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George Aivazoglou, managing director of NBA Europe and the Middle East, revealed a strong interest in Turkish basketball clubs as part of a proposed NBA Europa League that aims to transform the landscape of European basketball.
Speaking to Anadolu Agency, Aivazoglou shared details of the vision and structure behind the new league, which is designed to reward sporting merit and build a more inclusive, competitive environment across the continent.
Highlighting the significance of Türkiye, Aivazoglou stated: "We are very interested in Türkiye as a market for the new league project in Europe. We are very interested in Istanbul as a city."
He specifically praised major clubs like Fenerbahce, Galatasaray, Anadolu Efes, and Besiktas, saying: “Fenerbahce is a great club. I congratulate them on making it to the Final Four. Galatasaray is also a great club.”
Aivazoglou criticized the current EuroLeague system for excluding national champions, citing Galatasaray’s domestic success as an example. “Even if Galatasaray wins the Turkish championship, it cannot participate in Europe's top-tier cup. This does not happen in football … We want to fix this.”
The NBA executive confirmed that he had met with officials from various Turkish clubs, including a meeting with Fenerbahce President Ali Koc during a board meeting held in Istanbul.
“It was a great opportunity to meet with all the clubs and some of the owners… The general feeling was very positive.”
Aivazoglou emphasized openness to collaboration: “We are very open to working with anyone in the ecosystem who wants to be a partner and contribute to this vision.”
To ensure diversity and opportunity, Aivazoglou explained the league would allow entry via three routes:
He stressed that inclusion would be based on merit and ongoing research: “We are evaluating all options as the research phase continues.”
Aivazoglou ruled out the inclusion of Middle Eastern clubs: “We want our league to be a European League in a geographical sense. That’s why a club from the Middle East will not be in the league.”
The league is expected to launch with 16 permanent teams, alongside annually rotating teams from the wider ecosystem. “We envision a pyramid that is transparent, rewards success and is based on merit,” Aivazoglou said.
He added that the league would respect European traditions, playing styles, and fan culture, "We are not trying to copy the American model. This will be a European project, built for European fans.”
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