NBA Vice President Tatum drew attention to the source that the NBA will provide to the teams in Europe.

From Mutlu Demirtaş October 21, 2026 • Update: October 21, 2026 Tatum answered questions from media representatives from all over the world in a video conference regarding the NBA Europe League project. Stating that they have reviewed the roadmap for the Europe League to distribute 3.4 billion euros to clubs over a 10-year period, Tatum said, "The 10-year plan of the Europe League does not affect our plans. I can say that our model will offer a much faster path for clubs to reach profitability. Today I have seen some reports regarding financially unstable teams in the Europe League. It is predicted that an average permanent team in the league will become profitable from the third year. I have seen the amount of money the source that announced the distribution of the Europe League to clubs is allocating. I can say that our forecasts show that we will reach three times these estimates. The billions of dollars to be transferred to clubs over 10 years will bring these clubs into a financially stable structure." "It will be the biggest investment in basketball history in Europe" Mark Tatum emphasized that the NBA Europe project will be the biggest investment in European basketball history. Tatum noted that the work to implement the project is going as planned, saying, "Our plan is to start implementing this project in October 2027. We have a lot of work ahead of us, but we are moving forward quickly. We believe the timing is realistic. We are waiting for the teams to start being announced once the agreements are finalized. It will be the biggest investment in European basketball history. We will invest in academies, grassroots development, league operations, marketing, and the arena infrastructure that is truly needed." "We remain hopeful about reaching an agreement with the Europe League" Mark Tatum expressed his hope in reaching an agreement with the Europe League and stated that they are prepared for any situation. Tatum argued that the current European basketball system is complex, saying, "There is the Europe League, the Basketball Champions League, the European Cup, and your local leagues. They all compete with each other and have no connection. For a fan, this is quite confusing. The point that fans should be excited about is this: we are talking about a structure that every fan and team can dream of. There will be a top-level league called the 'NBA Europe League'. There will also be a second league. Teams that win in the second league can move up to the top level. Furthermore, there will be quotas for clubs in all other local leagues to enter the top level through a merit-based system. The system is quite understandable. In reality, this model is working very successfully in the world of football in Europe as well." He added. Highlighting that fans deserve to see basketball at a high quality in Europe, Mark Tatum commented, "As we have stated before, we remain hopeful about reaching an agreement with the Europe League, but we are ready to move forward in both situations. European fans deserve to watch matches in world-class arenas. We want to not only maintain the quality of the game and the passion of the fans for the game but also to enhance that experience by adding innovations. They deserve this because they are one of the most passionate fan bases in the world."