EuroLeague basketball owners have formally rejected an offer from the NBA to merge into a single European operation, as confirmed by Barcelona on Wednesday. This decision was made during a meeting in Cernobbio, Italy, on Tuesday, involving representatives from the EuroLeague's 13 shareholder clubs, which include Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, Olympiakos, Milan, ASVEL owned by Tony Parker, and two clubs based in Istanbul.
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A statement from the EuroLeague noted that the clubs convened to discuss key strategic decisions regarding their collective future but did not specifically mention the NBA proposal. Barcelona communicated to The Associated Press via email that the NBA's merger proposal had been rejected. The statement also indicated that Barcelona president Joan Laporta participated in the discussions, where various decisions affecting the competition’s future were made.
According to the club's statement, the rejection of the NBA's proposal, in its current form, was among the key decisions made. They stated that the proposal could be reconsidered if amended in the future.
Details regarding how each club voted were not disclosed, and the EuroLeague declined to elaborate further, referring back to its initial statement. The NBA has not yet responded to requests for comment.
Currently, the 20-team EuroLeague consists of 13 clubs that are immune from relegation, while the remainder qualify through domestic leagues or invitations. The NBA, in collaboration with FIBA, is aiming for a 16-team model in Europe and recently reported offering prospective members 400 million euros ($448 million).
During the meeting, EuroLeague club owners decided to transition from 10-year licenses to franchise structures for shareholder clubs and agreed to plans for expanding the number of franchises.
Notable basketball talents like Victor Wembanyama, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Luka Doncic represent the league's ambition in Europe. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver announced in January the league's plans to establish a new European league, targeting a launch date in October 2027, requiring franchises to pay a significant entry fee, speculated to be at least $500 million.
Financial challenges persist for many European basketball teams, with some relying on wealthy owners to support annual debts.