NEW YORK - Ettore Messina showed up in the city that never sleeps and dropped a line that should make European basketball fans both excited and mildly caffeine-fueled: an NBA team in Rome or Milan is not science fiction. Messina was a special guest at an Italian Brands Basketball League event and spoke about the ongoing plans for an NBA Europe project.
NBA Europe: real clubs and some that are "made up"
Messina explained that the NBA is in talks with a group of teams, with Olimpia Milano among them. He said there could be seven or eight existing European clubs involved, plus additional teams "created artificially" in cities such as Rome, Manchester and Paris. Translation: the league is thinking both old-school club roots and new-market experiments.
Why Messina thinks this matters
According to Messina, the NBA Europe idea could help tidy up the current European basketball scene. He pointed out that players are playing too many games and that a better structure could help teams and athletes reach financial stability. There is an ongoing dialogue between the EuroLeague and the NBA to see if they can find common ground. Messina said he hopes they will.
About his exit from Olimpia Milano
Messina also reflected on leaving the coaching job at Olimpia Milano, a post he gave up last year in favor of Giuseppe Poeta. He said he realized he could no longer do the job the way it needed to be done, despite loving the team and the players. They had already prepared a succession plan with his top assistant, and they decided to move the plan up.
He framed the decision with a manager's metaphor. There are managers who have everything but nothing works, those who burn through assets, and those who build assets while pursuing results - so the team keeps winning after they leave. Messina says he always felt responsible not just for short-term wins, but for creating a future.
Memories from the NBA: Lakers, Spurs and two big teachers
Messina recalled his years in the United States, first with the Los Angeles Lakers and then with the San Antonio Spurs. He singled out Kobe Bryant as someone who helped him be accepted, noting Kobe's connection to Italy and fondness for European basketball.
He also spoke about his time with Gregg Popovich at the Spurs. Messina remembered a training camp moment in the summer of 2014 when Popovich emphasized relationship first: greet the players, make human contact, talk about life - and only after that start coaching. Simple, human, effective. Sounds obvious now, but someone had to say it.
Whether NBA Europe becomes a reality or stays a boardroom daydream, Messina's message was clear: change is being discussed at high levels, and big European cities are on the table. For fans, that means hope, skepticism and the usual quota of hot takes.
