EuroLeague: One Rome, Yes; the Other, No—Bianchini: “La Maxima Is a Business; BC Stems from a Dynasty”

BC Roma is not among the ten clubs selected for the EuroLeague expansion project, scheduled to begin in the 2027–28 season. According to a report by Giuseppe Nigro in *La Gazzetta dello Sport*, and confirmed by *Marca*, pending Board ratification scheduled for late November, the permanent license is expected to be awarded to Maxima Roma, while Virtus Bologna and Napoli Basketball could receive a three-year wild card.

For the Rome-based club, led by Donnie Nelson and Luka Doncic, the prospect of participating in Europe’s premier competition is thus fading. BC Roma, however, continues to view the NBA Europe project with particular interest, as it has long been considered one of the club’s goals.

Valerio Bianchini, honorary president of BC Roma, also spoke about this during the presentation of Matteo Cazzulani’s book *Fino alla fine, NBA Europe e le basket City* (Until the End: NBA Europe and the Basketball Cities). The former coach emphasized the club’s intention to build a structured, long-term initiative, regardless of whether it joins the NBA’s future European league.

“There’s one important distinction to make compared to the experience of the other team, which was born out of a business venture and a profit opportunity that it rightly sought to capitalize on. It’s different for us: we’re talking about a top-tier basketball dynasty led by Donnie Nelson, son of the great Don Nelson, who has had a unique experience in Europe and has always had a deep affinity for it. In addition to him, the advisory board includes leading figures from both American and European basketball. There is also interest in Rome for a name that could be significant in the NBA landscape.”