Category Archives: Hoops Stories-en

by Paolo Moretti.

The primarily purpose that I had when I left for this journey in Texas was to know personally, if all the reassurances that Davide has gave to us everyday when we called him, were the truth, or they were only excuses to don’t let us be worry for him.

Since some weeks ago, exactly since the first weeks of October, we heard a really relaxed voice, happy and completely full of energy, much more than the first period. Especially his mom, she felt during his call, that the toughest period, due to the language, food, academy and all the different habits inside and outside the court, were gone.

After have packed my bag with few personal things, Davide’s favorite pillow, fifteen rice’s boxes, fifteen tomato’s tubes, I left Bologna, trough Frankfurt/Dallas to arrive in Lubbock.

I was arrived at TTU on Tuesday November 1^st, late night, after Davide has finished his first exhibition game with his team at the amazing United Supermarkets Arena.

The following night, Davide has invited all the team, with assistant managers and some coaches, to eat the real ITALIAN PASTA, I have cooked to 25 people our tomato pasta and carbonara pasta. INCREDIBLE SUCCESS!

Next morning, as soon as I walked the door, I had an unexpected event: somebody took my car, that I had rent at Dallas Airport. I have parked the night before, to take off the purchase for the Italian evening, in a reserved spot.

The Cottages where Davide lives is beautiful, it looks like a tourist resort, much way better organized, with some really tough rules, in fact, what happened last night cost me $313 of tow truck!

Saturday November 4^th, I left for San Antonio, to see Ettore Messina, that he has invited me to visit the Spurs’ practice facility center, where I had the opportunity to see two practices: a real one, with the G-League team of the Austin Toros plus Tony Parker, that practiced with them to recover from his injury, and the second one, shooting around and walk trough during the morning of Clippers @ Spurs game.

At the facility, 1 Spurs Lane, I have enjoyed the time spent with one of the best European coaches, Ergin Ataman, he was doing a work trip that it would have taken him to Sacramento, Houston and than to San Francisco.

At the AT&T arena in San Antonio, I have watched the games: Spurs vs Suns and Spurs vs Clippers; the second one much way better than the first one, but both had an amazing atmosphere, for all that the US basketball represent here.

During the first game, I was arrived at the arena with Coach Messina, three hours before, so I had the opportunity to attend and watch all the pregame warmup, exactly on court side seats, in that moment I have seen on the Phoenix bench, a known “red” face, he was Tim Kempton, we played two years together in Verona, now he is a Sun’s TV commentator.

Parallel lives that time ago, parallel lives now, due to our sons, they have crossed during the summer, the ocean to play basket, Davide at Texas and Tim Junior at Bilbao.

Incredible coincidences!

Wednesday November 8^th, I came back to Lubbock in the afternoon, on time to watch Davide’s practice, and after that, I was able to watch also the TTU women Volleyball game.

Finally Davide’s first NCAA game has come, Friday November 10^th, South Alabama guys came in Lubbock, to face the Red Raider in the opening night.

An incredible atmosphere! Hard to explain, presentation and entertainment in NBA style, great organization, the American way to show the sport’s event. It is only the conclusion of how can we learn their incredible initiatives, to elevate our sport’s culture and habits.

After the national anthem, we begun! Tight game, the superiority of Coach Beard’s guys is clear, but they show it up only after 5 minutes of the second half, after that everything became easier! They won 75-50.

Is normal that in these games, anxiety and a little bit of fear are the principal characters, but I still have seen a lot of great things, that let glimpse a really big potential.

Saturday and Sunday on work, and here there already is the second one, November 14^th a new guest is coming, it is Maine.

Unfortunately for me, there is no game, too low their level, 11-0 for TT on the first time out, 20-3 on the second one, I have watched a practice with crowd and score!

But already since the next two games, the level will raise up, on November 18^th and 19^th the Red Raiders are going to Connecticut to face Boston College first, and then another great ranked team, in a quadrangular tournament with Semifinal and Final in two days, the level is definitely going up!

My journey in Texas has arrived at the end, I left home to try to understand how my son was doing and what he needed, instead I have found I grow man.

On the long road from Lubbock to Dallas, where I will take the flight that will bring me back home, thousand of thoughts are on my mind, there is a little bit of sadness that fill my eyes of tears, from now Davide will need his father less than before, BUT THIS IS LIFE!

WITH PRIDE
#NGU

Paolo Moretti
Dad of Davide Moretti

FOTO
Ettore Messina e Paolo Moretti.

by Valerio Bianchini.

Davide is another of the talented young men that have chosen US colleges to complete their basketball development. It is a correct choice, mainly for three reasons.

The first is technical. In US colleges the goal is the improvement of the individual player in a team context.  The number of official games is limited, while the practice session are many. Exactly the opposite of what occurs to our best prospects that often play in two or three leagues, with different coaches and overlapping schedules. A limited number of practices for a great number of games. Games that at youth level are often insignificant and at senior level often counterproductive .Hopping from one team to another, means adapting to different styles of play, and not practicing fundamentals, essential in the development of a player.  The US College gives the young men all the time for practices, after their studies, in a highly technical  environment, and in great facilities that are far from the standards   of  most of our basketball clubs.

The second reason is that all sport schedules revolve around their academic commitments. Our system here in Italy forces young men to decide if to continue their university studies, giving up the possibility of practicing twice a day to reach higher levels or to follow only their sport career, maybe jeopardizing their future.

