Anadolu Efes head coach Igor Kokoskov believes the EuroLeague’s intense competitiveness prevents coaches from giving meaningful minutes to young players, warning that European basketball could face long-term consequences.
Speaking to Serbian media ahead of Efes’ Round 3 matchup against Partizan, Kokoskov said the league’s win-now mentality has made it difficult for teams to develop youth. His remarks were reported by Eurohoops, citing Meridian Sport.
“That’s a topic that deserves a deeper analysis,” Kokoskov said. “Europe will pay the price for not having the courage to play young players. We’re scratching our heads over what’s happening in college basketball, where players receive both education and money. Luckily, not all of them will go to the NBA, but they’ll go to America at 17 or 18… The only way we can keep them is to offer something better. And you can’t be mad at EuroLeague coaches for lacking courage — look, we’re only two rounds into the EuroLeague, and some coaches are already on the hot seat. We need to look at the bigger picture. But here, there is no bigger picture. Every game feels like a final. That’s where Europe is paying the price.”
Kokoskov, the first non-American to serve as an NBA head coach when he led the Phoenix Suns during the 2018–19 season, has spent decades working across both the NBA and European basketball. His experience gives him a unique perspective on the structural differences between development systems in the United States and Europe.
He argued that the EuroLeague’s format—where every game carries playoff-like stakes—creates an environment where coaches are reluctant to take risks with inexperienced players. As a result, young European prospects increasingly choose to move to the United States to play NCAA basketball, where they can develop in a less pressurized setting.
