Slovenia’s Luka Dončić invests in European basketball

Slovenian basketball superstar Luka Dončić has fulfilled what he describes as a long-held dream by becoming part-owner of a European basketball club.

The 27-year-old is part of an investment group that has acquired Vanoli Cremona, a professional basketball club from northern Italy. The group's plan is to relocate the team to Rome as part of a project to create NBA Europe, CE Report quotes The Slovenia Times.

"Basketball is coming back to Rome," Dončić wrote on Instagram as he announced his involvement in the project.

Reports linking Dončić to the Rome project first emerged in February. A few weeks ago, Italian sports daily La Gazzetta dello Sport again reported that the Los Angeles Lakers star was among the investors behind the initiative.

"Since I came to the NBA, my dream was always to own a team in Europe, especially because Europe gave me so much," Dončić said.

The Slovenian began his professional career with Real Madrid and was named EuroLeague MVP at the age of 19.

"Vanoli has a great history, and we are ready to take it to the next level in Rome. We have an amazing group of partners, and I really believe we can do something special for basketball in Italy and Europe," Dončić said in a statement.

NBA Europe ambitions

Dončić is part of a group led by former Dallas Mavericks general manager Donnie Nelson, who picked him in the 2018 NBA draft. Nelson had reached a preliminary agreement to purchase Guerino Vanoli Basket.

The investment group also includes veteran Italian coach Valerio Bianchini and former Lithuanian international Rimas Kaukenas.

Former Serbian player and coach Aleksandar Đorđević is reportedly among the leading candidates to become the club's head coach.

The team could begin competing in Lega Basket Serie A as early as the 2026-27 season, subject to approval by league authorities. Rome has not had a Serie A team since 2020.

The investors have also announced that they have submitted an application for the club to become a founding member of NBA Europe, the proposed new competition backed by the National Basketball Association (NBA).

Rome is among the cities identified by NBA Commissioner Adam Silver as potential homes for NBA Europe franchises, alongside Milan, London, Manchester, Paris, Lyon, Madrid, Barcelona, Berlin, Munich, Athens and Istanbul. The league could launch in autumn 2027.

Photo: Instagram/lukadoncic

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