Real Madrid suffered a defeat on the road against Crvena Zvezda in Belgrade, and after the final buzzer, head coach Sergio Scariolo offered his reflections on both the game and the broader direction of European basketball.
Speaking first about his team’s performance, Scariolo acknowledged that while Real Madrid started strong, they struggled to maintain control as the game progressed. He admitted that there is still plenty of work ahead for his squad.
“Once again, we started very well with some excellent plays in the first half, but then we lost control. They increased their physical toughness, and we couldn’t respond – neither physically nor with concentration. That’s it. It’s time to reset and focus on the next game. We have nothing else to do. We have a long way to go,” Scariolo said.
The Italian coach was then asked about the ongoing discussions surrounding European basketball’s future and the emerging NBA Europe concept. He acknowledged the NBA’s strength in the business and structural side of the sport.
“We don’t have enough information. The NBA is an extremely serious and successful organization. European basketball cannot afford to be stubborn or have a superiority complex – especially when it comes to organization, marketing, business, and media rights. From that standpoint, there’s a lot to learn.”
However, Scariolo also emphasized that European basketball’s sporting identity must be preserved, suggesting that the ideal future lies in combining strengths from both sides.
“From a basketball point of view, we have a great product that needs to be protected. There’s always room for improvement, but the game itself is already a very high-level product. If we can merge the two sides – the sporting side, which is extremely strong in Europe, and the business side, which is extremely strong in the NBA – maybe we’ll see a leap forward in the coming years.”
Real Madrid coach Sergio Scariolo weighs in on the NBA Europe projecthttps://t.co/D8nJdFwz3E
— Eurohoops (@Eurohoopsnet) October 17, 2025
