At what point is the process with NBA and FIBA?
Marco Baldi: The process is underway, even if a lot still has to run in the background. We are in the phase in which the base is created. For us it is clear: the Euroleague has given up every strategy in recent years, which is actually no longer a healthy environment for clubs that want to build something permanently. With the FIBA and the NBA, on the other hand, we see the chance to create a stable foundation for growth – for width and lace. The NBA has shown how to develop a league into a global top product. Together with the FIBA, which relies on openness and sporting qualifications, a model can be created from this that really promotes European basketball.
What does Alba bring for it?
Dr. Axel Schweitzer: On the one hand, of course, the market potential. Berlin is the capital of one of the largest economies in the world, a diverse metropolis with enormous growth opportunities. We have carried basketball into the width here and built a community that supports us for over 35 years. Anyone who looks here sees that we can build structures, inspire people and bring basketball in our area and also in our country to a high level. Berlin is the basketball capital of the world and European champion. That’s why we trust ourselves.
What does it take so that Alba can actively shape the future ecosystem?
Marco Baldi: Infrastructure. We need a place where we can bundle and develop our work. It is not just about professional sports, but about the entire width of our club: youth and club sport, the educational programs, the social initiatives. The power of our association only grows from the interaction of all of these areas. For this we want to create a campus that is also open to others. And of course we also need an arena that does not affect us economically, but bears us. Without this infrastructure we will not be able to keep our position. For this we also need the support of the city. If Berlin wants to play a central role in international basketball – and the chance is there – then the time is now to show it.
