European basketball has been fractured since 2000. The NBA has been invited to meetings as “a key player in the growth of our sport”
European basketball soon to be reconciled under the aegis of the NBA? The International Basketball Federation (Fiba), the North American League (NBA) and the Euroleague on Friday recognized meetings to “discuss the unification of European basketball” fractured since the Euroleague schism in 2000.
“A meeting took place in mid-September to discuss the unification of European basketball” at the initiative of Fiba with the Euroleague, the private and semi-closed league which organizes the most prestigious club competition in Old Continent, indicates the international federation in a press release.
“As a key player in the growth of our sport and long-time partner of Fiba, the NBA was also invited and participated in the meeting,” she adds in reaction to a report from the Spanish sports daily. Marca announcing Thursday evening the creation of an “NBA Europe”.
“The NBA and Fiba have already started to negotiate the creation of an NBA Europe, the European division of the best league in the world, writes the Iberian newspaper. Negotiations are on track for this division to emerge in the imminent future. “
An assertion denied Friday by the Euroleague: “The subjects discussed at this meeting have never included the creation of an NBA division in Europe”, assures the private league by press release.
End duplicates
Without clearly defining the contours of the project, Marca evokes a competition replacing the Euroleague and not integrated into the North American league.
Still, the involvement of the NBA is a novelty as this acknowledges it through the voice of its spokesperson Mike Bass: “We were recently invited to initiate discussions on how we can work together to develop basketball. -ball in Europe. We look forward to participating in further these discussions in the future. “
Beyond the prestigious NBA label, this tripartite agreement would put an end to the duplication between the Euroleague and the Fiba international calendar. The European match between Villeurbanne and Monaco on November 26, for example, is scheduled for the same day as the France team’s first qualifying match for the 2023 World Cup.
