Luka Doncic, the Slovenian star who has become one of the NBA’s brightest talents, is now part of a consortium that has taken control of Vanoli Cremona, an Italian professional basketball club.
The ownership group, which also includes former Dallas Mavericks general manager Donnie Nelson, brings together a mix of basketball veterans and rising executives, among them celebrated coach Valerio Bianchini and former player Rimantas Kaukėnas.
According to the consortium’s plan, the team will be relocated to Rome and will compete under a new identity beginning with the 2026‑27 season, a move that aligns with the NBA’s broader ambition to establish a standalone European league.
The NBA, in partnership with FIBA, is targeting a launch as early as October 2027, with plans to field up to sixteen franchises in major metropolitan areas, and Rome and Milan have emerged as the most likely host cities for Italian representation.
The initiative seeks to revive the legacy of Italian club basketball, recalling that Rome’s last top‑flight team, Virtus Roma, folded in 2020 amid financial strain, while also tapping into the city’s long‑standing passion for the sport.
‘I have always dreamed of owning a team in Europe,’ Doncic said in a statement, expressing excitement about the acquisition and the chance to blend his NBA experience with a European heritage.
Nelson, who helped assemble the Mavericks’ 2011 championship roster and executed the trade that brought Doncic to Dallas in 2018, brings a championship pedigree that the new owners hope will translate into on‑court success.
The deal underscores a wider trend: the NBA’s most valuable players in recent seasons have been born outside the United States, reflecting the league’s increasingly global talent pool.
NBA’s European Ambitions
The NBA has already staged regular‑season games in Europe this year, with the Memphis Grizzlies and Orlando Magic meeting in Berlin and London, and next season will see Victor Wembanyama’s San Antonio Spurs travel to France and England as part of the league’s expanding footprint.
The move reflects a growing convergence of sport and commerce, as leagues and investors alike look to capture the imagination of fans across continents.