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oct 03 2026FIBA is not at the table where much of European basketball's future is being decided. Jorge Garbajosa, president of FIBA Europe, confirmed this in an interview with BasketNews during the Intercontinental Cup in Beijing: negotiations between the NBA and EuroLeague are bilateral talks between both organizations.
That doesn't mean FIBA has been left out entirely. According to Garbajosa, the organization has invited the NBA and the ECA, the association of EuroLeague clubs, to the Basketball House, its headquarters in Mies, Switzerland, on three occasions with the goal of bringing positions closer together. "We always want to be part of the solution, never part of the problem," he summarized.
A decisive moment
Garbajosa described the situation as a crucial moment. He recalled that FIBA has been negotiating with EuroLeague for two years, with three different chief executives on the other side, to build a stable pyramid of competitions that benefits all European clubs and not just a few, and that protects national leagues, federations, and the national team calendar.
The NBA entered that context. The Spanish executive assured that they have asked the American league exactly the same thing as EuroLeague, and that from the beginning it has understood and respected the particularities of European basketball. That harmony, he explained, is what has strengthened the relationship between both parties in recent months.
The calendar is set: the NBA and FIBA are targeting October 2027 for the debut of NBA Europe, with a 16-team format, 12 with permanent licenses and four that will qualify each season.
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The 12 licenses, nearly done
The most concrete news came from Kamil Novak, executive director of FIBA Europe: the announcement of the markets and holders of the 12 permanent licenses will arrive "very soon." Novak acknowledged that the market response has exceeded all expectations and that it's surprising to see so many entities suddenly willing to invest in European basketball.
Garbajosa was clear about what will happen if there is no agreement with EuroLeague. A three-way deal would be ideal, and everyone agrees on that, but if it doesn't happen, FIBA will move forward with its project alongside the NBA. The goal, he insisted, is to advance European basketball.
Criticism of EuroLeague's Super Cup
The president of FIBA Europe also had harsh words for one of EuroLeague's recent decisions: the creation of its own Super Cup. Garbajosa defended national super cups as traditional and high-level tournaments, and believes the new continental tournament, based in the Middle East, only benefits a few clubs. "These things don't help," he lamented.
Still, he toned down his remarks by recalling that Adam Silver and Mark Tatum, on behalf of the NBA, and Dejan Bodiroga, president of EuroLeague, have repeatedly said they are seeking an agreement that benefits all European clubs.
How the NBA entered the conversation
Novak added a detail that clarifies the narrative of recent months. According to him, two or three years ago FIBA and EuroLeague were very close to an agreement, and it was EuroLeague itself that asked in early 2024 for the NBA to join the talks, with the idea that it would support its commercial activity.
The Czech executive summed up FIBA's position in one idea: creating an ecosystem in which any European club can grow step by step if it makes the right decisions.
