Before becoming a name in the NBA, Europe was shaping Doncic’s career. At just 19, he had conquered the EuroLeague with Real Madrid and become the youngest MVP. Maybe that’s why he’s looking for an opportunity to spread his wings across the Atlantic and appears to have pulled it off with a major move.

On Friday, the Los Angeles Lakers star posted on X, “Basketball is coming back to Rome 🔥.” The post featured an artistic rendering of a Roman statue-inspired basketball player. It hints at something bigger than a Lakers or national team event—a Rome-based basketball venture.

According to The New York Times’ Tania Ganguli, Doncic, former Dallas Mavericks executive Donnie Nelson, and the NBA’s Europe expansion plans all tie into the project. Nelson, who drafted Doncic into the NBA, made the pitch easy to accept.

What’s more interesting is that Doncic and Nelson run an investment group that purchased Vanoli Cremona, a club based in northern Italy. Now the investors want to move the club to Rome, as they have also entered the race to become the city’s franchise in the NBA’s proposed European league. Doncic shed light on the matter. “Since I came to the N.B.A., my dream was always to own a team in Europe, especially because Europe gave me so much,” he said. “I grew up there, grew up playing basketball there.”

The NBA and FIBA are racing to launch a 16-team European league by October 2027. Meanwhile, the structure would combine American and European systems. Under the proposal, 12 franchises would hold permanent spots. The remaining four clubs could qualify through domestic success or by winning FIBA’s Basketball Champions League.

Now, the NBA is targeting teams in London, Manchester, Paris, Lyon, Madrid, Barcelona, Rome, Milan, Berlin, Munich, Athens, and Istanbul. Most importantly, investment groups have reportedly submitted bids ranging from $500 million to more than $1 billion for a single franchise. League officials might open a second bidding round soon.

The NBA is also working closely with FIBA to shape the competition globally. FIBA secretary general Andreas Zagklis said last year, “We want our top-tier clubs to make more money, to become sustainable, because the majority of them are not.” Meanwhile, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said, “The best outcome would be if we came together with the Euroleague.”

We don’t know yet whether Rome will get its first basketball team. But what we know is that Doncic’s inclination toward the historic city isn’t new.

Luka Doncic’s close connection with Rome

Doncic played in Rome as a 13-year-old with hometown club Union Olimpija during a youth tournament. He dominated the youth tournament with 54 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists, earning MVP honors. “It was the first time a lot of people from Europe, and maybe the U.S., saw me play. It was kind of the start of my career,” Doncic shared.

Later that year, he debuted for Real Madrid’s senior team at 16, becoming the club’s youngest player. His time in Spain turned historic as he won seven major trophies, highlighted by the 2018 EuroLeague title. Before heading to the NBA in the summer of that year, Doncic also swept the league’s biggest individual honors by winning both the EuroLeague MVP and EuroLeague Final Four MVP awards.

For now, Doncic is pursuing ownership beyond the NBA, returning to Europe as a team owner.