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Evening Standard
Evening Standard
Sport
Ben Hayward

Florentino Perez wants Real Madrid's basketball team to play in the NBA

Real Madrid president Florentino Perez says he wants the club's basketball team to play in the NBA in future.

Los Blancos have won a record number of Spanish leagues (35), Copas del Rey (27) and Euroleague titles (10), enjoying tremendous success since the 1950s up until the present day.

Perez believes competition at home is often too weak and told socios on Wednesday that Real Madrid Basket could move in future.

"In basketball we play many insignificant games," he said. "It's better to play less, but better. We have explored the option of a European League and I have the dream of seeing Madrid in the NBA.

"I have asked us to be included in the Eastern Conference, but they say that's far away."

Alternatively, Perez suggested the creation of a European division of the NBA.

"The other teams in Spain don't have as much interest, but there are Greek and Turkish clubs with which we could have a European Conference," he said.

And he added: "There are only two teams in the NBA with more followers than us on social networks."

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