The third reason is the exceptional personal experience of a young man living in the USA, as well described by Peterson on the Gazzetta dello Sport of oct.5th 2017. To be fluent in English, to have close contact with your teachers, to be able to broaden your horizons in this international life experience are all factors that are precious for a sports career, but priceless for a young man that, can approach life after sports with much more than simple practice sessions.

Valerio Bianchini
Coach National league winner with Cantù (1980/1981), Roma (1982/1983)  Pesaro (1987/1988); Cup of Champions with Cantù (1981/1982) and Roma (1983/1984); of the  Intercontinental Cup with Roma (1984); of the  Italian Cup with Fortitudo Bologna (1998).
Inducted in the Italian Basket Hall of Fame in 2013.
Writer.

(Foto by Cristian Palmieri)

by Angelo Costa

Have a nice trip Davide Moretti, an almost twenty year old talent that carries a suitcase filled with an Italian hope: to have another player. If not a player for its league, a player for the National team. In other times it would have been the least; now it is an urgent need since Italian basketball has reached the bottom of the barrel and maybe has even started scratching that!

With his decision, Davide is sure to have two benefits: to grow as a person and as a player. It is understood that an experience abroad changes a young man: it makes him stronger in his certainties and gives him strength to overcome his weaknesses.. Something true also for the player: Federico Mussini, a freshly returned talent, after two years in the US with Chris Mullin has said that now “ he always knows what to do” and he will do it in our Italian League.

All personal considerations aside, the departure of a Moretti is just another negative symptom of the Italian basketball and National situation. Italy does not offer much to the younger generation. We are always surprised at how, for example Serbians and Slovenians, just to mention a few, have so many talents, many in their twenties, in their National team, while we do not even have the courage to find minutes for our young players in our Italian Series A League. The league is now full of foreign players that only a decade ago would have been worthy only to carry the gym bags of our local grown players. It has become so clear that also those who govern this show/league have started to realize that the fans need someone to identify in and honor the Club’s name and history and to give it a future.

Now, on the other side of the “pond” we have half a national team of talents: besides Davide, we have players studying in Colleges and Universities as Akele, Oliva, Vercellino, Ulaneo, Binelli, Stefanini, Woldetensae, Badocchi, De Nicolao and Mattia Da Campo. Names that not many have heard of, but known to the coaches that have had a chance to work with them in the various youth NTs.  So many players note that it is not as hard as in the past, to cross the ocean to study and play. It also notes the great desire for improvement that these young men have, and that they cannot find here in Italy.

So, as in many other fields, also basketball talents are leaving Italy, and it is useless to put the burden on them, while those who should do something to keep them here, do not do anything.

Angelo Costa
Journalist
Il Resto del Carlino

by Mario Boni.

I met Davide Moretti during the 1999/2000 season. Obviously,he was only 1 year old and he couldn’t play, I was playing at that time! Since life is a weird business and the basketball as well, I went to Roseto degli Abruzzi, called to replace Paolo Moretti, Davide’s dad, that he turned the ACL of his knee.

The club, that was playing in the League A2, gave me an apartment next to Paolo’s, because of that, the friendship between our families arose, thanks even to all the dinners as guests of mom Mariolina.

I remember really sweetly those days, because my son Giacomo had just been born (1999), while Davide, that is a 1998 born, was just a little bit older.

The season ended really well: we won the championship and Roseto was promoted in the League A.

I would like to think that we accomplished the promotion all together; Paolo started at the beginning, and then he passed me the witness, me with all the other teammates, coach Phil Melillo, the team manager Pierfrancesco Betti and the president Michele Martinelli.

Than life keeps going and, wonderfully, I met Davide on the court, a guy that gained his dad’s talent which he added a good amount of audacity, something that he will really need for his future basketball career. I have been watching him play, with leadership and attributes even within professional foreign players on his teams, and my mind went back when I was looking at him and my son Giacomo, playing with a smaller ball all together. My son just turned 18 this past October 1st and he wishes the best of luck to Davide for his journey.

Today Davide is in Texas, he has chosen to play in the NCAA championship. To share and stay in touch with people that already know him and try to let new people know about his journey, he has opened his own website. I have to compliment with him because it’s really nice and interesting, with a lot of informations and picture of his whole growth.

I find really accurate the choice to connect his impression and our thoughts as ex basketball people and good friends of his dad, because I think that we never talk enough about our basketball, and this website is definitely helpful.

23 years ago, in the 1994, I have crossed the Atlantic Ocean to play. I went to the United States because it was the only opportunity that I had to continue to play since they gave me a disqualification. It wasn’t easy, at all. I was emotionally apart, far from home, with people that weren’t doing anything to help me get used to a new culture.

My american experience gave me the strength to overcome my hard time and helped me to become stronger than before.Because of my american journey, later on, a lot of professional satisfactions have come.

Davide went to NCAA, he has chosen the best University among all the others that offered him a scholarship. Not a bad start! I think he made this decision because he wants to get better and try to get to the NBA. Honestly I don’t think he needs to sacrifice his talent, but work on his body to get stronger. I also think that his american journey is really important for the human side: being far from his family, in another country, with a different culture. I’m sure that is a great formative experience that would change his life.

Good luck then, Davide, smiling kid that played ball with my little son Giacomo, giving us happiness during our nights, projecting to win a championship that after all we won.

Strength and courage Davide, you also have a championship to win.

Mario Boni
Former basketball champ and League A top scorer.
Vice-President of GIBA – Giocatori Italiani Basket Associati.

FOTO
1997. Mario Boni, on the plane, returning from Turkey after winning the Korac Cup with Aris Thessaloniki.