By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
During a commemorative event hosted by the regional council of Lombardy to mark the 100th anniversary of the Italian national team’s debut, Ettore Messina confirmed his view on the urgent need for structural evolution within European basketball.
The 66-year-old executive highlighted the precarious financial state of top-tier European clubs, noting they have long relied on the personal patronage of dedicated figures like the late Giorgio Armani. To stabilize the sport, he called for a formal alliance between the NBA, Euroleague Basketball, and FIBA. “I hope an agreement is reached to ensure consistency in the schedules and to make these clubs a little less like money-losing machines,” Messina noted via Agenzia Giornalistica Italia.
This vision of a unified global basketball pyramid may soon become a reality. As the bidding process for NBA Europe concludes later Tuesday, Eurohoops sources suggest that the NBA and Euroleague Basketball are nearing a joint project. This potential expansion to 24 teams could finally resolve the long-standing rift with FIBA, fulfilling Messina’s long-held advocacy for a merger that aligns European talent with the organizational stability of the NBA model.
Messina remains one of the most successful coaches in European history, having won four EuroLeague titles and numerous domestic championships across Italy and Russia. He also spent five seasons in the NBA as an assistant under Gregg Popovich at the San Antonio Spurs from 2014 to 2019. Currently, he serves as the president of basketball operations for EA7 Emporio Armani Milan, having stepped down from his head coaching duties in late 2025.