Real Madrid to play in the NBA?

rady

Administrator
Staff member
Has anyone heard something about this? I don't have nothing official yet.. a friend of mine heard the news, but i couldn't find a confirmation anywhere.
The rumor is Real Madrid will be in NBA starting with 2007, for 5 years
 

portega1968

El Cacique
I thought Real Madrid was a soccer team...

Anyways, this must be bogus. If a Spanish team were to be considered, why not Unicaja, Tau Ceramica or Akasvayu Girona, which are more competitive.

Or other Eurpoean teams, like CSKA Moscow.

IMO, if you'll ever see another foreign team besides the Canadians in the NBA, it'll most probably be a team from the Americas (Mexico, Argentina or Puerto Rico).

What the rumor probably really refers to are exhibition games, like the ones Maccabi Tel Aviv have played with the Raptors.
 

rady

Administrator
Staff member
no, no, the rumor said Real Madrid's basketball team signed a 5 years contract with the NBA, and the games will be played 5 at home, 5 on the road, 5 at home, 5 on the road, and so on
 
Thanks rady :thup: .

I´m going to tell you what I know. I hope you understand my "english" :rolling:

Real Madrid has two sportive sections: the fútbol (soccer) team and the baloncesto (basketball) team. In the past we had 25 different sections and, at this moment, the Club is working to have another 3 sections (futsal, feminine soccer and rugby). In spite of the fact that lately we are not very important sportingly, we continue being Real Madrid Baloncesto, the most storied and successful basketball team in Europe (fans worldwide, important tv rights,...):
http://www.realmadrid.com/especiales/75anosdebaloncesto/portada_esp.htm

The Club has been working the last years in order that the basketball team compete in the NBA (the European competitions don't generate a lot of money; Real Madrid Baloncesto has a 15M euros budget but only generates 1'5M, the soccer team always pay the rest). And the new president, chosen this summer, is very interested in this project.
We are going to built a 90M euros Arena, and a NBA expert will come in a few days to direct the design. Pics: http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=275592&page=8&pp=20 (today the link to this forum does not work, I hope that tomorrow it will be arranged and you can see this renders).
Last summer the soccer team went to Chicago and LA in its SummerTour2005; the Madrid executives had met with Stern, Bull executives and Lakers executives. This summer (SummerTour2006) we visited Seattle and Salt Lake City, there we met NBAexecutives and Dave Checketts (it is said that maybe he is the key person in this project).

In this interview (http://www.as.com/articulo/futbol/Dentro/anos/estaremos/NBA/dasftbA00/20060818dasdaiftb_14/Tes/) Ramón Calderón, the president, said that in 2008 or 2009, the NBA is going to choose 4 european teams to compete in the East Conference and Real Madrid it is going to be one of them.
 

rady

Administrator
Staff member
I don't know. I don't know a lot of the organizational structure of the NBA.
I explain something more to you. Three years ago, when it was started speaking on this project, it was said that the european teams would have to buy a franchise; I think that it costs 300M dollars, more or less, but for the european teams it would be cheaper and for Real Madrid, money is not a problem.
In that moment the most interesting cities for the NBA were Paris, Madrid and Athens. That year was when Real Madrid met Stern for the first time, in the exhibition game Spurs vs Grizzlies (Paris). The executive who met Stern was Ramon Calderon, "by chance" he is the current president of Real Madrid. Is it a coincidence?

2003
http://www.as.com/articulo/Diario/As/Edicion/Impresa/Habra/Real/Madrid/NBA/2007/daspor/20031023dasdai_128/Tes/
http://www.as.com/articulo/Diario/As/Edicion/Impresa/Madrid/Paris/Atenas/dasftb/20031023dasdai_134/Tes/
http://www.as.com/articulo/Diario/As/Edicion/Impresa/Viajes/periodicos/continentes/dasftb/20031023dasdai_135/Tes/
http://www.as.com/articulo/Diario/As/Edicion/Impresa/pabellon/25/000/espectadores/dasftb/20031023dasdai_136/Tes/
http://www.as.com/articulo/Diario/As/Edicion/Impresa/requisitos/entrar/dasftb/20031023dasdai_139/Tes/



In 2003 the idea did not seem real, but lately there have happened things that reinforce the idea of that is going to be done soon:
This summer the president has met important executives in Seattle, as the vice-president of Boeing... and I read that the NBA franchises have the duty to have private plane ¿¿??.
In 2008 Real Madrid Arena will be finished and fulfill NBA requirements.
Yesterday I read in the local press of Salt Lake City that Dave Checketts was in Real Madrid offices last week.

... Maybe it means something.
 
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TDotRaptors

Rookie
Has anyone heard something about this? I don't have nothing official yet.. a friend of mine heard the news, but i couldn't find a confirmation anywhere.
The rumor is Real Madrid will be in NBA starting with 2007, for 5 years

I think you should get a way better source than this. That will not happen.
 

KnicksFan4Realz

Benchwarmer
Ohh yeah this is brilliant....NOT. Its bad enough teams dont like flying to Seattle to play road games let alone now flying out to Germany or France. This wont work logistically. Its another NBA hope dream...just like that shitty new basketball.
 

F0nSY

Rookie
Hi!I'm new in the forum,I'm from spain and a Knicks fan and Real Madrid Basketball/soccer fan.We want play in the NBA,we want do a conference in europe of the NBA.
 
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