By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
The general manager of Armani Olimpia Milan, Christos Stavropoulos, recently discussed the future of European basketball and the potential impact of an NBA Europe project, reaffirming that introducing a competing league causes market fragmentation. While he maintained that a collaboration with the NBA would be ideal, he emphasized that Euroleague Basketball is fully prepared to move forward independently with its own expansion plans.
The experienced executive once more warned against the consequences of competing entities trying to run parallel leagues on the continent. “When you add another competition, there’s fragmentation. For me, I’ve said it a thousand times, it would be ideal to collaborate with the NBA. But that’s not a given,” he stated during a media session, reiterating that a joint venture remains the healthiest path forward for the sport.
Stavropoulos made it clear that Euroleague Basketball stakeholders will not be left empty-handed. “If it doesn’t happen, we in the EuroLeague certainly already have clear ideas for the future. You’ve heard about the franchises, the increase in teams,” he confirmed. “Basketball in Europe is growing tremendously. EuroLeague is growing.”
“The next few years will be very important. There are so many teams that want to join. Eleven teams have applied for a franchise, and there are more,” he added. “The board will soon make decisions about the future. There’s no news on the NBA at the moment. If the future isn’t with them, so be it. We already have our way. We already know it.”
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