By Aris Barkas/ barkas@eurohoops.net
All indications are that a possible collaboration between the EuroLeague and NBA Europe at this point is almost impossible.
However, EuroLeague CEO Paulius Motiejunas, French basketball icon and ASVEL owner Tony Parker, FIBA Europe President Jorge Garbajosa, and Dubai BC Chairman Abdulla Saeed Juma Al Naboodah were part of the same roundtable at the World Sports Summit in Dubai.
The World Sports Summit is a global gathering “dedicated to inspiring the future of sport” and a roundtable addressing the future of the EuroLeague and of NBA Europe was held.
While the tone of the statements was amicable between all participants, the standard position of all sides were repeated with FIBA side repeating that they want to reshape the landscape of club competitions all over Europe, while EuroLeague reaffirmed that they have a solid presense in Europe and in the Middle East thanks to the inclusion of Dubai BC.
With that being said, it’s not a secret that LDLC ASVEL is expected to move to NBA Europe sonner than later, while in the recent meeting of NBA and FIBA officials with the Greek press it was once more clarified that the NBA Europe project will follow the FIBA continental zones structure, so no teams from the Arabic peninsula will be included.