The Spanish executive speaks of timing, inevitability, and a project that promises to transform the entire ecosystem of continental basketball.
Berlin, September 2025
Jorge Garbajosa, president of FIBA Europe, acknowledged on the eve of the EuroBasket final between Turkey and Germany that the NBA’s plans to establish itself on the continent already have a tentative timetable. The former player admitted that 2027 appears in several forecasts as the launch year for the new competition, and although he stressed he did not want to talk too much about it, he conceded that he believes that date would be appropriate for its debut.
“Creating a major competition is not easy, it will take time, but it will happen,” Garbajosa said, emphasizing that the project has moved beyond speculation into a stage of strategic preparation. He confirmed that the NBA is actively working on it and insisted there is no doubt that this tournament will eventually take place. He described it as an initiative that would benefit not only the two organizations involved but the broader ecosystem of European basketball.
One sensitive issue is the relationship with the EuroLeague. Garbajosa admitted that discussions are underway and that its inclusion in the project is being considered, though he avoided specifying what role it would play. He noted that sometimes the objectives of FIBA and EuroLeague diverge, even to the point of conflict, yet he stressed that communication and personal relations remain strong, allowing optimism about the future and the potential impact of this collaboration.
“The EuroLeague is a great competition, no one can deny that,” he concluded, while warning that there is still a long road ahead before the NBA’s presence in Europe is defined in detail. What is certain is that it will happen, but the form it will ultimately take remains uncertain. The process promises to reshape hierarchies, open new sources of revenue, and redefine the relationship between governing bodies within European basketball.
Behind every fact, there is an intention. Behind every silence, a structure.