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“And precisely, there are rumors, you know, around NBA Europe. What do you think about all that? Do you think it’s really going to happen?”rumors, Nadir Hifi: “I think it’s going to happen. Yes. I’m not going to lie, I’m a bit in the mindset where I tell myself I’m going to try to get to the NBA without NBA Europe, you know. But yeah, I think it could be a good thing for European basketball. The NBA brand is one of the biggest businesses in the world, you know. And as soon as they put their name somewhere, it’s always a good thing. So I think it’s going to happen. How it’s going to be, whether it will take time to launch, I don’t know
Inter Milan president Beppe Marotta confirms. Oaktree is closely monitoring the NBA Europe project, though there have been no substantial updates in recent days. Something is moving for Italian and Milanese basketball, and now even the Nerazzurri are not hiding: "I know that Oaktree is interested in this project, that the NBA wants to bring their show to Europe and that Milan is one of the cities designated," the Nerazzurri's leader said, interviewed by Luca Guazzoni of Ansa during the video conference at the Milan stage of Motore Italia, the Milano Finanza roadshow. The topic is extremely hot, and Beppe Marotta absolutely doesn't want to turn this occasion into an off-field derby with AC Milan's owners. Quite the opposite: "It's purely hypothetical. I can guarantee that there's an exceptional relationship between RedBird and Oaktree."
In a significant development for the European sporting landscape, Inter Milan chairman and CEO Giuseppe Marotta has confirmed that the club’s owners, Oaktree Capital, are closely monitoring the NBA Europe project. Speaking via video conference at the Motore Italia roadshow organized by Milano Finanza, the 68-year-old executive addressed growing speculation regarding a potential off-field derby between Inter and AC Milan to secure a franchise in the NBA’s upcoming continental expansion.
He emphasized the ‘exceptional relationship’ between Inter’s owners and AC Milan’s RedBird Capital, noting that while he represents the club’s sporting interests, the NBA venture remains a strategic decision for ownership. “I have no updates or details,” Marotta stated. “I represent Inter, and this concerns the ownership. I know Oaktree is interested in this project, that the NBA wants to bring their show to Europe, and that Milan is among the cities targeted.”
The NBA is determined to launch its own European league. If it succeeds, will that mean the end of the EuroLeague? Chus Bueno: I'm taking a preliminary step. As you know, I have a very good relationship with the NBA and many of its executives, including Adam Silver and Mark Tatum. They've opened what's called a 'data room,' which is a collection of files where they explain the project to the people they want to explain it to. This ends on the 26th or 27th, and then they'll present their conclusions to their Board of Governors. For now, we have to be respectful, we have to wait, and we have to see how the market responds to what they say they want to do and what their proposed project is worth. We agreed with the NBA that we would wait and that once this process is over, we would sit down together. Because, as they themselves have said, they would be delighted to discuss the matter with the EuroLeague and see if there's any common ground and if we can reach some kind of agreement.
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So what might happen then? Chus Bueno: There are two scenarios. The NBA raises the money, and it's $5 billion, as they say or as reported in the press, that they're aiming for. Well, that would be very good news for basketball. European basketball has never had $5 billion to invest in its ecosystem. So we would have to sit down with them and say, "How can we maximize this opportunity together?" And we need to be well-positioned to have a proper dialogue so we can do it together. So even if the NBA raises the money, that doesn't mean they'll do it alone... Chus Bueno: No, no, of course not. I think they also know it's easier to do it together. One of the problems basketball has had is that it hasn't monetized, and that's why the NBA sees an opportunity to do so. I saw that when I was in the NBA; everything has become too fragmented. When you fragment the market, you dilute the value, and then it's much harder to monetize the fans because they're divided, they're not in one place. It's harder to monetize sponsorship deals, to monetize TV deals because everything is so fragmented. If the NBA comes in and does things on its own… well, we believe from this side of the table that it will fragment the market even more and further divide the value. I think we all know that if we can work in a united ecosystem, it will become more monetized. So that's what we're working on. And if the NBA doesn't come because in the end it doesn't raise the capital they wanted and they decide to pause, wait a little longer, whatever... well, as the Euroleague we must have a plan, which is what we presented a week and a half or two weeks ago, a three-year plan.
And of these scenarios, which do you see as most feasible? Chus Bueno: If they raise the money, the most logical thing would be a joint competition. Having two top-level competitions would split the market and lower the average level. It wouldn't help anyone. The best thing is to do it together, even if it means compromises from both sides.
Should teams that are not public limited sports companies (SADs) like Barça or Real Madrid create commercial companies to access financing from these funds? Chus Bueno: Barcelona and Real Madrid have financed themselves without becoming public limited companies. I don't think they need to. They've created different vehicles. Real Madrid created a company called Bernabéu SL to bring in money for the stadium. Barça has also created some companies. The thing is, like any club, you want to protect your equity and you want to look at operations differently than if you were the owner, a situation where you put up the money and have more independence. It creates a bit more doubt, fear, and confusion for club members when you're handing it over to a third party because the club used to belong to everyone. Each club must understand what it wants to be and align it with its members, who are the ones who have to decide. In Germany, for example, there are many clubs that have done this, but where 51% are members and 49% are sponsors or investors. And they've felt comfortable with this model.
Sources with direct knowledge of the investors’ plans have said the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund, which has a massive sports portfolio and started LIV Golf, is preparing to submit a bid for a new London-based team. Qatar Sports Investments, which owns soccer giant Paris Saint-Germain, is prepping one for a new team in Paris, and Gerry Cardinale’s RedBird Capital, which owns Italian soccer powerhouse AC Milan, will submit a bid for a new team in Milan.
Each of those bids for NBA Europe franchises, sources with knowledge said, is expected to be an independent bid to create new teams. There has been widespread interest from existing European clubs, such as Alba Berlin and ASVEL (near Lyon, France), but it was not known immediately whether those clubs might partner with additional investors to meet the NBA’s asking price for a license.
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According to the French newspaper “L’Equipe”, PSG and QSI are expected to submit a bid to get an NBA Europe franchise. The company confirmed that it is working “positively and actively” on submitting a bid without giving any other details. This is a development that can’t be considered surprising, since the NBA has long made Paris a priority in its European plans, and even recently, PSG minority owner Kevin Durant discussed the matter.
When talks first started, it was believed that Paris Basketball was a possible NBA Europe candidate, but this was not the case. Sources close to the talks about the NBA Europe project confirmed to Eurohoops that the involvement of former Timberwolves GM David Kahn as Paris Basketball president was a problem for the US side.
Fenerbahce Beko general manager Derya Yannier has reaffirmed the club’s involvement in high-level discussions regarding the potential NBA Europe project, a joint initiative between the NBA and FIBA to reshape the continental basketball landscape. Speaking with the Turkish digital sports platform Asist Analiz, the 41-year-old executive highlighted the significance of the ongoing negotiations while noting the complexity of the task at hand. “I’ve been thinking on this topic for about a year,” Yannier mentioned, acknowledging that the prospect of a new top-tier league has been a long-standing point of focus for the club.
“As Fenerbahce, we are trying to maintain a balanced approach during this process. I believe it is essential for everyone to sit down at the same table, set aside institutional or individual interests, and make decisions for the sake of the game itself. That said, having the NBA at this table is a huge opportunity,” he added.