Real Madrid president Florentino Perez has indicated that he would like to get his team into the NBA.
Although better recognized globally for their star-studded soccer club featuring the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and James Rodriguez, Real Madrid is no slouch when it comes to basketball, having captured 32 Liga ACB titles and are the current reigning champs, having won every possible trophy last season.
“I would love to have Real Madrid play in the NBA,” Perez said via ABC Spain.
Perez also said that he plans on speaking with NBA Commissioner Adam Silver in October about a possible European NBA expansion, when Real Madrid faces the Boston Celtics in a preseason game for NBA Global Games Madrid.
This is not the first time that that the possibility of the NBA expanding overseas has been discussed.
In 2008, former NBA Commissioner David Stern said he wanted to have NBA franchises in Europe. Stern’s goal at the time was to have around five European teams that would form their own division and compete for the NBA championship.
If the NBA ever deems a European expansion feasible, it would appear that Real Madrid would be an excellent candidate. They currently have former NBA players Rudy Fernandez and Andres Nocioni on the roster, not to mention having served as the home of international icons like Arvydas Sabonis and Dražen Petrović.
While a possible NBA expansion in Europe is an intriguing possibility, it likely will not happen anytime soon, according to SBNation.