Five years after Roma last played in Serie A, the Italian top flight is back with two teams in the capital. On one side there is BC Roma, a project involving Donnie Nelson and Luka Doncic, with Valerio Bianchini serving as honorary president; on the other is Maxima Roma, led by Paul Matiasic.
BC Roma will make its Serie A debut on Saturday against Treviso, while Maxima Roma will host Napoli at the PalaEur on Sunday. Meanwhile, Olimpia Milano won the Italian Super Cup against Venezia after overtime.
Andrea Bargnani is part of this new landscape as Legabasket’s executive advisor. The former NBA No. 1 overall pick is working with president Maurizio Gherardini on the development of Italian basketball and a new business model for the sport.
Bargnani: “NBA Europe will move capital”
According to Bargnani, the arrival of NBA Europe could represent an important opportunity for Italian basketball.
“It will do good for the movement, move capital and involve new investors who probably would not have entered the system without this possibility.”
The former Toronto Raptors big man also discussed the return of two teams to Rome:
“There was a lot of excitement, many requests around a city that had not seen Serie A basketball for five years. Regardless of the fact that I am from Rome, I think it is very positive.”
For Bargnani, a city like Rome can help develop a model that goes beyond sporting results, with a greater focus on entertainment and commercial opportunities.
“Our basketball cannot survive only on sport, but also on entertainment and a series of commercial aspects that have been little explored so far. If our basketball wants to expand, that is where we have to go.”
“The mix of big cities and smaller markets can make us take off”
Bargnani also recognizes the historical importance of smaller markets in Italian basketball. He developed as a player in Treviso, where Riccardo Pittis gave him the nickname “Il Mago.”
“I know very well how much smaller markets are part of the DNA of our basketball. It is the mix of both dimensions that can make us take off.”
The same challenge applies to Rome’s two new teams and their ability to build their own identities and fan bases.
According to Bargnani, passion must be built locally by establishing relationships with the many youth programs in Rome and involving young players and their families.
“It will be a great challenge as well. I became passionate about basketball by going to watch Virtus Roma when I was younger. This is a crucial phase, and the NBA is knocking on the door, including in Rome.”
“The NBA is family to me”
Bargnani also reflected on what the NBA means to him, 20 years after becoming the first European player selected with the No. 1 overall pick in the NBA Draft.
“The NBA is family to me, it is what changed my life. I still feel part of it today.”
The 2006 Draft was a defining moment in his career:
“Until three years earlier, I didn’t even know what a Draft was. That night was the sliding doors moment of my life.”
Bargnani also recalled his experiences in Toronto and New York and the great players he shared the court with, including Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Kevin Garnett, Tim Duncan and Carmelo Anthony.
“Jokic is an extraterrestrial”
Asked about the comparison between his versatility as a big man and Nikola Jokic’s game, Bargnani mentioned Dirk Nowitzki as one of the few players from his era with similar characteristics.
As for Jokic, however, Bargnani believes the Serbian belongs in a category of his own.
“As for Nikola, let’s leave him in his own dimension as an extraterrestrial, in a category of his own.”
“I never thought about coming back”
Since retiring in 2017, Bargnani has remained away from professional basketball and never seriously considered returning to the court.
“Never thought about it, but I lived my life, worked, studied a lot, pursued my passions and watched a lot of basketball, live or on TV. Now I have accepted Lega president Maurizio Gherardini’s offer to work with him. I feel very comfortable in this role.”
Bargnani on NCAA vs. EuroLeague
Finally, the former No. 1 pick discussed young European players receiving offers from American universities.
From a purely basketball perspective, Bargnani believes the EuroLeague offers greater development because players immediately compete against experienced professionals.
“Certainly in Europe, and particularly in the EuroLeague, you develop more as a basketball player: you immediately play against seasoned veterans.”
At the same time, he recognizes the value of the American college experience:
“But it is an extraordinary life experience: those campuses, that scale. They are personal decisions, and either choice can be the right one.”
Source: La Repubblica, interview by Cosimo Cito.
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