The legendary head coach Dusan Ivkovic shared his thoughts on the EuroLeague and its comparison to the NBA.
Coach Ivkovic thinks it’s normal for the European players to make the jump to the NBA if they feel ready to do so.
“I would not say that European basketball is in crisis. But it is obvious that the NBA is so strong that it is impossible to compete with, and it collects all the best players around the world. The salary ceiling has already risen above $100 million.
It seems to me that our players should go there: every club, every coach should be proud that they brought up people who play in the NBA. I trained many generations of players, and they all left – from Divac and Petrovic to Bogdanovic and Teodosic. Very happy for them.
When the player is ready, let him leave for the NBA. Now very young players are leaving, who are being drafted from schools and universities.
It is clear that it is very difficult for European clubs: their youth is leaving, and American players of a lower level are replacing them. The situation is difficult.
Look at the Euroleague: it is expanding, the competitions are becoming more interesting, all the halls are full. But, as a member of the FIBA technical commission, I can judge the level of the game, and it seems to me that it should be higher,” Ivkovic told sports.ru.
