NBA Europe and Middle East Managing Director George Aivazoglou said there is unprecedented investor interest, including from Türkiye, in the new European basketball league.
Aivazoglou told Anadolu that finances were only one part of the bids being evaluated, adding that the NBA–FIBA project is seeking partners with a shared vision, a proven track record of running world-class clubs or businesses, and a long-term commitment to building the league for the next 100 years.
"Istanbul is a world-class city: sports-obsessed, culturally influential, and home to one of the largest and most engaged fanbases in Europe. If European basketball is to undergo a transformation, we believe Türkiye should be among the countries shaping that future," he said.
When asked whether NBA Europe, announced for an October 2027 launch, is still on track and if it will begin within 16 months, he said they were making significant progress.
"We know that is ambitious, but my colleagues in London, Madrid and New York, along with our partners from FIBA, are progressing a range of workstreams to make that timeline a reality. And the response from prospective clubs, ownership groups and partners who want to be involved in our league has been tremendous," he said.
He said the project would be an authentically European league, built by Europeans, designed for European fans, and aligned with the European sporting model that gives every club a pathway to top-tier pan-European competition.
"That qualification opportunity will create a pathway for any club to write its own fairytale and bring world-class basketball to more fans across the continent," he said.
Marketing strategy
Aivazoglou said that through the proceeds from franchise sales, the NBA–FIBA project would make an unprecedented investment in European basketball, with clubs at the centre of its economic model.
"Clubs are central to the economics of our proposal – in aggregate, we expect them to receive around 90 percent of league economics over the first decade, including hundreds of millions in guaranteed participation payments from day one and that increase based on performance," he added.
When asked whether the EuroLeague could become part of the new NBA–FIBA league, he said their goal had always been to work collaboratively with the existing European basketball ecosystem, including the EuroLeague.
"Alongside FIBA, we met with EuroLeague leadership earlier this month and continue to pursue a constructive, collaborative, and aligned outcome across the entire European ecosystem.
“We’ll reconvene again next month, but we are also realistic and prepared to move forward with our partners and investors if those discussions don’t materialise soon," he said.
Aivazoglou praised Istanbul’s sporting excellence.
When asked about Galatasaray's General Assembly on June 27, which also includes NBA Europe on the agenda, he called the club one of Europe's most historic sporting institutions, with tens of millions of supporters across Türkiye and the world.
"One of the things that excites us most is Galatasaray's long-term vision for basketball.
"Through the constructive discussions we have had with the club, we have seen that Galatasaray’s outlook on the future of European basketball aligns very closely with ours.
“The fact that such a historic sports club is eager to explore this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity is a testament to the excitement that our plans are generating among world-class European clubs," he said.
Aivazoglou also spoke highly of other major Istanbul clubs.
"Istanbul's sporting excellence is underlined by the fact that it’s home to a host of major clubs such as Fenerbahce, Besiktas and Anadolu Efes.
“Fenerbahce is another example that stands out, if you look at their ability to compete consistently at the highest level of European basketball for more than a decade, which has made a major contribution to the development of basketball culture in Türkiye," he said.
