By Eurohoops team / info@eurohoops.net
EuroLeague’s 13 shareholder clubs remain open to a partnership with the NBA, provided they are all included, retain influence over the competition and agree on more manageable entry costs.
In an interview with EFE, carried by Marca, EuroLeague CEO Chus Bueno explained that the rejection of the NBA’s initial proposal had not ended discussions. However, EuroLeague will continue pursuing its own franchise model and expansion plans.
“If they want to enter Europe and form an alliance with us, the clubs have to be part of this model, and the amounts have to be discussed,” Bueno said. “The clubs are open to joining, but they want all of them to be included and to find the best ways to avoid investing so much.”
According to EFE, the initial proposal offered more than €500 million to be distributed among the shareholder clubs, while requiring each club joining the project to invest €440 million. Bueno declined to discuss the figures, citing confidentiality.
“If there are other proposals from the NBA, our lines are open, but we will keep working on the EuroLeague model.”
Bueno, who previously spent 12 years as an NBA executive in Europe, Africa and the Middle East, acknowledged that the American league’s marketing expertise and global experience could accelerate EuroLeague’s growth. He nevertheless emphasized the infrastructure already established in Europe.
“We have the ability and experience to operate in a diverse ecosystem, and we have the best clubs and fans.”
He believes an agreement would have been easier had the two organizations developed their plans together.
“I would have liked to arrive earlier so we could work together with the NBA from the conception of the model. Now there are two very different models, and trying to reach an agreement is more difficult.”
For the clubs, control over their future remains a fundamental condition.
“The clubs have a very clear position: they will want to be part of the decision-making. They have created a league that they own, and they want to continue deciding their future.”
Bueno also disputed NBA deputy commissioner Mark Tatum’s claim that NBA Europe could distribute three times as much money to clubs as EuroLeague’s projected business plan. He argued that any comparison must account for the initial entry investment required under the NBA proposal.
“If franchises put in €500 million and earn €240 million over ten years, they are still losing €260 million. In our case, they don’t lose money because they don’t put anything in. If they generate €100 million or €200 million, that is what they generate.”
He warned that a deal leaving teams outside the new structure could create further divisions rather than bring European basketball together.
“EuroLeague and EuroCup are not going to disappear. Clubs have already told me: ‘If you reach an agreement with the NBA and leave us out, we will create our own competition.’ If we don’t solve the problem for everyone, we will have more competitions, whatever they are called.”
Meanwhile, Bueno considers the transition toward franchises a lasting change.
“The clubs have changed their mentality. They want stability, and they won’t give up that status.”
Making that model financially sustainable remains a priority. Only 40% of EuroLeague clubs currently meet that standard, according to Bueno, with the aim of bringing all clubs to sustainability within a decade. Further talks on financial regulations are scheduled for next week.
“We have a meeting to discuss this: allowing those who have money to keep spending, but also balancing the system so it doesn’t have an inflationary effect or jeopardize the goal of sustainability.”
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