By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
With the NBA and FIBA accelerating plans to launch a 16-team continental league at the top of the 2027–28 season, NBA Europe is generating a ‘tremendous’ response from prospective clubs and ownership groups, as detailed by George Aivazoglou, NBA Europe and Middle East Managing Director.
In an interview with Anadolu Agency published Wednesday, Aivazoglou emphasized that the project is looking beyond short-term finances to secure partners with a ‘shared vision’ and a ‘long-term commitment to building the league for the next 100 years’.
The economic model puts clubs at the center, projecting they will receive roughly 90% of league economics over the first decade, including hundreds of millions in guaranteed participation payments from day one, per the Greek executive.
“Istanbul is a world-class city,” he also praised the Turkish city. “If European basketball is to undergo a transformation, we believe Turkiye should be among the countries shaping that future.”
The projected league has held highly constructive discussions with historic clubs like Galatasaray.
“One of the things that excites us most is Galatasaray’s long-term vision for basketball,” said Aivazoglou. “Through the constructive discussions we have had with the club, we have seen that Galatasaray’s outlook on the future of European basketball aligns very closely with ours.”
“Istanbul’s sporting excellence is underlined by the fact that it’s home to a host of major clubs such as Fenerbahce, Besiktas, and Anadolu Efes,” he added. “Fenerbahce is another example that stands out, if you look at their ability to compete consistently at the highest level of European basketball for more than a decade, which has made a major contribution to the development of basketball culture in Turkiye.”
Designed to blend NBA commercial franchising with traditional European values, the starting field would feature 12 permanent franchises alongside four merit-based qualification spots. Final binding bids from international ownership groups are due by the end of June, with the winning metropolitan hubs expected to be announced in autumn.
“Alongside FIBA, we met with EuroLeague leadership earlier this month and continue to pursue a constructive, collaborative, and aligned outcome across the entire European ecosystem,” shared Aivazoglou when updating the status of talks between the involved groups. “We’ll reconvene again next month, but we are also realistic and prepared to move forward with our partners and investors if those discussions don’t materialize soon.”
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