NBA superstar Luka Dončić is expanding his basketball footprint beyond the United States, joining an investor group to purchase Vanoli Cremona, a club in Italy’s top professional league, Lega Basket Serie A, and relocating it to Rome for the 2026-27 season. The announcement, made Friday via Dončić’s social media, signals an ambitious plan to bring top-level basketball back to Italy’s capital.
The investment group is led by Donnie Nelson, former Dallas Mavericks president of basketball operations, who played a pivotal role in Dončić joining the NBA on draft night in 2018. Nelson will serve as managing partner of the Rome-based club. “Rome deserves world-class basketball, and we are excited to be bringing it back,” Nelson said. “We are bringing the resources, the expertise, and the passion to make this club a source of pride for Rome and for all Italy.”
Dončić, a four-time All-NBA selection, expressed his enthusiasm for the project: “I have dreamed about owning a team in Europe for a long time. Vanoli has a great history, and we are ready to take it to the next level in Rome. I really believe we can do something special for basketball in Italy and Europe.”
The move also positions the club as a potential participant in NBA Europe, a league being developed in collaboration with FIBA that could debut in fall 2027. The proposed league is expected to feature 16 teams across 12 permanent cities in Europe, with additional teams qualifying season-to-season. Target cities include Rome, Milan, London, Manchester, Paris, Lyon, Madrid, Barcelona, Munich, Berlin, Athens, and Istanbul.
This initiative comes as the NBA continues its efforts to expand basketball globally. Last season, the NBA played six games in Europe, with teams such as the Memphis Grizzlies and Orlando Magic competing in Berlin and London. Next January, the Spurs and Pelicans are scheduled to face off in Paris and Manchester.
For Dončić, the project represents a full-circle moment. Before joining the NBA, he trained in Real Madrid’s basketball academy, helping elevate European talent on the global stage. Now, with a stake in a professional European club, Dončić is poised to further grow basketball across Europe while maintaining his NBA career with the Los Angeles Lakers.
