By Cesare Milanti / info@eurohoops.net
Writing the word end to the saga of the summer, Nikola Mirotic officially joined Olimpia Milan, as the Italian team won the race with several EuroLeague powerhouses like Olympiacos, Panathinaikos, AS Monaco, Partizan Belgrade, and Crvena Zvezda among others.
Now, the experienced head coach of the Italian champs Ettore Messina, who already coached the 32-year-old superstar in Real Madrid, talked about him joining Milan to Repubblica. “His arrival is a beautiful thing and a gesture of love from the owner of the club, a signal and a stimulus for everyone: let’s raise the bar with an addition of similar talent and personality”, the legendary coach said.
“I’m not forgetting that I recently lost Gigi Datome: I’ll try Nikola also as a small forward, where he has already played in the NBA and in Barcelona”, Ettore Messina added. “If the opponents adapt to our size it won’t be bad. We have added depth and athleticism also among the point guards with Flaccadori and Maodo Lo, from whom I expect great things”, he also said about next year.
In the 2022-23 season, Olimpia Milan managed to beat Virtus Bologna 4-3 in the LBA Finals to be named back-to-back Italian champions. In the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague, instead, the red-and-white side couldn’t make it to the Playoffs.
Nikola Mirotic was Barcelona’s hero in the ACB Finals to sweep Real Madrid 3-0, averaging 15.4 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 1.9 assists per game in the domestic league postseason. In the EuroLeague, he played at the 2023 Final Four in Kaunas, putting up 15.4 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 1.2 assists with 60.3% from two, and 39.2% from deep in the 2022-23 season.
PHOTO CREDIT: Olimpia Milan