Rome Basketball Derby Returns to Serie A After 46 Years

After a 46-year absence, Rome hosts a top-flight Serie A basketball derby on October 11, at the PalaEur, where Maxima Roma and the Basketball Club (BC Roma) face off in front of an expected crowd of at least 6,000 spectators.

The Return of the Roman Derby After 46 Years

The fixture marks the first time two Roman clubs collide in Italy’s top division since the 1980 matchups between Acqua Fabia and Eldorado. Valerio Bianchini, honorary president of BC Roma and a figure in Italian basketball, noted that while the city’s fanbases remain unformed, the enthusiasm across Rome’s four million residents is palpable. Bianchini views the renewed interest as a natural consequence of the capital spending six years without a Serie A team, creating an enormous vacant market that the NBA also targeted in its European expansion blueprint.

Even Roman radio stations have resumed broadcasting discussions about basketball as the city experiences this resurgence. The Maxima arena has a capacity of 12,000 spectators, and while Bianchini acknowledged that some tickets may have been given away as complimentary admissions, he welcomed the large turnout.

Historical Echoes at the PalaEur

The choice of venue carries deep historical weight for Italian basketball. Bianchini recalled taking his Virtus Roma squad to the PalaEur in 1977 when the facility was still an abandoned cavern left over from the Olympic Games. He famously told his younger players that the parquet floor still bore the footprints of Jerry West and Oscar Robertson, only for a player to deadpan that the floor had simply never been swept. During the 1980s, Bianchini led Virtus Roma to a scudetto, a European Champions Cup, and an Intercontinental Cup with a roster featuring nine players from Rome. Prior to that era, he crossed paths with Nello Paratore’s Lazio side in Serie B while coaching Stella Azzurra, frequently dropping matches to the squad.

Bianchini admitted that he used to complain about those results, once telling Nello Paratore that he was lazy for only trying hard against Stella Azzurra and losing to everyone else, a remark he noted was not very kind of him. The former coach, whose career also includes spells in charge of Cantù and Pesaro, recalled that while his own side was at the top of the standings, Lazio was languishing at the bottom yet still beat them regularly.

Donnie Nelson and Luka Doncic Back BC Roma

Rival projects in the capital now stand in contrast. While Francesco Totti is associated with the opposing side, BC Roma operates under the stewardship of president Donnie Nelson, son of late NBA coach Don Nelson. Bianchini highlighted that Nelson’s group includes Luka Doncic, bringing American basketball aristocracy directly into the Italian capital. Doncic has already visited Rome to interact with local youth on outdoor courts and meet municipal authorities.

Donnie Nelson was among the first figures to bring top European talents to the NBA in Dallas, where stars like Dirk Nowitzki and Doncic played as Mavericks. Bianchini also mentioned that BC Roma’s roster leader is Nico Mannion, whom he described as an enchanting player. Mannion’s father, Pace, previously faced Bianchini’s teams in the championship, while Nico’s mother, Gaia Bianchi, already lives in Ostia and has become a dedicated supporter of the club.

Financial Stability Versus EuroLeague Uncertainty

Addressing skeptics who question the influx of foreign capital into the domestic game, Bianchini defended the necessity of heavy financial backing in modern professional sports. He assessed that sustainable professional operations must generate profit rather than debt, pointing out that the NBA’s push into Europe stems partly from financial instability and balance-sheet struggles within the existing EuroLeague framework. Regarding speculation over whether BC Roma’s project depends entirely on securing a spot in a future NBA Europe league, Bianchini maintained that Nelson’s investment in Rome is built for long-term endurance regardless of whether the club competes in the EuroLeague or an NBA-backed competition.

Negotiations between the NBA and the EuroLeague are currently underway under FIBA’s supervision regarding the creation of a new continental professional league, though Bianchini emphasized that long-term survival does not depend on which competition they ultimately join.