2015–16 FIBA–Euroleague Basketball controversy

The 2015–17 FIBA–Euroleague Basketball controversy is the dispute between FIBA and the Euroleague Basketball over who has control of the premier European-wide professional club basketball competition.

The EuroLeague was originally established by FIBA, and it operated under its umbrella from 1958, until the summer of 2000, concluding with the 1999–00 season. That was when the richest and most popular European basketball clubs created Euroleague Basketball.

FIBA had never trademarked the "EuroLeague" name, even though it had used that name for the competition since 1996. Euroleague Basketball simply appropriated the name, and since FIBA had no legal recourse to do anything about it, it was forced to find a new name for its championship series. Thus, the following 2000–2001 season started with 2 separate top European professional club basketball competitions: the FIBA SuproLeague (previously known as the FIBA EuroLeague) and the brand new Euroleague 2000–01 season.

The rift in European professional club basketball initially showed no signs of letting up. Top clubs were also split between the two leagues: Panathinaikos, Maccabi Tel Aviv, CSKA Moscow, and Efes Pilsen stayed with FIBA, while Olympiacos, Kinder Bologna, Real Madrid, FC Barcelona, Baskonia, and Benetton Treviso joined Euroleague Basketball.

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