be able to adapt, there’s no question about it, and we will continue to fight.”