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Before becoming an NBA superstar, Luka Doncic spent three full seasons experiencing the intensity of EuroLeague basketball with Real Madrid. Trips to Belgrade, Athens and Barcelona provided some of the loudest and most hostile environments of his career in Europe. Crvena Zvezda immediately came to mind when he was asked by SLAM to identify the most intimidating crowd he had faced, although his lifelong affection for the Serbian club made his visits there feel different. “I would probably say Red Star, but not for me. They liked me there, so not for me,” Doncic said.
Milan is at the center of European basketball, also because Olimpia will be responsible for organizing the Euroleague owners' meeting scheduled for October 5th at the prestigious Villa d'Este in Cernobbio, on Lake Como. Unlike the stakeholder board, the owners' council meets rarely when the European basketball strategy needs to be redefined. In this case, they will be asked to evaluate the NBA's potential offer to acquire the Euroleague, which could be tabled after Monday's Board of Governors meeting . Or, conversely, whether to move to the operational phase of the strategy already presented to the clubs by CEO Chus Bueno, involving the league's expansion and transition to a franchise system.
And as he explained, speaking about NBA players and their ability to play in Europe: “They have no clue. It’s not a disrespect to everyone’s game physically on what they can do, it’s just mentality wise. There are NBA superstars right now who couldn’t play in Europe. I truly believe that. They simply couldn’t.” Beverley explained that there are differences both on and off the court: “The adjustment is completely different. Everything revolves around the team. The coach controls everything. It’s almost like a college team made up of adults. The team comes before each individual. You sometimes share a hotel room with a teammate. Travel isn’t organized for your comfort like it is in the NBA, even though it’s improved tremendously. And in the game, you can decide: ‘We’re not taking any shots until there are six seconds left on the clock.’ Everything is built on defense. It’s totally different.”
The Euroleague would like to share its expertise in Europe with the NBA in return for help from the American league but is ready to go it alone unless a deal is mutually beneficial. "If we don't get a deal in Europe, we're going to compete in Europe ... that's the discussion that we had internally, and if we have to, we're ready," said Bueno, CEO since February 2026, alluding to Euroleague's signed sponsorship and TV deals. "It has to be a partnership that works for both of us, not just for one of us," he told Reuters.
The new executive director of the NBA’s union says the players have an issue with NBA Europe. In an interview with Front Office Sports, NBPA executive director David Kelly said that NBA players deserve a piece of the revenue generated by the incoming expansion league in Europe. “It’s clearly being built on the backs of current NBA players, and prior NBA players, on the whole cachet that they brought to this league. And then to start a rival league that they do not participate in, participate in the economics of, we have a very serious problem with that,” Kelly told FOS’s Baker Machado.
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Rytas Vilnius CEO Martynas Giga shared new insights about how the qualifiers for the inaugural NBA Europe season will work. During a press conference on Thursday in Vilnius, Giga revealed that 8 teams are expected to compete in the qualifying tournament for two spots in the 2027-28 NBA Europe season. "The two [FIBA Basketball Champions League] finalists will get direct spots for the NBA Europe. [The qualifying tournament] will consist of the two teams that lose in the [BCL] semifinals, and six teams from the highest-ranked domestic leagues," Giga said. "From what we understand, Rytas should be participating [in the qualifying tournament]. Obviously, it depends on our results in the domestic league. That's why the LKL is important to us, and we aren't writing it off.
Simone Fontecchio: "We didn't even consider returning to Europe this summer. So I don't even know: we didn't look for any offers. When this opportunity in Miami came up, I just accepted." He's approaching 31 and has signed a one-year contract. What are your thoughts going forward? "Nothing at the moment, to be honest. I'm just trying to enjoy what's ahead of me: these two international matches, followed by a super exciting year professionally. I'm happy that my family can stay in the same place for two years in a row: the place where I want to be, and I feel wanted and appreciated. I'm not even thinking about next year."
When addressing speculation regarding a potential homecoming to European basketball, particularly within the EuroLeague, the 32-year-old playmaker made it clear he has no intention of simply bolstering an established continental powerhouse. “People often ask me if I could come back to play in Europe, especially in the EuroLeague,” he noted during a recent appearance on the OMR Podcast. “But in that case, I’d be helping another club become bigger. I prefer to return to Braunschweig, where it all started, and play here.”
The potential arrival of an NBA-backed competition in Europe has become one of the major talking points surrounding the future of the continent's basketball landscape. Dubai GM Dejan Kamenjasevic, however, does not believe such a project can succeed independently from the EuroLeague. "We now have many cases where American investors have started investing in European basketball, which is very significant because it shows that they now believe more in this European basketball system than in NBA Europe, which is some cloud that is constantly hanging around us," he said. "People keep saying they are going to create something, but nothing ever happens and nothing will happen, unless they reach an agreement with the EuroLeague on the commercial side."
Real Madrid have officially announced the signing of Ukrainian guard Max Shulga, bringing the former Boston Celtics player back to Europe ahead of the 2026-27 season. The Spanish powerhouse confirmed that Shulga has agreed to a two-year contract that will keep him in Madrid through the end of the 2027-28 campaign.
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Former NBA defensive specialist Patrick Beverley is continuing his professional career in Europe. Boulazac Basket Dordogne have officially announced the signing of the 38-year-old guard for the 2026-27 season.
Viewing the modern boom with excitement and sharing a precise vision, Darko Rajakovic addressed how overseas frameworks must evolve to maximize cultural and commercial footprint. “I think that in Europe, the best thing about the EuroLeague is the fans. EuroLeague has fantastic fans, fantastic support, fantastic love, and commitment of the fans to their teams. However, organizationally, the EuroLeague must be better, and I think the best thing that can happen for European basketball would be to reach some kind of agreement with the NBA, and when NBA Europe comes here, for them to work together, NBA Europe and the EuroLeague,” he mentioned.
Battersea Power Station’s undeveloped estate is being considered as a potential arena site for a London team in the NBA’s planned European competition, sources with knowledge of discussions told The Athletic. The NBA is targeting autumn 2027 for the launch of a 16-team competition in Europe, with London among 12 cities expected to host permanent franchises.
Former Philadelphia 76ers forward Trendon Watford is nearing a move to Europe, sources tell BasketNews. According to sources, the 25-year-old combo forward is in advanced negotiations with Valencia Basket. Watford became a free agent earlier this offseason after the 76ers declined the team option on the second year of his contract.