Kenny Atkinson, the head coach of the Cleveland Cavaliers and the reigning NBA Coach of the Year, has publicly expressed his enthusiasm for the NBA’s proposed European league and underscored the distinct advantages of the European club‑based development model. Speaking at the conclusion of the Cavaliers’ training camp in Málaga, Atkinson reflected on his own formative years spent playing and coaching across Europe, offering a rare insider’s perspective on why the NBA should look beyond its traditional American pathways.
Atkinson began by stating, “I love the NBA. I love that we are in talks with FIBA to create this NBA Europe. It’s going to bring more opportunity for players across the globe.” His remarks were directed at a gathering of journalists, scouts, and league officials, and they highlighted the growing momentum behind a trans‑Atlantic competition that could reshape the basketball landscape.
The coach’s support is especially noteworthy because he spent nearly a decade as a player in various European leagues, including stints in France, Spain, and Germany, before transitioning into coaching roles on the continent. When asked what qualities European players possess that are less common among those who come through the American system, Atkinson pointed to the structural differences between the two development pipelines. “The European system is a club system and we just don’t work that way,” he told Sky Sports.
“We have the university system, the scholastic system, and it’s just different.” In Europe, young athletes often join professional clubs at a very early age, training alongside senior veterans and competing in adult leagues. Atkinson cited the French INSEP program as a prime example: a national development team that competes in France’s third‑tier Nationale 1 league, pitting fifteen‑ to eighteen‑year‑old prospects against seasoned adults. “They might be playing for the under‑16 team or under‑17, but they also train with the older guys.
Or like in France, the INSEP team, the young team, they play in the third division of France, so they’re getting to compete against older players. I think that mentoring system is really important,” he explained.
The coach contrasted this with the American model, where players typically advance through high school, college, and the NBA G League, often competing against peers of the same age group. “In the American system we’re much more playing against your peers and at the same age, and our young players don’t compete against more mature players as much. You learn a lot from veteran players,” Atkinson said.
He was careful to note that each approach has its own merits: “But they both have their benefits. It’s hard to say this one’s better than this one.
Definitely two completely different ways of developing players.” Atkinson’s observations are grounded in concrete data. The INSEP side, entered by the French federation as Pole France, competes in Nationale 1 and is barred from promotion or relegation, ensuring a stable environment for youth development. The roster typically ranges from fifteen to eighteen years old, providing a consistent pipeline of talent that can be monitored and nurtured over several seasons.
Having lived the European experience firsthand, Atkinson’s résumé includes playing for clubs such as Montpellier, Mulhouse, Nantes, and Évreux in France, as well as periods in Spain and Germany. He began his coaching career in 2004 as an assistant with Paris Basket Racing and later served on Vincent Collet’s staff when France captured the Olympic silver medal in Paris.
This deep immersion gives him credibility when he speaks about the merits of the club system. When probed about the potential for a European league to bridge the gap between the two developmental philosophies, Atkinson responded enthusiastically: “I love that.
I think it’s going to be better for global basketball, because that cross‑pollination, you’re going to see the best of both worlds.” He highlighted the growing influence of European coaching tactics in the NBA and vice‑versa, noting that the exchange of ideas has already begun at the coaching level. “You already see in the coaching world the mix of the European influence on the NBA, right? FIBA influence.
And I think vice versa, the NBA has influenced Europe, so we have that in the coaching community. It’ll be great to see it with the players too.” Atkinson even pointed to a tangible example on his own roster: Khalifa Diop, a 19‑year‑old who spent his teenage years climbing the Spanish basketball ladder—from the fourth tier at age fifteen to the top‑flight ACB by nineteen. The Cavaliers drafted Diop 39th overall in 2022 and allowed him to continue developing in Spain for four more seasons before signing him in 2024.
Diop’s trajectory embodies the European model of early professional exposure and mentorship from veteran teammates. The broader context of the NBA‑FIBA collaboration dates back to March 2025, when the two bodies began exploring a pan‑European competition. The plan envisions a sixteen‑team league, consisting of twelve permanent franchises and four spots earned through annual qualifiers, slated to launch in the autumn of 2027. Target cities include major hubs such as London and Manchester, with the inaugural NBA regular‑season game in Manchester scheduled for January 17, 2028, when the New Orleans Pelicans will face the San Antonio Spurs at Co‑op Live.
Players have already voiced support for the concept. Cavaliers guard Sam Merrill, who was the final pick (60th) in the 2020 draft, recalled a moment early in his career when he contemplated moving overseas. “I had a point in my career where I felt like I was going to end up coming overseas,” he said.
“And if that had been the case, something like NBA Europe would have been a great option.” Merrill, who spent two years in the G League before earning a roster spot with Cleveland, has been following the project closely and raised a critical financial question: how will NBA Europe intersect with the newly instituted name‑, image‑, and likeness (NIL) compensation structure in U.S. colleges?
Since July 2025, American universities have been allowed to pay athletes directly, with a cap of $21.58 million per school for the 2026‑27 season. Men’s basketball programs typically allocate around $4.2 million of that budget, while top‑tier power‑conference teams can spend between $7 million and $10 million annually on player compensation. This influx of money has already altered the talent flow, prompting some European prospects to consider U.S. college routes—Egor Demin left Real Madrid for BYU, and Dame Sarr swapped Barcelona for Duke.
Whether a new NBA Europe league will reverse this trend hinges on the financial packages offered to players, a detail that remains opaque. Industry reports suggest that franchise bids for NBA Europe could range from $500 million to $1 billion, yet neither the NBA nor FIBA has disclosed the salary structure for athletes who would remain in the league. Merrill speculated that the financial calculus will be a decisive factor for many young talents weighing the college route against a professional European pathway. Merrill also praised the competitive intensity of European leagues, noting that the schedule—often two games per week with extensive practice sessions—mirrors a “college‑like” environment where each contest feels like a playoff battle.
“I think people underrate how good, especially EuroLeague and the top leagues domestically, how good those things are,” he asserted. The next decisive moves will be made by the clubs themselves. EuroLeague shareholders are set to convene at Villa d’Este on Lake Como to discuss the competition’s future amid growing NBA interest. According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, the meeting will weigh an NBA acquisition proposal against the EuroLeague’s own expansion plan, which envisions 24 teams (21 permanent franchises) starting in the 2027‑28 season, with eight new clubs to be announced.
EuroLeague chief executive Chus Bueno has indicated that no formal offer from the NBA has yet arrived, though Eurohoops reported that an offer is on the table, with both parties remaining tight‑lipped. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver reiterated the league’s commitment to moving forward regardless of the EuroLeague’s stance. “We began on this path saying that our plan was to go forward regardless of where the EuroLeague stood,” he said in July.
“But it was always our hope that we would be able to create some sort of consolidation of European basketball. I remain optimistic that we are going to be able to accomplish that.” In summary, Kenny Atkinson’s endorsement of NBA Europe is rooted in his personal experience within the European club system, his belief in the value of early exposure to veteran mentorship, and his optimism that a trans‑Atlantic league could fuse the best elements of both developmental models.
As negotiations progress and financial frameworks are clarified, the basketball world watches closely to see whether this ambitious cross‑continental experiment will reshape the sport’s global talent pipeline.