Doncic, in conjunction with Nelson, acquired Vanoli Cremona and relocated it to Rome.

Los Angeles Lakers star Luka Doncic announced on Friday that he has joined forces with former Dallas Mavericks president of basketball operations Donnie Nelson to invest in Italian basketball powerhouse Vanoli Cremona.

In addition to Doncic and Nelson, the acquisition also brought in Italian coach Valerio Bianchini and former Lithuanian player Mantas Kaukena. Nelson, who spearheaded the deal, is currently the main investor and managing partner of the acquisition group.

Doncic and others also confirmed that Vanoli Cremona will relocate to Rome, the capital of Italy, after the trade. They plan to compete locally starting in the 2026/27 season and are actively working towards the team representing Rome in the NBA EuroLeague in the future.

In his statement regarding the acquisition, Doncic couldn't hide his excitement: "It feels incredible. I've always dreamed of owning a team in Europe, and now it's finally happening. I'm incredibly excited. Vanoli Cremona has a glorious history, and we're ready to take it to new heights in Rome. We have an unparalleled team working together, and I firmly believe we can achieve great things for Italian and European basketball."

Nelson then added: “Rome deserves world-class basketball, and we are excited to bring it back. We will create a promising future in Rome while respecting and continuing the glorious history of Vanoli Cremona. The city has been without top-level basketball for too long, and now everything will change. We will bring resources, expertise, and passion to make Vanoli Cremona the pride of Rome and all of Italy.”

This acquisition clearly aligns perfectly with the NBA's ambitious global expansion plan. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver had previously publicly confirmed that the league is collaborating with FIBA to organize the NBA EuroLeague.

According to Adam Silver's vision, the future NBA EuroLeague is expected to consist of 16 teams. Rome is considered one of the key target cities for the league, with London, Manchester, Paris, Lyon, Munich, Berlin, Madrid, Barcelona, Milan, Athens, and Istanbul all on the shortlist.

Image source: Internet/X