By Eurohoops team / info@eurohoops.net
Euroleague Basketball CEO Paulius Motiejunas said the future of the sport in Europe depends on working together, as the NBA considers starting its own league on the continent.
Speaking at the SportsPro Conference in London, he expressed willingness to explore collaboration.
“The only way forward, I think, is if it’s together – if we sit down and figure out how to grow the basketball market. In the end, it has to be focused on the fan,” Motiejunas said per Hoopsfix.
He emphasized that one of the main hurdles facing any new competitor in Europe is the continent’s entrenched fan culture.
“In our culture – just like in football – you’re born into it. Your father puts on the jersey for you, and that’s it. You’re a fan. You don’t have to go and try to get that fan from the street, and I think that’s something they’re missing. It’s going to be difficult to do.”
Motiejunas made it clear that EuroLeague is already well-positioned.
“With a strong partner in IMG and the core markets we already have, the only way forward is together.”
Sharing the panel with Motiejunas, IMG President Adam Kelly argued that rather than starting from scratch, it makes far more sense to build upon the existing EuroLeague structure.
“When we came in, we created effectively the first European super league in the structure. We reduced the teams to 16, created this full round robin, home and away, making sure the biggest teams, the biggest brands, the key rivalries were playing each other home and away, guaranteed each season – that was a big part of this flight to premium.”
Kelly also spoke on the NBA’s “solution for European basketball.”
“When I listen to George (Aivazoglou) and the NBA, he said on stage yesterday that they have the solution for European basketball and it is two competitions, 16 teams, mainly permanent members and a few slots that can be adjusted up and down; that sounds perfect, it sounds very familiar, and I think that is exactly what should happen. We welcome conversations. The NBA has a huge amount of value to add, and as the governing body, FIBA should be supporting the growth of the sport, so aligning with us is so obvious it shouldn’t even be a discussion topic.”
Motiejunas also talked about NBA’s interest in basing franchises in Europe’s major cities.
“(The) US and NBA is the best basketball league in the world, revenue-wise, whatever numbers you put in, there are many things to learn, but it’s not the same when it comes to Europe. It’s easy to take this mathematical or economical approach where you look at the biggest markets, and I know they mentioned a couple of cities, such as London and Manchester. I ran a club for 20 years, and I know it’s not that you just come in and there are so many people who will suddenly come to the game and watch it… In order to have fans, supporters, you have to have good competition, grassroots programs, and local players. There are so many ingredients that need to be in place.”
He noted that London remains a focal point for growing basketball in Europe, and suggested that the London Lions could be a central part of that effort.
“For sure, London Lions is the team that we’ve been watching. They had quite a good season a year ago before the investors or the owners went bust. We had the Final Four here (in London). It’s a great city, a great place to keep growing. I believe if they continue to be successful and solve the internal issues with the league – and now two leagues probably, but I don’t want to comment on that – we talk to the Mayor’s Office, we know the sport is popular, and we talk about the grassroots issue. There are a lot of people practicing basketball; we just have to monetize it. It will take time, but for sure London Lions are a good part of that.”
Motiejunas warned that starting another new league could backfire.
“We strongly believe it’s not the way. We have this system that they’re talking about. It’s working, it’s working well. We see many potentials in doing it together. Let’s sit down and try to figure out how we do it. Because a new league, one more new league in the current situation… I repeat myself, it’s not going to work. It’s not helping the sport, and it’s not helping the fans, investors, sponsors, and so on and so forth.”