The president of Real Madrid has his eyes set on some big goals. Specifically, Florentino Perez would like to get his team into the NBA.
“I would love to have Real Madrid play in the NBA,” Perez said in a radio interview via ABC Spain.
Perez also said he intends to speak with NBA Commissioner Adam Silver about the matter when the Boston Celtics come to Spain in October to face Real Madrid in a preseason game for NBA Global Games Madrid.
Real Madrid is the preeminent team in Spain. They have captured 32 Liga ACB titles and are the reigning champs, so they certainly have strong credentials.
But is joining the NBA feasible?
You may recall that beginning in 2008, former NBA commissioner David Stern said he wanted to have franchises in Europe. His goal at the time was to have about five European teams that could form their own division and compete for the NBA championship. If Silver is intent on carrying out Stern’s vision, Real Madrid would be a perfect candidate for the European division. They currently have former NBA players Andres Nocioni and Rudy Fernandez on the roster, and they have been the home of international icons like Arvydas Sabonis and Dražen Petrović. Plus, with the spending habits of Perez, you figure they would treat themselves as a big-market club. This actually is one heck of an intriguing idea.
