Laporta leads Barcelona at EuroLeague summit weighing NBA's proposal

Joan Laporta will travel to Lake Como to represent FC Barcelona at the summit of the 13 EuroLeague shareholder clubs taking place on Monday and Tuesday in Italy. The Barcelona president will personally lead the club's delegation at a meeting where the owners of Europe's top competition must decide whether to accept the NBA's purchase proposal or stick with the current model.

• Laporta heads the Barcelona delegation at the EuroLeague summit at Lake Como.
• The 13 shareholder clubs are weighing the NBA's offer against the current competition format.
• The NBA Europe project includes 12 cities, including Barcelona and Madrid, for an initial 16-team league.
• Barcelona arrives with the goal of listening and debating before taking a final stance.
• Joining NBA Europe would be a major draw for investors in the new Palau Blaugrana.

Laporta opts to attend in person given the meeting's significance

Laporta had initially planned to hand the responsibility to director Sisco Pujol, who oversees the basketball section, and executive Xavi O'Callaghan. But the importance of what is being discussed in Como convinced the president to lead the Barcelona delegation himself.

The summit brings together the 13 clubs that own the EuroLeague and must assess two very different paths. The first involves keeping control of the competition, rolling out the current business plan and growing under the existing model. The second would open the door to the NBA, accept its best financial offer and come to terms with losing control over the league.

The three main points on the table at the Como summit

The aim of the meeting is to give owners a voice, build trust among them and address in broad terms the key issues that will shape the future of European basketball. Three main topics are on the agenda:

• Moving from a licence system to franchises for the 13 owner clubs.
• Assessing the bids received to expand the competition and the process for admitting new franchises.
• Deciding whether to keep talking with the NBA or walk away and leave the EuroLeague run by the clubs.

The meeting with Mark Tatum in Copenhagen and Pau Gasol's influence

Laporta's trip to Como comes days after a key encounter in Copenhagen. During the European Football Clubs meeting held this week, the Barcelona president crossed paths with Mark Tatum, the NBA's deputy commissioner, who travelled to Denmark to explain to football clubs with elite basketball teams the benefits of the American league's European project.

That group includes FC Barcelona, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich, with the NBA also keen to bring PSG and Milan into the project. The talks Tatum held in Copenhagen with these clubs are part of the strategy to gather support ahead of the Como summit.

Laporta also knows the NBA's proposal in detail thanks to information shared with him on several occasions by Pau Gasol. The former Barcelona player, a legend of the American league following his spells with the Memphis Grizzlies, Los Angeles Lakers, Chicago Bulls, San Antonio Spurs and Milwaukee Bucks, has served as a direct link between the Catalan club and the North American project.

What NBA Europe would look like: 12 cities and a 16-team league

The NBA Europe project envisages an initial 16-team league spread across 12 cities on the continent. Barcelona, Madrid, Athens, Rome, Milan, London, Paris, Berlin, Munich, Istanbul, Manchester and Lyon would be the main venues, while the other four participants would be selected through a bidding process.

The NBA is particularly interested in bringing in powerful football clubs. Their global profile and their experience in commercially exploiting football competitions are two assets the American league sees as essential to drive its entry into Europe.

The new Palau Blaugrana, an additional incentive for Barcelona

FC Barcelona remains committed to building a new Palau Blaugrana without placing a financial burden on the Espai Barça project. The formula already outlined by the club involves handing the construction to a company that, in return, would operate the arena with events for a period of 35 to 40 years.

Under this scenario, Barcelona's inclusion in NBA Europe would be a significant hook to attract investors interested in financing the new venue. Even so, the Catalan club wants to hear all opinions before choosing between the NBA offer and staying in the EuroLeague.

Frequently asked questions about the EuroLeague summit and the NBA bid