By Eurohoops team / info@eurohoops.net
Virtus Bologna completed one of the biggest blockbuster moves in 2020 in Europe by signing 13-year NBA veteran and former champion Marco Belinelli to bring him back to Italy for the first time since 2007.
In an interview with Gazzetta Dello Sport, Belinelli talked about why he chose to not pick one of the offers he had to stay in the NBA, returning to Virtus Bologna and his goals, hinting at eyeing the EuroLeague trophy.
Here’s what Belinelli said on:
Not continuing in the NBA:
“Offers arrived in the NBA free agency but none would’ve allowed me to have a season with a right motivation and energy. I love basketball, I love playing and fighting for important goals. I want to play, to be the protagonist. When I didn’t see the NBA offers I wanted, I started looking around and understanding what my future could be. This possibility presented itself and I took it: I’m very happy to start this project with Virtus Bologna.
I decided within few hours. It all happened very quickly. I talked to people close to me. And I made an important choice, saying yes to a proposal that thrilled me.
Signing with Virtus:
“A beautiful story. I started on Virtus youth teams. I made my debut with them. Then the team went bankrupt, unfortunately, and I changed teams.
I go back to a large organization where I see people charged with doing well and winning. This is what prompted me to choose Virtus. It’s a fundamentally young group, with good players, a great coach and a great talent like Milos Teodosic. The fact that he was there helped me make this choice.”
Goals:
Targets? I’ve never won the EuroLeague, I won a great championship with Fortitudo of which I’m proud. It’s time to pursue new ones.