Apu Old Wild West to face newly formed Maxima Roma on Sunday

L’Apu Old Wild West faces an entirely unfamiliar opponent on Sunday when it travels to face Maxima Roma at 16:30 local time (15:30 UTC), a club established over the summer through the acquisition of Pallacanestro Brescia’s sporting title, Messaggero Veneto reported.

Building Maxima Roma From a Brescia Core

Paul Matiasic, the former owner of Pallacanestro Trieste, constructed the new Rome roster during the off-season utilizing an existing package of player contracts inherited from Brescia. That transfer of assets brought Miro Bilan—noted as one of the most productive foreign players in the league—alongside John Brown, Giovanni Veronesi, and Carl Wheatle to the capital. Another inherited contract belonged to Amedeo Della Valle, who instead opted to rescind his deal and sign with Varese. To round out the squad, the club added high-profile foreign acquisitions including Aaron Holiday, Xavier Moon, Hunter Tyson, and Matt Ryan with extensive NBA experience, plus Brynton Lemar with prior Eurocup credentials.

Operating under a 6+6 roster formula with seven foreign players on books, Maxima Roma must leave one overseas player in the stands for each fixture due to rotation rules. Italian-formed players Gora Camara and Federico Bonacini complete the team selection. The technical staff is likewise drawn from the former Brescia setup, headed by Matteo Cotelli alongside assistants Gianpaolo Alberti and Alessandro Lotesoriere.

Francesco Totti Joins the Front Office

To establish a foothold in a crowded local sports market while competing against Basket Club Roma—another newly formed club backed by the Nelson-Doncic consortium—Matiasic made significant financial investments to build a fanbase. The most high-profile media move involved appointing Francesco Totti as a club advisor, tasked with developing the fan base and overseeing corporate social responsibility operations. Reports indicate Totti signed a three-year contract worth more than one million euros per season, making court-side appearances alongside Matiasic a fixture of the team’s home games.

The club takes its name from the Latin term meaning “The greatest,” featuring a stylized helmet fused with the letter M against a color scheme of white, gold, and black intended to evoke Rome’s architectural heritage. While attendance spiked for the local derby against BC Roma aided by heavily discounted tickets and complimentary entries, drawing crowds to the arena has proven challenging in a football-obsessed city where both Roma and Lazio are performing strongly this season.

Upcoming Sunday Fixture

Sunday afternoon’s match marks the meeting between Apu Old Wild West and the newly minted Roman outfit. Tip-off at the venue is scheduled for 16:30 local time as Udine looks to win its road game against Matiasic's heavily reinforced squad.

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