The start of a new NBA season traditionally brings an opportunity for members of the international basketball media to speak with one of the league’s most senior executives, Deputy Commissioner Mark Tatum.
During a media conference lasting just over 45 minutes, attended by journalists from around the world, Tatum addressed a wide range of topics. Unsurprisingly, much of the discussion centered on the NBA’s ambitious plans to establish a new European competition and the next steps in bringing that project to life.
“Working alongside FIBA, we continue to take steps towards establishing a new league, with the goal of creating a system in which every team can dream big and have a clear pathway into the new competition”, Tatum said in his opening remarks.
Last week, the EuroLeague unveiled a new ten-year strategic development plan. Asked whether that announcement could influence the NBA’s ambitions to establish its own competition in Europe, Tatum made it clear that the league remained firmly committed to its vision.
“I’ve seen it. Our focus is on building a more valuable basketball ecosystem. We believe we’ve developed a model based on the American business approach that gives teams the opportunity to dream big. The passion for basketball in Europe is undeniable, and we want to preserve it. However, there is still a great deal of confusion among fans when it comes to European basketball. We want them to understand how their teams can compete and what they can ultimately achieve. Our model will allow teams to become profitable much faster, potentially as early as the third season. Many organizations are still not profitable. Our goal is to triple revenues globally, with that money flowing back to the teams so they can become financially stable and sustainable. We want to unlock the full potential of European basketball, which will benefit teams, players and fans alike. We’re moving forward, and we’re excited about it”.
October 2027 Remains the Target
The NBA is also set to stage a regular-season game in Manchester this season, with the San Antonio Spurs facing the New Orleans Pelicans on January 17. Could the English city eventually become part of the proposed NBA Europe competition?
“Our goal is to launch the new project in October 2027. We still believe that’s a realistic timeline. We want to create an entirely new system, to start from scratch. We’ll begin announcing the names of participating teams soon. We have great respect for Manchester. What we’re looking for is new infrastructure, and this city has it — world-class infrastructure. We’re looking forward to the game in Manchester”.
The relationship between the NBA and the EuroLeague was another major talking point. Reports suggest that the EuroLeague rejected an NBA proposal, with financial and commercial considerations cited as the two main reasons. Asked to provide his perspective and clarify whether an agreement between the two organizations remained possible, Tatum declined to disclose the details of their discussions.
“I don’t want to reveal the details of our private conversations with the EuroLeague. I hope we’ll be able to reach an agreement with the EuroLeague, but we’re continuing with our own plans regardless. Look, when you add new teams to an existing system that is already financially unsustainable, I have to wonder whether that’s really the direction you want to take. Again, our goal is for clubs to become profitable much faster, within three years, allowing them to reinvest that money in infrastructure, youth development and the experience they can offer their fans. There will be a clear pathway for clubs to qualify for the competition, which is not currently the case in Europe. Everything will be much easier and more straightforward for everyone, including the media. We have experience running a successful league, and I believe that’s something all stakeholders in European basketball welcome”.
There Is No Deadline for EuroLeague Negotiations
But is there a definitive deadline for negotiations with the EuroLeague?
“We’re not stopping, and we’re moving forward as quickly as we can. Our plan is to launch next October. There’s still a lot of work ahead of us, but we’re moving fast and we’re not slowing down”.
A journalist from Greece returned to one of the most pressing questions surrounding the project: when could the basketball public finally learn the identities of at least some of the European franchises expected to participate in the new competition?
“Greece is a place where basketball fans are incredibly passionate. We don’t have a specific deadline yet. We’re planning to launch in a year’s time, and we expect to announce some of the franchises that will take part in our competition in the near future. Fans should be excited about a new system that will be easy to understand. If you look at the current structure, it’s difficult to follow everything. You have the EuroLeague, the Basketball Champions League, the EuroCup, domestic championships… All these competitions are competing against one another, and none of them are connected”, Tatum explained, before elaborating on his vision:
NBA Europe Is Being Built as a Three-Tier System
“Fans should be excited about the idea that every team will be able to dream big, that NBA Europe will have three tiers, and that there will be a clear pathway into each of those competitions. It’s a successful model that we’ve seen in European football for years, and I find it strange that we don’t have something similar in European basketball. We’re going to bring fans a new basketball experience in Europe, while clubs will be financially stable and able to invest money in everything that makes basketball special. We want to preserve the quality of basketball while also delivering the kind of new experience that European basketball deserves”.
The discussion also moved beyond the NBA’s European expansion plans. Tatum was asked whether basketball fans might feel disillusioned by the controversy involving the Los Angeles Clippers and alleged financial irregularities surrounding payments to Kawhi Leonard, who was described in the question as having recently completed a return to Toronto.
“I would say this is not something that happens regularly. This is truly a unique situation that we’ve had to deal with. And we’ll always address situations like this, or similar ones, if they arise. We’ll uphold the law and the rules because we want fans to know that we’re prepared to deal with any problems”.
The NBA Is Moving Ahead Without Setting Public Deadlines
Despite repeated questions about the timeline for announcing participating teams and revealing further details of NBA Europe, Tatum remained reluctant to provide firm dates.
“We don’t have a specific deadline. We’re moving quickly, and I don’t want to discuss the details of our conversations with the EuroLeague. We’re following our own path and moving fast. I expect we’ll be able to share more details publicly soon. We know there are big things ahead of us next year, and we believe this remains a realistic timeline for launching the new competition”.
Finally, Tatum addressed the NBA’s efforts to make more games accessible to European audiences, particularly through scheduling that better accommodates viewers across the Atlantic.
“As you know, we’ve been increasing the number of weekend prime-time games for several years now. We’re trying to increase the number of games available to the European market. We’ll have a record number of games, more than 40, I believe. But the thing that will have the biggest impact on NBA viewership in the European market is the creation of the new league”.