By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
Elite European competition currently stands at a crossroads, and the head of the competition has shared his vision of the current situation ahead of the Athens clash.
Paulius Motiejunas spoke about the new season and new format:
“This system, as we know it, has a maximum number of 20 teams. We are financially satisfied, with increased revenue and greater development in the arenas. Every time I come to “OAKA”, I see something new has been constructed. The ‘every game matters’ rule still applies, so we maintain the same efficiency.”
Also, he spoke about NBA Europe:
“FIBA helped a lot, putting us at the table to discuss, but right now what we see from the interviews, it’s really difficult to understand the position. Let’s say when Mark Tatum says we want to dominate this market, you know, the European market, Asian market, and so on and so forth. It’s really difficult to sit down at the table because we have the greatest product, we have the best teams. We’ve been here for 25 years.”
Motiejunas added that they want to talk, but in a “way of a collaboration”.
“We saw all the teams, we saw all the cities that they announced, let’s put it this way, and for us basketball people, it’s really difficult to understand. We build, we have a basketball, crazy fans, amazing teams, and we build business around basketball. And what we see from them is they came with a business model and saying we’re going to recreate basketball, so it’s seems disrespectful in a way. Like I keep repeating, we open, we we’re ready to talk, but let’s open up and talk in a way of collaboration, not the dominance.”
He gave his opinion on player injuries:
“We may have more games, but player health is above all. We are considering this and have reached the maximum number of games. We want fewer games; it is something we are discussing. We might want more because we sell the product, but player health is a priority.”
Also, he was asked about Zeljko Obradovic‘s opinion regarding unity for the “stakeholders”:
“I agree with Obradovic. It is obvious that we are trying to resolve this. We want unity, not for 13 teams to decide for 40. We need to find a cooperation plan that will guarantee the future of the teams.”
On the Final Four in Athens:
“We are not alone in the fight against the NBA, which wants to take things we have already created. The President of Lithuania and Kyriakos Mitsotakis give us absolute trust. We are arranging technical details for the Final Four. Tickets will soon be released for sale.”