NBA in Rome, two U.S. groups in a head-to-head race: Trieste and Cremona “licenses” in play

Rome has become the center of a race that goes beyond the court: two U.S.-backed groups are said to be working to bring an immediate Serie A presence to the capital, with the longer-term goal tied to NBA Europe. One group is led by Donnie Nelson, the other by Paul Matiasic, president of Pallacanestro Trieste.

Nelson’s project is described as involving institutional meetings at the Capitoline Hill and inspections at EUR, with the Palazzo dello Sport considered as a transitional venue while the Foro Italico tennis Centrale is developed into a future basketball arena around 2028. Matiasic, meanwhile, has reportedly presented his own dossier and toured PalaTiziano, while also building a sporting network around the plan.

The decisive angle is the competition for a top-flight “license”: Nelson is linked to talks involving Vanoli Cremona’s Serie A title, while Matiasic could theoretically relocate Trieste’s. The biggest obstacle remains financial, with a reported $300 million entry fee to be paid over ten years for the new league concept.

Source: La Repubblica Roma