Euroleague, former CEO Bertomeu vs. NBA: "Wants to control everything"
The’NBA wants to be a major player in Europe. The project, with the presence of Fiba, is being developed. In 2026, a new league could be born that would, in fact, make direct competition to the’Euroleague.
Bertomeu, founder of the’Euroleague and former CEO, is definitely concerned about what is happening. He’s convinced that the landing of the NBA in Europe will be a real problem for the Euroleague and, in general, for European basketball.
“NBA smelled blood and saw an opportunity to take an advantage. Euroleague’s weakness, its lack of projects, meant that there were conditions for someone to take over. Just five years ago this scenario was unthinkable”, Bertomeu”s own words to Corriere della Sera.
The’former CEO of Euroleague has no doubts about what could happen: “European talents already go to the American NBA. Just as so many take the opposite route. And that the mvps in America are now always European speaks volumes about Nba interests in our basketball. They want to control it”. In short, according to Bertomeu, the NBA Europe project is designed to dismantle the principles on which European basketball was founded. As if that were not enough, he is also convinced that not all of the top teams in the current Euroleague are interested in the’NBA.
