Euroleague CEO says spirit of European game must be preserved as NBA tests waters

NEW YORK - Euroleague CEO Paulius Motiejunas said he wants to preserve the spirit of European basketball as his organisation faces potential competition from the ultra-powerful NBA.

The National Basketball Association is exploring the possibility of launching a European league in partnership with the sports global governing body FIBA, Commissioner Adam Silver said last month.

The league told Reuters that it believes the business of basketball is far from living up to its potential in Europe, amid a surge of popularity across the continent.

But Motiejunas said the Euroleague is staunchly opposed to a new operator in the region, as it celebrates 25 years with steadily growing attendance.

We always say the same message, you know, we are the number one basketball league in Europe. We are strong. We dont need a saviour, Motiejunas told Reuters.

We dont want someone to come in and say, you know, you can do much better. Of course, we know that we can do much better. And we can do much better if we do it together.

Basketballs popularity has surged across Europe over the last several years, along with the level of talent on the continent, with roughly 15% of all NBA players today coming from Europe, including five of the last six MVPs.

Nowhere was that rise in popularity more evident than at the 2024 Paris Olympics, where dozens of athletes from outside the U.S. with NBA experience faced off, compared to just nine international NBA players who competed at the 1992 Barcelona Games.

But the current structure of European basketball - where teams in the Euroleague also compete in domestic leagues - is a departure for most Americans who are used to the unified NBA structure.

Motiejunas fears another league would only complicate the picture.

Its enough confusion to the international