By Cesare Milanti / info@eurohoops.net
Double reason to celebrate for Milano during the EuroLeague night hosting Barcelona in Forum. First of all, Ettore Messina’s team snapped a two-game losing streak by surviving the Catalan comeback in the second half; and then, Keith Langford joined the team’s Hall of Fame.
Celebrated before the second half of Milano‘s EuroLeague win over Barcelona, Keith Langford praised the Italian team and its fans. “I’m so nervous, man”, he first said, surrounded by applause. “I miss this place. The summer before we won the trophy, we had a really bad season. In the summer, the General Manager came to me asking if I wanted to leave. I said “I’m gonna finish what we started”, he added.
Playing in Milano from 2012 to 2014, the now-retired 40-year-old legendary American scorer was awarded the Alphonso Ford EuroLeague Top Scorer Trophy in the 2013-14, where he averaged 17.6 in the regular season and went close to pushing Milano to the Final Four hosted at home. In that season, he also made the All-EuroLeague First Team, establishing himself as a high-level EuroLeague guard.
2014 was an amazing year in Italy as well for Keith Langford, as he was a crucial part of that red-and-white Italian side coached by Luca Banchi which made it to the Italian championship for the first time in 18 years. During the halftime, he finally lifted that trophy. After the win in Game 7 against Mens Sana Siena, thousands of fans invaded the court and he could never touch it.
In the post-game press conference, Ettore Messina was asked if he would have liked to have him on board during his head coaching career. “Yes, for sure. Great player, and an amazing person. He’s a leader. A player who had a big impact on European basketball. Milano’s fans have a great memory of him, rightfully”, he said about Keith Langford.
PHOTO CREDIT: EA7 Emporio Armani Milano