Rome gets a Serie A derby back after 46 years
After 46 years, Rome is set to experience another Serie A basketball derby. Maxima Roma and BC Roma will meet at the PalaEur in a game that is bringing basketball back into the spotlight in the Italian capital. Even Rome’s radio stations have started talking about the sport again.
Valerio Bianchini, BC’s honorary president, can feel the excitement surrounding the occasion, as he said to La Repubblica.
«I can really feel the intensity, even though here in Rome we are all newcomers when it comes to derbies. The fan bases themselves are not yet clearly defined. But one thing is certainly not missing: enthusiasm».
Bianchini says the return of top-flight basketball to Rome does not surprise him.
«I always felt that Rome wanted basketball back after six years without Serie A, and that the entire system wanted Rome back. It is no coincidence that the NBA included the capital in its European project».
Remembering Virtus Roma’s glory years
Bianchini sees the Milan-Rome rivalry as one of the most memorable chapters in Italian basketball history.
«Rome has four million inhabitants, an enormous market that has been left untapped for far too long. Perhaps the most beautiful chapter in our basketball history unfolded along that axis. Us against them, in the 1980s».
Coaching Virtus Roma, Bianchini won the Italian championship, the European Cup and the Intercontinental Cup, with a team featuring nine Roman players.
He also remembers playing Serie B derbies with Stella Azzurra against Lazio, coached at the time by Nello Paratore, one of the pioneers of Italian basketball. Despite the difference in the teams’ standings, Lazio regularly managed to beat Stella Azzurra.
«I complained. I said: “Nello Paratore is lazy. He makes an effort against us and then loses to everyone else”. It was not a very nice thing for me to say», Bianchini recalled.
The PalaEur and the footprints of Jerry West and Oscar Robertson
The PalaEur holds a special place in Bianchini’s memories. In 1977, his team began practicing at the venue, which was still in a neglected state at the time.
The coach told his younger players that the court still bore the footprints of Jerry West, Oscar Robertson and the great players from the United States’ Olympic gold-medal-winning national team.
One young player responded with typical Roman humour: «Coach, of course. They’ve never swept this court».
«That is the Roman spirit. It brings you back down to earth in an instant. I never left Rome again», Bianchini said.
At least 6,000 fans are expected for the derby at an arena with a capacity of 12,000.
Nico Mannion, Totti and BC’s project
Nico Mannion is BC’s leader, and Bianchini describes him as «an enchanting player». Mannion’s mother, Gaia Bianchi, lives in Ostia and is already a passionate supporter of the team. Bianchini also knows Mannion’s father, Pace, from their playing days.
On the other side is Francesco Totti, adding another connection to Rome’s football tradition.
Bianchini, however, emphasizes the sporting pedigree behind BC’s project, led by president Donnie Nelson, the son of legendary NBA coach Don Nelson.
«He is the son of one of the greatest coaches in basketball history, who passed away a few weeks ago. He was among the first to bring top European players to the NBA in Dallas. Nowitzki and Doncic were Mavericks. Doncic is also part of our group and of that sporting aristocracy that decided to invest in Rome».
Bianchini also revealed that Luka Doncic has already visited Rome, playing with youngsters at an outdoor court and meeting local authorities.
«He is Slovenian and understands what it means to play on this side of the Ocean, to play with your heart and soul».
NBA Europe or EuroLeague? «We want to last»
BC’s project has also faced some scepticism, including the argument that the love of fans cannot simply be bought through investment.
Bianchini responds by stressing the importance of financial sustainability in professional sports.
«Sport requires major investment. True professionalism generates profit, not debt. The NBA is also coming to Europe because the EuroLeague is in crisis and clubs are struggling to balance their books».
Asked whether BC could shut down if it failed to join the future NBA Europe, Bianchini made the club’s position clear.
«I don’t know what the intentions are on the other side. As far as we are concerned, Donnie Nelson chose to invest in Rome specifically to build something that will last. EuroLeague or NBA, it would make no difference».
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