2027 remains the launch date for NBA Europe. However, there is still no firm commitment for Alba. Meanwhile, plans for a new venue are taking on a more concrete form.
NBA Europe is set to launch in a year’s time. Yet no concrete results of the planning have been announced as yet. “You find yourself wondering more and more: how on earth is this supposed to work?” said Alba manager Marco Baldi, adding: “But it really is a complicated process. We’re currently working on the basis of this timetable.”
Discussions are currently taking place at twelve different locations across Europe, and very little information is filtrating out. Berlin’s objectives, however, remain unchanged. “The process is underway. We’d very much like to be part of the NBA. At the same time, though, we don’t want to be just any team. We want to play a central role and help shape the league,” said Supervisory Board member Axel Schweitzer.
For Baldi, this would be a “quantum leap” for basketball in Europe. “It offers the opportunity for basketball in Europe to gain clarity,” said Baldi, referring to the now diverse and often opaque competitions in Europe. “It will change everything and take things in a positive direction,” said the managing director.
Arena project is taking shape
At least as far as the planning of a new venue in Adlershof is concerned, progress is being made. “There is positive news. We have reached an agreement with the city. We are now at the stage where a lot of groundwork needs to be done,” said Schweitzer. According to District Mayor Oliver Igel, the funding for the project is already in place. However, Alba did not wish to confirm this on Friday.
The new venue is due to be completed by 2032 – regardless of whether the club joins NBA Europe. “This campus will be one of the key milestones and one of the most modern arenas in Europe. We want to lay the foundations and create the structures that will ensure we are still here in 100 years’ time,” said Schweitzer.