By Stefan Acevski/ info@eurohoops.net
At the Telekom Sports Center in Athens, a press conference of the EHCB was held before the EuroLeague Semifinal matches.
At it, EHCB President Dimitris Itoudis, EHCB Vice-President Giannis Sfairopoulos, and EHCB Executive Director Goran Sasic spoke about some very important topics.
European basketball is at a crossroads, with several very important issues currently in play, and Sasic and the coaches shared their opinions on everything, primarily calling for consensus among all parties.
Itoudis and Sfairopoulos emphasized the importance of a longer preseason, which currently lasts only five weeks before the start of the EuroLeague.
They pointed out that players do not have time to properly prepare their bodies, as many teams play the Supercup and domestic championship matches earlier, and coaches face pressure to deliver results.
Furthermore, there was discussion about the NBA league coming to Europe, and Goran Sasic stressed the importance of reaching an agreement between both sides and negotiating the future. He also noted that NBA Europe is mainly aimed at football clubs rather than basketball, and so far, the response has not been as expected.
Additionally, the coaches highlighted that this season, as many as 10 coaches have been replaced, more than ever, and that coaches need more time to build a good team, chemistry, and ultimately results.
Last but not least, the coaches addressed the issue of the NIL deals that take out all young talent from European basketball, creating a very different landscape for the sport in general.
“As coaches, we have a strong voice, and we were happy to learn that new CEO Chus Bueno has similar views to us on matters like the NIL and the calendar”, said Sfairopoulos and Itoudis.
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