By Antonis Stroggylakis/ info@eurohoops.net
After the 2017 EuroLeague Final in Istanbul and the win of Fenerbahce Beko over Olympiacos Piraeus, Gigi Datome appeared in the mixed zone with the cap of champions and featuring quite a different look.
His iconic ponytail was gone since his then-teammate Pero Antic cut it off right on the podium during the post-game celebrations. It didn’t look to be a particularly enjoyable experience for the Italian forward.
Gigi looks like a bad guy from texas chainsaw massacre now pic.twitter.com/DwsYxhTfij
— Antonis Stroggylakis (@AStroggylakis) May 21, 2017
Will hair history repeat itself, if Olimpia Milano wins the upcoming EuroLeague championship in Cologne? Datome didn’t grow a new ponytail since 2017 but there is a pretty magnificent beard that, apparently, everyone wants it gone if the “Red Shoes” lift the trophy.
“It was a promise between me and Pero Antic in the locker room, and I was really keen to keep my promise. For now, I still did not say anything about sacrificing. Everyone wants the beard, and my mom would be the happiest if I cut it,” Datome said in an interview with Gazzetta dello Sport.
A mother’s wish is precious but Datome isn’t exactly eager to part ways with such a beard. “I don’t know, I hope someone else can sacrifice something else,” Datome said.
It’s entirely likely that Datome may change his mind amid the revelry and ecstasy of another EuroLeague championship. There’s a long way until that happens though and the first stop on that road will bring Milano against top-seeded Barcelona in the semifinal.
“For sure, no one’s unbeatable, but still, we have to do something special to compete with them,” Datome said. “For now, we’ll prepare and get ready until that moment.”
Datome is looking forward to also playing against mega-star Pau Gasol, “one of the best European players ever,” as he said. “He gives them an additional dimension that they may have lacked. Obviously, he can’t play 30 minutes anymore, as they were already a great team without him, but he’s a player that brings additional sparkle on a very strong team. It will be great to play against him because he still brings an additional special flavor to the game that specialists can bring.”