Menu
Leagues and Governing Bodies

FIBA's Mainini Confident Partnership With NBA To Remain Unchanged With New Boss

Int'l Basketball Federation (FIBA) President Yvan Mainini said that the relationship between the sport's governing body and the NBA will not change after the reign of NBA Commissioner David Stern comes to an end on Feb. 1, and current NBA Deputy Commissioner Adam Silver takes over. Mainini told SBD Global, "We have been fortunate to live an amazing era of growth under the leadership of former FIBA Secretary General (and current FIBA Secretary General Emeritus) Borislav Stankovic and David Stern. That period is now coming to an end, and we look forward to working with the next NBA Commissioner, Adam Silver, in the same spirit." Mainini added, "We have already had very positive and constructive discussions with him, and we are all in full agreement that the potential for growth of basketball worldwide is still extremely big. We can measure up to football if we work well together." (Read the full Q&A with FIBA President Yvan Mainini) However, the relationship between FIBA and the NBA has not always been that harmonious. NBA owners in general have been reluctant to let their star players participate at world championships or FIBA's continental tournaments due to the risk of injuries. So it should not have come as a surprise when NBA Dallas Mavericks Owner Mark Cuban in October proposed the NBA should do its own World Cup-style tournament. Cuban said, "If done correctly, it can be NBA-owned and operated and have the potential to be just as large as the World Cup of soccer. That is a product, in my opinion, we want to own, not share." The result would be a greater share of revenue for the NBA and its owners. Asked about Cuban's proposal for an NBA-organized World Cup, Mainini said, "Mark Cuban, of all people, has hugely benefited from having international players on his Dallas Mavericks team. They won the NBA Championship in 2011 with a roster that included German superstar Dirk Nowitzki, former U.S. guard Jason Kidd and big man Tyson Chandler as well as Puerto Rico’s J.J. Barea and Serbia’s Peja Stojakovic." He added, "FIBA is in regular contact with the NBA, and we work closely together to ensure that we can have the best FIBA Basketball World Cup possible while also doing everything possible so that the very best players from around the world can shine in the best league and that the clubs’ interests are protected. We have regular discussions with them about the new calendar that will come into effect in 2017."

SBJ Morning Buzzcast: March 25, 2024

NFL meeting preview; MLB's opening week ad effort and remembering Peter Angelos.

Big Get Jay Wright, March Madness is upon us and ESPN locks up CFP

On this week’s pod, our Big Get is CBS Sports college basketball analyst Jay Wright. The NCAA Championship-winning coach shares his insight with SBJ’s Austin Karp on key hoops issues and why being well dressed is an important part of his success. Also on the show, Poynter Institute senior writer Tom Jones shares who he has up and who is down in sports media. Later, SBJ’s Ben Portnoy talks the latest on ESPN’s CFP extension and who CBS, TNT Sports and ESPN need to make deep runs in the men’s and women's NCAA basketball tournaments.

SBJ I Factor: Nana-Yaw Asamoah

SBJ I Factor features an interview with AMB Sports and Entertainment Chief Commercial Office Nana-Yaw Asamoah. Asamoah, who moved over to AMBSE last year after 14 years at the NFL, talks with SBJ’s Ben Fischer about how his role model parents and older sisters pushed him to shrive, how the power of lifelong learning fuels successful people, and why AMBSE was an opportunity he could not pass up. Asamoah is 2021 SBJ Forty Under 40 honoree. SBJ I Factor is a monthly podcast offering interviews with sports executives who have been recipients of one of the magazine’s awards.

Shareable URL copied to clipboard!

https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Global/Issues/2013/05/29/Leagues-and-Governing-Bodies/FIBA-NBA-relationship.aspx

Sorry, something went wrong with the copy but here is the link for you.

https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Global/Issues/2013/05/29/Leagues-and-Governing-Bodies/FIBA-NBA-relationship.aspx

CLOSE