Press Conference With Euroleague Basketball CEO Reveals That The League Will Focus On Growth in The 2025-2026 Season

Euroleague CEO Paulius Motiejunas makes it clear that the focus for the new season is not rivalry, but building a larger footprint. With Dubai now part of the picture, the league looks to expand its reach and influence.

Dubai's preseason press conference brought to the forefront where EuroLeague Basketball is looking, the future: cooperation, international expansion and new opportunities. As the 2025-26 season approaches, leadership is ready to look past discussions about competition and focus instead on gradual expansion.

EuroLeague Aims to Expand Outside Europe

In Dubai, Paulius Motiejunas solidified confidence regarding the future of the EuroLeague. Rather than be pulled into the rumors regarding NBA-backed ventures within Europe, he kept the message succinct: growth is paramount. For the EuroLeague, that equates to building a brand beyond traditional markets and introducing the game to newer markets. He decided on the Middle East as the launchpad, not haphazardly but through strategy.

It reflects the broader global sporting movement. Fans are increasingly following competitions that cross borders and leagues that adapt to this trend can set themselves apart. As is the case in online betting, where markets thrive as they open up to accessibility as much as they do to diversity, basketball is entering the period where geography becomes less important than the product itself.

Motiejunas Stresses Development Rather than NBA Europe Rivalry

When directly questioned regarding the NBA’s relationship with FIBA as well as the long-rumored "NBA Europe," Motiejunas was careful to keep the tone gracious. He clarified that the EuroLeague has no intentions to describe the relationship as that of rivalry. It is rather more about presenting the best possible face of European basketball and allowing opportunities to collaborate to occur organically.

This approach echoes strategies in the digital world as well. Online casino gaming, for instance, has thrived by focusing on product quality rather than constant comparisons to competitors. Enthusiasts remain loyal once they believe they receive the ultimate possible experience. For example, leading gambling expert Erik King says, "Some providers like Pragmatic Play offer retriggerable free spins with very high limits, but few know that exiting and re-entering the slot after a first retrigger can reset the cycle and increase the chances of a second," highlighting what certain casinos can do to focus on growth, appealing to more players.

Dubai Emerges as Centre Point for Basketball’s International Future

Dubai’s part in this next phase cannot be overemphasized. Staging the preseason press conference wasn’t merely symbolic; it was an indication that the Middle East is taken seriously as a future hub for the growth of basketball. National organizers supported this view.

In the case of Dubai, the collaboration is as much about identity as it is about basketball. Being aligned with the EuroLeague enables the city to present itself as a hub for premier global competitions. It also allows Middle Eastern fans to identify themselves with a league with heritage and history attached to it. That double act, heritage paired with expansion, can potentially enable the games of the EuroLeague to reach a more global scale.

Sponsorships, Attendances and TV Revenues All Upwardly Rising

Motiejunas also cited the strength of the EuroLeague as being beyond mere ambition, it's about performance. Sponsorship, attendance and broadcast interest keep their trajectory on the up, making the league more attractive to global partners. While he avoided drowning the discussion in numbers, the message was clear: EuroLeague is in a healthy position and expansion is a natural next step.

A Strategy of Co-Operation, Not Competition

Motiejunas and Dubai CEO Dejan Kamenjasevic also emphazised that EuroLeague doesn't consider itself as on the defense or attack in the global basketball market. On the contrary, the atmosphere was positive and cooperative. Kamenjasevic made it clear that joining EuroLeague now felt natural, since it represents a real, active opportunity rather than a hypothetical one.

Panning Up to the 2025-26 Season

As the 2025-26 seasons of the EuroLeague and the EuroCup get underway, the future is brighter than ever. The league clearly spelt out its priorities: increase the game’s global growth, deepen the fan community and keep the door open to alliances that widen the sport’s reach. By agreeing not to tie itself down to rivalries, the EuroLeague presents itself as a bold, forward-looking standard-bearer of the sport.

In the end, long-term gains are achieved through innovation and user engagement; the vision of the EuroLeague appears crafted with sustainability. It’s the long game, one where progress is measured by more than just stats, but relationship-building between cultures and continents. In Dubai, the press conference was about more than just preseason formalities. It was a statement of intentions: EuroLeague Basketball won't wait around for change to happen. It’s forcing the change to happen, in its own positive way and calling upon fans around the globe to come along for the ride.