[REVISION HISTORY]

Luka Dončić-backed Italian basketball club launch

Updated 1 time since CLSTR started tracking revisions of this situation.

What changed

2026-07-26 11:52 UTC → 2026-08-18 21:27 UTC · added ~~removed~~

Luka ~~Dončić‑backed~~ Dončić-backed Italian basketball club launch

In late July 2026, NBA star Luka Dončić and former Mavericks executive Donnie Nelson announced the creation of BC Roma SPQR, a new Italian basketball team set to debut in Serie A and the EuroCup for the ~~2026‑27~~ 2026–27 season. The ~~club began a hunt for~~ club, which also features ownership from Lithuanian legend Rimantas Kaukenas and coach Valerio Bjankini, initially sought a head coach, with ~~former NBA champion coach~~ Dwane Casey identified as the ~~frontrunner among other candidates. A few days later,~~ leading candidate over others like Terry Stotts. Shortly after, the club confirmed Casey’s appointment as head coach. SPQR Roma secured the Vanoli Cremona licence, cementing its place in the ULEB EuroCup. The roster plan ~~added~~ included Latvian guard Artūrs Strautiņš and a multinational blend of players from Montenegro, France, and the United ~~States~~ States. In August 2026, the club expanded its technical leadership by appointing Sergio Scariolo as a Special Advisor for Basketball Strategy. The former Real Madrid and ~~elsewhere, underscoring~~ Spanish national team coach will provide consultative support for technical planning, youth development, and long-term sporting models. While Scariolo will advise on strategy, the ~~project’s ambition~~ club noted that daily first-team management remains the responsibility of the coaching staff. The project continues to ~~become a competitive European side~~ pursue an internationally oriented model with ~~long‑term hopes~~ long-term ambitions of joining a proposed NBA Europe competition.

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