May 23, 2013
Euroleague Basketball CEO Jordi Bertomeu, NBA CEO David Stern meet media in Berlin
Jordi Bertomeu - President & CEO Euroleague and David Stern - NBA CommissionerOn the occasion of the second night of NBA Europe Live, four games in five days between teams of the Turkish Airlines Euroleague and the NBA, the top executives of both competitions met the media on Saturday night at the O2 World Arena in the German capital right before hometown club Alba Berlin hosted the Dallas Mavericks. Jordi Bertomeu, the president and CEO of Euroleague Basketball, and David Stern, the NBA commissioner, both lauded the cooperation that has allowed the two leagues to show basketball's international growth as a sport to fans both in Europe and in the simultaneous Euroleague American Tour 2012 taking place this weekend in the United States. Following the game in Berlin on Saturday night, Real Madrid visits the Memphis Grizzlies and Montepaschi Siena the San Antonio Spurs on the Euroleague American Tour later in the evening. EA7 Emporio Armani Milan hosts the Boston Celtics on Sunday in NBA Europe Live on Sunday. On Monday, Real Madrid travels to play the Toronto Raptors and Montepaschi Siena to meet the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Euroleague American Tour, and on Tuesday, eight games in five nights between the leagues features F.C. Barcelona Regal hosting Dallas. The following comments were made by Mr. Bertomeu and Mr. Stern in Berlin:

Jordi Bertomeu, Euroleague Basketball President and CEO:

"It's the first time that we include this tour in Berlin, and it's the first time we have two German teams in the Euroleague. It's a coincidence probably that the growth of our game in Germany thanks to the good job that the leagues and the club are going, and I think we have to congratulate ourself because for us in Germany it's a very important country when we want to promote our game.

"We have said that these games on this tour has the main proposition to offer our opportunities to enjoy games with teams coming from the best leagues in the world. Up until now, this is the purpose. I think yesterday we enjoyed a good game in Istanbul. We are assured today and tomorrow and Tuesday we will have the same.

"But further, for us, it's also an opportunity and experience to work with our friends of the NBA, to share the experience with them, to learn, because they have already done many things that we want to do in our evolution as a professional league.

"And assuming that we have different models, different, let's say, sports culture, and of course different resources, as a professional league, I think we share the same vision about the importance of improving the quality of the game, the importance to promote the game, and the importance of basketball becoming a global sport, and specifically in this field I have to say that the NBA has been doing a terrific job.

"And finally, we have in front of us a very important season for the Euroleague, with more games, more weeks, moving the games to Friday, the teams moving to the bigger arenas, and so we will finish the season in London with our Final Four. So it's plenty of challenge for the Euroleague, and we could not have better kickoff of this tour and this game than today here in Berlin.

"I want also to thank everybody who made this tour possible, so the sponsors, the three partners, the NBA teams and the Euroleague teams, and of course the NBA for their help, and I hope you will enjoy a good night."

NBA commissioner David Stern:

"On behalf of the NBA, I just want to say we're delighted to be back in Berlin, and we're delighted to be back in Germany. Our last game was in 2008 here at the beautiful O2 World, but tonight will be our eighth preseason game in Germany. I like to call them friendlies.

"And for us it's a great time to be a basketball fan. We're delighted with our work and partnership with the Euroleague, which we've been doing since 2006. We've had an exciting Olympic summer where the sport of basketball once again was on an international stage, and we see enormous continued growth. And I really want to thank the fans and the partners that have gotten us here, our partnership with BBVA, which is sponsoring the Europe Live tour, our being here at this O2 World. We're going to be in AEG buildings where we were in our Euroleague last night, NBA Euroleague in Turkey, where we'll be tomorrow in Milano, where we'll be in ‑‑ and then we're going to Barcelona. And then on the way we're going to two AEG buildings in Shanghai and Beijing after that. AEG has been a terrific and supportive partner for us.

"I do want to thank Mark Cuban and the Dallas Mavericks. It's been a dream of mine as commissioner to bring the Mavericks overseas but particularly to Germany because of a gentleman by the name of Dirk Nowitzki, and it was an extraordinary pleasure for me to be there at Mellowpark when we dedicated the basketball court sitting with Dirk and watching the admiration that the youngsters have for him.

"We couldn't be happier, and I especially want to thank the Bundesliga basketball, and I guess the Beko Bundesliga. I also want to thank Alba Berlin. It's just a ‑‑ we met earlier with the German Basketball Federation to see how we can grow the game together. We're very excited about basketball here in Germany, here in Europe, particularly with the Euroleague, and around the world."
Saturday, October 06, 2012
Euroleague.net
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