Napoli Basket held a meeting with the EuroLeague and is expected to meet the NBA as part of discussions around the league's planned expansion.
Credit: Tolga Adanali/Euroleague Basketball via Getty Images, ZUMAPRESS.com - Scanpix
Napoli Basket president Matt Rizzetta confirmed that he met with EuroLeague officials on Monday, according to Iacopo De Santis of Pianeta Basket. The Italian club is also expected to meet with the NBA soon, the report adds.
"This morning, we had a positive meeting with the EuroLeague president," Rizzetta said. "We will also meet with the NBA leadership.
"As president of Napoli Basket, I take on a huge responsibility in representing Naples around the world.
"We're missing a high-quality arena," he addressed the main issue. "We're talking about a basketball arena with a capacity of 10,000-12,000 spectators. We'll also try to accommodate other non-basketball events."
On January 8, BasketNews' Donatas Urbonas reported that a new association is forming to provide today's non-shareholder clubs with greater financial support and influence within the EuroLeague.
The initiative may also bring in teams currently outside the league, hinting at potential expansion markets -- Napoli among them.
Among clubs not currently in the EuroLeague, Hapoel Jerusalem is already involved.
According to BasketNews sources, the association is exploring the possibility of including Besiktas Istanbul, PAOK Thessaloniki, and Napoli Basket as future members.
EuroLeague is also planning to expand to 24 teams next season, with a new conference format, according to Donatas Urbonas.
Napoli Basket competes in Italy's top league, the Lega Basket Serie A.
It is the de facto successor to Basket Napoli, which was founded in 1946 and played in the EuroLeague during the 2006-07 season.
After financial troubles led to the dissolution of the original club, Napoli Basket was established in 2016 to revive basketball in the city. The club is now run by a successful Italian-American businessman.
Thank you for reading us! Help us even more.
If you like our content, please click here and add us as your preferred source. It helps us a lot, and we are committed to delivering you the very latest basketball news.