Kenny Atkinson, the head coach of the Cleveland Cavaliers and the reigning NBA Coach of the Year, recently voiced his enthusiasm for the NBA’s proposed pan‑European league while also underscoring the distinct advantages of the European club development model. Speaking at the conclusion of the Cavaliers’ training camp in Málaga, Atkinson drew on his own extensive experience in Europe—both as a player and as a coach—to illustrate why he believes the NBA‑Europe concept could broaden opportunities for talent worldwide. Atkinson began by declaring his love for the NBA and his excitement about ongoing discussions with FIBA to launch a new competition that would sit alongside the existing NBA structure. "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," he told Sky Sports. His remarks reflected a broader vision of basketball as a truly global sport, one that can benefit from cross‑continental collaboration. When pressed about the specific qualities that European players bring to the table—attributes that the American system often fails to cultivate—Atkinson pointed to the structural differences between the two continents.
In Europe, basketball is organized around club academies that integrate young prospects directly into senior environments. "The European system is a club system and we just don't work that way," he explained.
"We have the university system, the scholastic system, and it's just different." He highlighted how European youngsters frequently train and compete alongside older, more seasoned athletes. In France, for instance, the national institute INSEP fields a team that competes in the country’s third‑tier league, Nationale 1, allowing 15‑ to 18‑year‑olds to face men in their early twenties. "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," Atkinson said. By contrast, the American pathway typically keeps players within age‑specific brackets—high school, then college, then the G League or NBA—limiting the exposure of young athletes to veteran competition. "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," he noted.
While acknowledging the merits of both approaches, Atkinson cautioned against declaring one system superior. "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," he added.
The factual basis of his observations is clear. The INSEP squad, entered into the French league as Pole France, is barred from promotion or relegation, yet it consistently fields teenagers who test themselves against adult professionals.
This exposure to physicality, tactical nuance, and the mental rigors of senior basketball is a cornerstone of the European developmental philosophy. Atkinson’s own résumé gives him credibility when he speaks on this topic.
He spent a decade playing for clubs such as Montpellier, Mulhouse, Nantes, and Évreux in France, with additional stints in Spain and Germany. He transitioned to coaching 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. His career arc mirrors the very club‑centric pathway he praises.
When asked whether a trans‑Atlantic league could bridge the gap between the two models, Atkinson responded with optimism. "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 said. He pointed out that the coaching community already feels the influence of European tactics and FIBA regulations in the NBA, and vice versa.
"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," he added.
A tangible example of the European model on Atkinson’s own roster is rookie forward Khalifa Diop. Diop began his professional journey in Spain’s fourth division at age 15, broke into the ACB (Spain’s top league) by 19, and was selected 39th overall by Cleveland in the 2022 draft. The Cavaliers allowed him to remain in Spain for four additional seasons before signing him this past month, illustrating a patient, club‑first development strategy. The NBA‑Europe project itself has been in motion since March 2025, when the NBA and FIBA announced joint exploratory talks.
The envisioned competition would feature 16 teams—12 permanent franchises and four annual qualifiers—launching in the autumn of 2027. Proposed host cities include London, Manchester, and other major European markets.
The inaugural regular‑season NBA game in Manchester is slated for January 17, when the New Orleans Pelicans face the San Antonio Spurs at Co‑op Live. Players have already expressed enthusiasm for the concept. Cavaliers guard Sam Merrill, a 2020 second‑round pick who spent two years in the G League before joining Cleveland, said a European league would have been a viable option for him after his college career at Utah State.
"I had a point in my career where I felt like I was going to end up coming overseas," Merrill recalled. "And if that had been the case, something like NBA Europe would have been a great option." Merrill also raised financial considerations, noting the rising salaries of college athletes after the NCAA’s recent policy changes that allow schools to pay players directly. With caps reaching $21.58 million per school for the 2026‑27 season and top programs spending $7‑10 million annually on men’s basketball, the economics of the traditional college pipeline are shifting. Merrill wondered how NBA‑Europe would fit into this new landscape, especially regarding player compensation.
The financial model for NBA‑Europe remains opaque. Reports suggest franchise bids could range from $500 million to $1 billion, but neither the NBA nor FIBA has disclosed how player salaries would be structured. Some European talents have already begun reversing the traditional flow—Egor Demin left Real Madrid for BYU, and Dame Sarr departed Barcelona for Duke—indicating that the allure of American college basketball persists, but could be challenged if a lucrative European league emerges.
Merrill praised the European style of play, describing it as more physical and reminiscent of a college schedule with two games per week, extensive practice, and a heightened sense of urgency in each contest. "I think people underrate how good, especially EuroLeague and the top leagues domestically, how good those things are," he said.
The next decisive moments will involve the EuroLeague’s own governance. EuroLeague shareholders are set to convene at Villa d’Este on Lake Como to discuss the competition’s future alongside the NBA’s overtures. La Gazzetta dello Sport reported that the assembly will weigh an NBA proposal to acquire or merge with the EuroLeague against chief executive Chus Bueno’s plan to expand the league to 24 teams, with 21 permanent franchises, starting in the 2027‑28 season. Bueno has indicated that no formal proposal from the NBA has yet arrived, though Eurohoops later hinted that an offer was on the table.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver has reiterated that the league will move forward with its European ambitions 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 stems from both his personal journey through the European club system and his belief that a trans‑continental league could blend the best developmental practices from both sides of the Atlantic.
By offering young players the chance to compete in a hybrid environment—combining the mentorship and early senior exposure of European clubs with the global spotlight and resources of the NBA—the proposed league could reshape the talent pipeline and elevate basketball’s worldwide appeal.