EuroLeague CEO Paulius Motiejunas has dismissed the NBA’s plans to launch a new European competition, describing the project as “a bit of a broken record” and questioning its feasibility. Speaking to the Associated Press, Motiejunas noted that while the NBA has announced its intentions for over a year, little concrete detail has emerged. “Having a theory is one – and making it work is two,” he said, adding that the EuroLeague has 26 years of experience in navigating Europe’s complex basketball landscape.
The NBA, in partnership with Fiba, is targeting a 16-team league with 12 permanent members, with a potential launch in October 2027. Proposed host cities include London, Manchester, Paris, Berlin, and Madrid. However, Motiejunas expressed scepticism, pointing out that the NBA has yet to provide a tangible framework. “As businessmen, these are team owners, they also begin to see it’s a little bit of a broken record of ‘we will announce later’,” he said, noting that the 2027 start date is fast approaching.
The EuroLeague, currently considered the top professional competition outside the NBA, consists of 20 teams, including 13 “shareholder” clubs with immunity from relegation. Attention is focused on three clubs—Real Madrid, Fenerbahce, and ASVEL—that have not renewed their 10-year licences. ASVEL, owned by former NBA star Tony Parker, has indicated support for the NBA project, while Barcelona recently committed to extending its licence for another decade. Motiejunas expressed confidence that all 13 clubs would remain, though he acknowledged that contracts could be broken through “consequences and legal teams”.
The EuroLeague has warned the NBA of potential legal action if it continues discussions with its shareholder clubs. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver shrugged off the threat, saying in Berlin ahead of a regular-season game that if the ceiling were the existing EuroLeague, “we wouldn’t be spending the kind of time and attention we are on this project.” Silver described the proposed league as an “enormous undertaking” that would take “multi-decades” to become commercially viable, and noted that franchise fees could exceed $500 million.
Silver highlighted basketball’s potential in Europe, where it is the second most popular sport after football, but argued that the current commercial marketplace represents only about 1% of the sports market. Many European clubs, including some in the EuroLeague, have faced financial difficulties, relying on wealthy owners to cover debts. The EuroLeague has implemented spending restrictions to promote sustainability and recently took its Final Four to Abu Dhabi for the first time, aiming to boost revenue.
