Shabazz Napier: Arriving off-season Olympia. In his words to La Repubblica Milano, after the 11 matches he played in an EA7 jersey, his conviction that this team can still please its fans and itself.
Talent and chemistry. “The team itself is full of talent and experience, many players have made Euroleague history but we needed to do things to connect the different dots. The hardest thing for me was figuring out how to help such an important group to win. I have to learn what the coach wants, how Nicolo plays, how Kyle plays, how Billy plays, I understand the habits of my teammates… and in the meantime I give myself all to better control the things I can control.”
the reasons. “The Euroleague is a great league with a lot of talent spread across every team, so far it’s been going well but we have to keep going and I’m very excited about the fact that I still have to play a lot of games. I like European basketball, the spaces on the court and the rules are different from the American League Professionals have an impact on the game, but getting on the field and competing makes me happy, wherever I am in the world.”
Pride. “Nobody here accepts losing or playing badly, everyone is proud and we have a coach who always wants to win. We also try to do it for the fans. I don’t look at the standings, I’m interested in knowing how to face each match in the best way possible.”
Milan is a great place to live. “I’m a very simple person, I don’t need a lot to enjoy life. I have a family and a son and I devote most of my time off the field to them. They haven’t come to Italy yet, and they will join me like my mother. I owe everything to her. You watch the Olympia matches, you see the smile on my face and that’s it.” Enough to make her happy. Milan is a great place to live and I have a lot to discover. I’ve been very busy so far settling into my new home.”
“Award-winning beer geek. Extreme coffeeaholic. Introvert. Avid travel specialist. Hipster-friendly communicator.”
