REAL MADRID PRESIDENT Florentino Perez dreams of seeing the club’s basketball team playing in the NBA.
Madrid are one of the dominant forces in European basketball, winning a record 10 EuroLeague titles. Their most recent success was in the 2017-2018 season, while they were losing semi-finalists earlier this year.
They have also won the Spanish league four years out of the last five, with Perez suggesting Madrid’s players deserve to test themselves against the best by joining the Eastern Conference.
“In basketball we play many insignificant games,” Perez said. “It’s better to play less, but better.
“We have explored the option of a European League and I have the dream of seeing Madrid in the NBA.
“I have asked us to be included in the Eastern Conference, but they say that’s far away.”
Perez suggested an alternative option could be to include Real Madrid in a new European Conference that would be part of the NBA.
“The other teams in Spain don’t have as much interest,” Perez added.
“But there are Greek and Turkish clubs with which we could have a European Conference.
“There are only two teams in the NBA with more followers than us on social networks.”
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If it happened it would have to happen the way the SA teams play in Pro 14 I presume
Too many games in the NBA, too much travelling….Ain’t happening.
So he wants to sue the Americans for La Liga having to play a few football games in the US yes then at the same time wants the basketball tram to join the NBA…? Hmm
@Julian Coulter: *team
Real Madrid have some cheek. Focus on becoming relevant again lads before branching out into a different sport.
@#JUSTICE4NOEL: Real Madrid basketball dates back to the 30′s, hardly branching out.
@#JUSTICE4NOEL: They’ve had a basketball team since 1931.
@#JUSTICE4NOEL: also… becoming relevant again ? They’ve won 4 of the last 6 champions leagues. 3 in a row before last season. How long until Liverpool become irrelevant in your books ? Fool
He just wants the tv money
@Eoin Murphy: yes he does , the basketball section runs at around 20M€ loss /year. He has to struggle in the boardroom almost every 2 years so that they don’t cut it loose. Historical section or not most of the big directors only think about football . Atletico Madrid had one of the strongest handball teams in Europe when it was dropped . It’s shameful really but football dominated the sports news in so many ways . Spain are in the World semifinal for basketball right now as I write and some journos still wanna talk about Neymar