Dončić and Donnie Nelson Launch Basketball Club Roma SPQR in Rome

Overview

• An investor group led by former NBA executive Donnie Nelson and Luka Dončić has relocated Vanoli Cremona to Rome and revealed the new club name, Basketball Club Roma SPQR.
• Dončić told La Gazzetta dello Sport he long dreamed of owning a European team and said he will remain focused on winning while continuing his NBA career.
• Eurohoops reports the project has secured a wild card to enter the BKT EuroCup, a step that would place the club directly into continental competition.
• The outlet also names Nico Mannion as a foundational signing and cites Claudio Coldebella as the expected general manager, though those roster and front-office roles are described as developing.
• The move revives Rome’s top-tier basketball presence since 2020 and raises open questions about Italian and European approvals and how the club could fit with proposed NBA Europe plans.