“Napoli is a great underdog story and reminds me of what we have built with the Knicks in many ways,” said Josh Hart.
Hart has joined the ownership group of Napoli Basketball alongside business partner and podcast co-host Matt Hillman, Napoli Basketball reported. The NBA guard will take a strategic role on the club’s board.
The new investors will support the Italian club’s commercial, sporting, and social growth. Hart and Hillman co-host the Roommates podcast.
“It is a project built around hard work, big dreams and the incredible passion Napoli fans have for your team,” Hart said. “I’ve been coming to Naples and the Amalfi Coast for years, and know what a fanbase like this can mean to a team. Seeing this club already making noise in the EuroCup tells you where it’s headed.”
Underdog Global Partners leads the ownership group. The firm acquired Napoli Basketball in 2025 alongside Predictive, a New York City-based investment firm that joined as a minority owner in 2026.
“Matt Rizzetta and the team at Underdog Global Partners have high ambitions with a real plan for where this club is going,” Hart said. “The Napoli journey is still very much in the first quarter, so I am excited to be a part of building this into something truly special in the years ahead.”
Underdog Global Partners has operated the club through a return to European competition and the launch of a women’s team. In August 2026, Napoli Basketball received conditional approval to become a Euroleague expansion franchise.
The club submitted plans in September 2026 to construct a new state-of-the-art arena with support from the City of Naples.
“Josh represents Napoli and the tens of millions of proud Neapolitans across the world,” said Matt Rizzetta, President of Napoli Basketball and Founder of Underdog Global Partners.
“His dedication, humility and perseverance are what the Napoli venture is all about,” said Matt Rizzetta.
“He has the heart of a champion just like our Napoli fans do, and I am certain this is the beginning of a beautiful love story between Josh and our fans,” said Matt Rizzetta.
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