Pallacanestro Varese vice president Paolo Perego has confirmed that RedBird Capital approached the Italian basketball club about a potential role in the NBA Europe project, citing the organization’s management and youth development as key reasons for the interest.
Speaking on the local program “Ultima Contesa” on Varesenoi, Perego explained that RedBird’s interest stems from how Pallacanestro Varese is managed and what the club has built over recent years, regardless of current on-court performance.
“For how we manage the club, regardless of where we are today sportingly and for everything we’ve built, which constitutes an excellent base toward the future and allows us not to start from scratch,” Perego said, as reported by MilanPress and confirmed through SempreMilan.
The vice president emphasized that the club’s off-court investments, particularly in youth development, were central to the discussions. Pallacanestro Varese has recreated its youth sector at significant cost, now encompassing 450 young players.
“The fact that we’ve recreated our youth sector at a exceptionally high cost – where there are now 450 kids – and the respect we have for this 80-year history: all of This represents part of a series of conditions without which we wouldn’t even be sitting down to discuss NBA Europe,” Perego stated.
Perego also addressed the confidentiality surrounding the project, noting that behind-the-scenes agreements prevent full disclosure of details.
“Behind this project there are confidentiality clauses that we are obliged to respect. We’ve also read a lot of nonsense and some comments from people who clearly don’t understand how much we all care about Pallacanestro Varese, the city of Varese, the investments we’re making in Varese,” he added.
The discussions between RedBird and Pallacanestro Varese come as the investment firm, which owns AC Milan, explores opportunities in European basketball amid reports of the NBA’s potential expansion into the continent.
Earlier reports from MilanPress indicated that RedBird was evaluating Varese as a possible operational base for NBA Europe activities, while also monitoring developments with Olimpia Milano and potential interest from Oaktree Capital.
According to SempreMilan, the proposed model involves a time-share arrangement: Serie A home games would continue at Pallacanestro Varese’s Masnago arena, while NBA Europe home games would be held in a fresh arena to be built in San Donato, with approximately 15,000 seats.
Perego stressed that despite the talks, the future of the collaboration remains uncertain, even to the parties involved.
“What will happen, however, right now, not only do we not know: no one knows,” he concluded.
The Pallacanestro Varese organization, founded in 1946, maintains a legacy spanning nearly eight decades in Italian basketball, with its youth system representing a major focus of recent investment.
As of the date of these discussions, no formal agreement has been announced between RedBird and Pallacanestro Varese regarding NBA Europe participation.
What are your thoughts on the potential NBA Europe project and its implications for Italian basketball clubs? Share your perspective in the comments below.
