Bertomeu: 'NBA players coming to our games doesn't respond to any strategy' / News - Basketnews.com

Credit: Zuma Press – Scanpix, Rodolfo Molina/Euroleague Basketball via Getty Images Credit Zuma Press – Scanpix, Rodolfo Molina/Euroleague Basketball via Getty Images

In Friday's press conference, Jordi Bertomeu talked about many topics, including the Brooklyn Nets star Kevin Durant's and the San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich's visits to the EuroLeague games.

Kevin Durant

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Durant visited two games of the Olympiacos Piraeus – AS Monaco series as he was in attendance in Game 4 and a decisive Game 5.

Meanwhile, Popovich enjoyed the semifinal games between Anadolu Efes Istanbul and Olympiacos Piraeus & FC Barcelona, and Real Madrid.

However, Bertomeu said EuroLeague does not have much to do with NBA stars' visits.

"I have to say that the fact that NBA players or coaches come to our games does not respond to any particular strategy," Bertomeu told reporters. "In the case of Kevin Durant was more a personal relationship with one Monaco player [Mikes James]"

"He wanted to see and have experience of a EuroLeague game, that probably for American players is difficult to have. And especially in the second game in Piraeus, he had a full experience of what the EuroLeague is," added Bertomeu.

According to BasketNews sources, during the game weeks when Durant attended the previously mentioned games, EuroLeague's social platforms saw a 3-4 times bigger engagement numbers.

Bertomeu also guessed that Popovich's visit might have been influenced by his Serbian roots.

"I think that the fact that coach Popovich has some Serbian roots, with the Final Four [being] here, with all this environment, I think that helps the presence of Popovich here," Bertomeu said.

But that does not respond to the plan. We invite him as we invite every year the NBA, and we offer them to invite anybody they want to come to EuroLeague.

This has been a tradition since many years ago, In this case, they invited coach Popovich, other times, they invited other people. We are always happy to have friends from the NBA, mainly when we have personalities of the level you have mentioned," concluded Bertomeu.

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