Luka Doncic Becomes Co-Owner of Italian Basketball Club
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Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic has joined an investment group that purchased Vanoli Cremona, fulfilling his long-held goal of owning a professional team in Europe.
“Since I came to the NBA, my dream was always to own a team in Europe, especially because Europe gave me so much,” the 27-year-old said this week in his first interview about the venture, according to the New York Times.
Doncic, raised in Slovenia and a former standout at Real Madrid, credited his time in the EuroLeague for shaping his career. “I am the player I am because of EuroLeague—that will never go away,” he noted.
Plans to Relocate to Rome
The ownership group, which includes former Dallas Mavericks executive Donnie Nelson, intends to move Vanoli Cremona from northern Italy to Rome. A formal bid has already been submitted for the club to represent the Italian capital in the NBA’s proposed European league, a competition that could launch as early as next year with teams based in major cities such as London and Paris.
NBA Goals Remain
While expanding his off-court portfolio, Doncic emphasized that winning an NBA championship with the Lakers remains his top priority. In the 2025-26 season, his first full campaign in Los Angeles, he led the league in scoring, guided the Lakers to a top-four seed in the Western Conference and earned a spot on the All-NBA First Team. He received 91 of 100 possible first-team votes.
Doncic continues to pursue parallel ambitions: adding an NBA title in Los Angeles and helping grow professional basketball across Europe through his new ownership role.
Source: Lakers Nation
