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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.”
President of the Italian Basketball Federation Gianni Petrucci confirmed in an interview with Giornale Radio Rai that the NBA Europe agreement will be announced in the coming weeks. "The NBA-FIBA agreement has already been finalized and should be officially signed by the end of March, as Jorge Garbajosa (president of FIBA Europe, ed.) confirmed to us when he came to Turin," Petrucci said. Petrucci also noted that NBA Europe will include two teams from Italy in the competition, from Rome and Milan. "This agreement will bring excitement, with two teams like Roma and Milan having NBA acronyms, while still playing in the Italian league and making their players available in the national transfer windows, which is a big step forward. I personally support this development," Petrucci said.
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"Our idea is to create this league – call it 12 to 16 teams – with the biggest countries having permanent franchises. Call it the UK, Spain, Germany, Italy, or France. Two teams in each one of those markets that we know with certainty will have franchises there, and then we'll open it up to the rest of the ecosystem."
Representatives from Real Madrid and FC Barcelona, two soccer and basketball heavyweights, Olimpia Milano, Panathinaikos, ASVEL, Bayern Munich and Alba Berlin were participants, signaling their interest in joining NBA Europe. NBA officials met privately with Fenerbahce, a top European team from Istanbul, last week in Berlin. Additionally, representatives from English soccer giant Manchester City were there, as were executives from Italian soccer powerhouse AC Milan, signaling their intent to either create new teams in their cities or invest further in existing teams.
Telegraph Media Group owner and Liverpool FC investor RedBird Capital Partners is working with the NBA on its plans to launch a European basketball league, City AM can reveal. RedBird, which also owns Italian football giants AC Milan, is playing a prominent role in wooing potential investors and partners in the venture at an exclusive meeting in London today.
RedBird is “very interested” in acquiring one of the new franchises, sources with knowledge of the situation said. Milan would seem the most likely location, given the firm’s existing connection through football.
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EA7 Emporio Armani Milan are still firmly in the mix for NBA Europe, and NBA Deputy Commissioner Mark Tatum made that clear while addressing the future of the project. As questions continue around which clubs and markets could be involved, Tatum confirmed that the Italian powerhouse remains part of the discussions and has not been ruled out.
"Yes, absolutely. I repeat, when I mentioned Milan, it was just an example. I recently discussed this with Ettore Messina as well, and we are on the same page. We are in talks with multiple groups," he said in an interview with Gazzetta.
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