By Aris Barkas/ barkas@eurohoops.net
Sarunas Jasikevicius expressed his support for European basketball and his skepticism about NBA Europe on many occasions, speaking to Eurohoops in the recent past about the purity of the European game.
However, with Fenerbahce openly admitting talks with the NBA, everything is on the table, and he was asked about the issue.
As he said in the press conference after Fenerbahce’s defeat by Crvena Zvezda in Belgrade, difficult decisions are coming for European basketball: “The club needs to make the choices that are best for the club. That’s what we are going to do. Everybody understands that this is the most difficult situation, and there are difficult choices to be made. I am in love with European basketball; I have been all my life here”.
Jasikevicius recognizes the value of the NBA, but still, his approach to European basketball is different: “I am a fan of the NBA, especially when it comes to the playoffs; it’s fantastic. I do understand all the best players are there, but you know, in my family, I have the kids who are 14 and 15, and they are waiting to watch as a family the games at home. So I am in love with European basketball, and I hope we can find some kind of solution to be playing in an atmosphere like this, like in Serbia, like in Greece. Obviously, Fenerbahce has a great fan base as well, Kaunas of course…”
After all, money talks: “I want to somehow find a way, but you have to understand that we cannot stand still. We need to improve, we need to make more money, everything. Everything is money, money, money, so… this is life”.
“I don’t like FIBA”
The defending EuroLeague champion as a coach and EuroLeague legend as a player talked about the power play in European basketball: “European basketball is up for grabs. Everybody is complaining, and the NBA is probably feeling it. Obviously, FIBA is the factor that stays behind. I mean, I don’t like FIBA. They are behind everything. We need to find a way, even with FIBA, to move forward. We need to get better. If the clubs are complaining about the financial side, this is probably the reason why the NBA is here: to improve. EuroLeague and FIBA have been fighting for 20 years, and now FIBA is closer to the NBA. It’s logical. Everybody is trying to do the best for themselves”.
What really concerns him, however, is that the core fans of the sports in smaller markets, like the Balkans or Lithuania, may be overlooked: “I am just… everything in sports must be about fans. If the fan bases I talked about are going to be changed with the fan bases of Manchester, or I don’t know, where is the logic?”
As Jasikevicius explained, nobody knows what things will end up being: “Everyone keeps asking me for my opinion on this, but at the end of the day, I’m just a coach. The clubs and organizations will make the decisions. FIBA is trying to find a solution, and EuroLeague is trying to find a solution. Right now, there’s a lot of uncertainty and rumors out there—no one really knows what’s going on. I don’t think that if the NBA comes, everything will change. There are certain TV revenues, and there are certain fans. How could everything just suddenly be so much better? Of course, the NBA has a ton of experience in these matters. That experience could be beneficial for them. But I’m worried about the fans and the essence of European basketball. In my view, European basketball is truly beautiful. Yes, there’s a lot in it, but it’s beautiful”.
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