Euroleague Basketball CEO Paulius Motiejunas responds to ‘irresponsible’ report
· EurohoopsRejecting any involvement in the recent ownership transition of the London Lions, Euroleague Basketball CEO Paulius Motiejunas clarifies several more attached topics
By Eurohoops Team/ info@eurohoops.net
In response to a recent report by the Greek website Gazzetta, Paulius Motiejunas, the CEO of Euroleague Basketball, rejected involvement in the recent ownership change of former BKT EuroCup participant London Lions.
He released a written statement on Wednesday, clarifying the process leading to his departure from Zalgiris to become Euroleague Basketball CEO as well, besides labeling such practices by media outlets as ‘irresponsible’.
“Following the article published by Gazzetta.gr last Sunday, misrepresenting facts and insinuating conflict of interest without any evidence I am compelled to clarify the numerous inaccuracies and unfounded allegations presented in the article and reproduced by other media outlets.
1. Upon accepting the role of Euroleague Basketball CEO, I fully divested my shares in Zalgiris Kaunas and stepped down from all positions within the organization.
2. The Zalgiris Kaunas shares I owned were legally transferred to the new President, Paulius Jankunas, in an agreement that complied with all legal and ethical standards. All Euroleague shareholding clubs were informed of this transition, and no concerns were raised.
3. I didn´t have any involvement in the ownership transition of the London Lions basketball club, Tesonet’s acquisition of the London Lions was an independent business transaction. Zalgiris Group, in which Tesonet also holds shares, was used to provide a short-term loan solely to simplify the transaction, following industry standard and legal practices.
4. Zalgiris Group is not a shareholder of the London Lions; the club is completely owned by Tesonet. All Euroleague shareholding clubs were duly informed of this development during the summer. The assertion that I used my position to facilitate this acquisition is unfounded.
5. The article relies on unnamed sources and speculation, presenting them as facts without any verifiable evidence. Such reporting practices are irresponsible and do not meet the standards for accuracy and fairness.
I believe it is crucial for media outlets to uphold the highest standards of journalism by verifying facts before publication. Normally I wouldn’t care about the baseless allegations, however this time it misleads the public, undermines the integrity of the Euroleague and therefore has to be addressed. I remain committed to transparency and ethical conduct in all my professional endeavors and expect the same level of responsibility from reputable media organizations.”