By Antonis Stroggylakis/ info@eurohoops.net
The 12 cities that are projected to have confirmed spots and teams in the upcoming NBA Europe league were unveiled Friday (7/11). While several capitals with established EuroLeague clubs are included on the list, there’s one striking absence.
Belgrade, one of the most prominent basketball hotbeds in Europe and home of two of the most popular teams in the continent – Crvena Zvezda and Partizan – is not being mentioned as a city considered by NBA in this expansion.
This perhaps didn’t come as a surprise to Zeljko Obradovic, the most decorated coach in the history of European basketball. The boss of Partizan Belgrade had already expressed his doubts about the project and now criticized what he perceives as lack of unity and honesty by EuroLeague clubs in their approach toward the arrival of NBA Europe.
“I don’t know anything about that. I don’t follow the media so much… I don’t have time for this,” Obradovic said after Partizan’s loss at Olympiacos Piraeus. “The NBA is a great competition. Probably for them it’s not enough what they have over here. They want to come over here. If everybody that we love European basketball are able together to protect ourselves, let’s try to do it. We have a great competition over here. The problem is that all the people need to be honest and to talk about what they really want to do. Don’t go behind [backs] and decide to go over there ‘in case it happens’ etc. It’s a big shame if you ask me.”
“What to say about Belgrade? In the city there are two EuroLeague clubs right now. In every game there are more 20,000 people,” Obradovic added. “At least we hope that they’ll continue to be in the EuroLeague.”
Obradovic also reaffirmed his belief that EuroLeague needs to undergo some changes, especially when it comes to the non-shareholder teams not enjoying the same status and privileges that the 12 A-license clubs and competition owners do.
“I would like to say one more thing,” Obradovic mentioned. “If you want EuroLeague to be really an even better competition right now: You have 20 teams and only 13 of them are owners/shareholders. Is this correct? Let’s do it everybody together so we have 20 teams deciding about the competition. Right now, I know that there are some teams signed a new contract for another ten years, but some of them, I think four, haven’t signed yet. The question is why? Every club has the right to do what they want. If you want competition, everybody needs to have the same rights. My club and my people try to do everything because of our fans, and this is why we have the budget that we have. We don’t have anything from TV rights, zero. I’m happy with my team and my club. We have a good team and we continue to fight. But it’s very important that everybody is in the same position. That clubs have the same rights and the same obligations. Otherwhise, it’ll always be very difficult.”
Obradovic previously talked about the issues that the 20-team format of the EuroLeague presents for teams, the framework agreement of the EuroLeague with ELPA, and the way that there’s simply no time to practice anymore, or to have a solid pre-season.
“I don’t know if this is a complaint; this is reality. We’re just talking about something obvious. It’s not easy for the players; they have the EuroLeague with 20 teams, 38 games, plus the domestic league and the Cup. I don’t know how it is in Greece, but at our place, there’s also the national championship, which ended at the end of June. You have to start in the last days of August. ELPA says only 35 days (for preseason), during which three days are for medical checks, two for EuroLeague obligations. In those 30 days, you have matches and need to rest them; they’re entitled to that. So what does that leave?
Imagine that, and injuries too. I went through all the preparations with one big man. Start of the EuroLeague, two guards are missing; we don’t have Carlik Jones, the team leader, the playmaker. What can you do? You have to work in a way that’s possible, and talk more whenever you have the chance. After the game in Dubai, I took the players straight from the flight to watch the video and told them to do a 20-minute practice, convinced them it was good for us. It’s just 20 minutes to be better at practice tomorrow. They also need to rest. I’m not the one to push them. I don’t gain anything from that. It’s complicated, but it’s the same for everyone. Now, clubs with a bigger roster and more players find it easier. If you count, some teams have almost 20 players, but I’m not complaining, I’m happy with my team, I’ll keep believing in them, it’s a tough period.”