Pablo Laso urges caution in pursuit of expansion: 'We are killing our actors' / News - Basketnews.com

Pablo Laso advocates for a balanced approach to the future of the EuroLeague, emphasizing the need to protect players' well-being, limit excessive game schedules, and foster collaboration between FIBA, EuroLeague, and domestic leagues for sustainable growth in European basketball.

Credit: Marcel Engelbrecht/picture alliance/firo Sportphoto - Scanpix Credit Marcel Engelbrecht/picture alliance/firo Sportphoto - Scanpix

FC Bayern Munich head coach Pablo Laso appeared on S Sport interview where the Spanish mastermind addressed various topics, including the future of the EuroLeague and the potential expansion to Dubai.

FC Bayern Munich / Schedule

ALBA Berlin FC Bayern Munich65-82 FC Bayern Munich LDLC ASVEL VilleurbanneThu19:30 FC Bayern Munich Baskonia Vitoria-GasteizTue19:30

To start things off, Laso emphasized the importance of safeguarding players' well-being, expressing concern about pushing them to play over 100 games annually.

"Well, I am not a very great guy watching the future, but, for sure, I think that somehow we have to protect our players. What that means? We cannot push our players to play more than 100 games a year," he pointed out. "I have players now, and I had players in Madrid who played almost 100 games per year. And that is stupid because that does not help the game.

"In the end, we are killing our actors," Laso continued. "Somehow, we have to manage business, and I am the first one to defend that [idea]. Okay, if we have to go to Dubai, if we have to get another sponsor, if we have to do more, for sure. I will be a great defender of that, but I will be a great defender of [the fact that] we have to protect our actors."

In addition, the two-time EuroLeague champion highlighted the complexity of finding solutions but underlined his belief in collaboration between FIBA, EuroLeague, and local leagues.

"If we push them to play 100 and some games, it will be difficult, because they will get hurt, and they will not perform as well as they can," Laso went on to say. "It is not easy to find solutions; I would love to give solutions, and I can give ideas, but for me, the future comes with the FIBA and EuroLeague getting together as well with the national domestic leagues.

"And it has to be room for everyone and the right moments for everyone because that is the way the game will go on and will continue getting better," the 56-year-old added. "If you think killing you, I am going to be better, no. The way I am thinking is that if I push you up, I will go up also. A lot of times, we think that pushing you down, I am going to grow.

"I think somehow we should go hand by hand, trying to grow up because we saw in Europe how people follow their national teams, domestic leagues, the EuroLeague. So, we have a great fan base, and we have to protect it. We have to protect the fan base, and we have to protect the players -- the actors. I hope that it will come in the future because it will be a good future for basketball. This is what I want."

Full interview with Pablo Laso:

Support BasketNews so we could make even better content.