By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
Luigi Datome of EA7 Emporio Armani Milan is the next player to step into the spotlight as part of the “Remember The Why” series, a Euroleague Basketball and Adidas collaboration in which Turkish Airlines EuroLeague stars discuss their journeys in in-depth interviews.
A EuroLeague champion in 2017 with Fenerbahce Istanbul, Datome is in his 13th season in the competition, with a pair of NBA seasons in between. Over his 272 appearances, he played in three championship games and a total of five EuroLeague Final Fours, all since 2016.
“I still love to compete really. I think to have the opportunity to play in great arenas, against great teams, with great players with great teammates, and be able to fight for titles. I think there’s nothing better in sport, and this is why I’m still doing it,” Datome said.
Datome’s journey as a professional player started nearly two decades ago, as soon as he left his native island of Sardinia at the age of 15 as one of the best young players in all of Europe. The beginning, leaving home at such a young age, was tough, but it tested him, and he has embraced the challenge ever since.
“The impact was tough, from playing basketball with your friends and then playing basketball with the pros, being treated as a pro, and expected to perform as a pro. It was hard at the beginning. But it was a good test to understand if I could fit in this world.”
In Datome’s opinion, his five years in Rome between ages 20 and 25, and his growth and development there, set a foundation for him that allowed him to have the career he has, going on to play with the Detroit Pistons and Boston Celtics in the NBA, Fenerbahce in Istanbul and finally Milan in his native Italy.
His career, however, might be remembered most by his time with Fenerbahce and their five-year run that featured four Final Four appearances and the 2017 EuroLeague crown. Apart from all that success on the basketball floor, Datome has taken a lot more from his time in Istanbul.
“When Fenerbahce called me, and Obradovic and Gherardini, the team was pretty good already. And I saw myself very good in the situation. But I didn’t know how nice those years would be. I was, of course, excited to play at another level, a higher level than I ever played before. But I really embraced the culture there. And I loved the experience. I love the club. I love the city, the country. I made one of the best decisions of my life,” he said.
Datome also spoke about his many off-court interests, as well as his time in the NBA. He also discussed his return to Milan and how he has embraced the pressure and high expectations.
The Milan forward looked back at his career, the practices, hours in the gym, and the things he missed off the court, but stated he regrets nothing. Just the opposite. It is hard for him to imagine his life without basketball, because of the things it has given him, both good and bad.
“The game of basketball has been my life for the last 30-plus years. It is really tough to imagine my life without basketball. It gave me goals, gave me joy, gave me sadness sometimes, gave me frustration at times. But you know, this is life,” Datome concluded. “And I think the biggest thing the basketball gave me, the game gave me, is teaching moments every day. And that made me grow, not only as a basketball player but also as a human being. And that’s why I’m very grateful that my life really was connected with the sport and specifically basketball.“