By Cesare Milanti / info@eurohoops.net
MANILA, Philippines – Losing against Slovenia, Italy finished the 2023 FIBA World Cup in the 8th position. Most importantly, today marked Gigi Datome’s retirement from the game of basketball following a 20-year career.
In what will stay in history as his day from the beginning to the end, Marco Spissu tried his best to put Italy on the winning side with 22 points and 6/11 from beyond the arc.
Stopping by in the mixed zone, he went back to the moment in which the whole Mall of Asia Arena stood up to give him a round of applause. “I had a little bit of chills. It’s sure there was still a game to end and I didn’t really enjoy it. But it was an outstanding moment and at the same time a sad one because a legend of the game is retiring”, he said.
“I’m happy I was able to share these two years with the national team. A golden person, on and off the court. I have a special feeling with him since he’s Sardinian like me. It’s a little bit touching for me. We will drink a beer tonight to celebrate: he deserves it”, Marco Spissu added.
Commenting on what he has been learning from Datome, he had nothing but great words. “Gigi is a very relaxed person. On the court he has been a super teammate, we know that sometimes we had to go to him because he would have given us three easy points. When he was shooting, we knew we had to get back on defense straight away: because it was always bucket. Off the court, he’s super available and humble. I will take this from me”, the 28-year-old point guard then said.
Finally, Marco Spissu took some time to comment on the Italian national team’s summer. “We’ve been great together, this is a wonderful group. We didn’t realize it’s been one month and a half already, it really looks like yesterday. We have to start back from this, from being together. We wanna win every game in the qualifications games because we wanna progress everywhere”, Reyer Venezia’s own added.
PHOTO CREDIT: 2023 FIBA World Cup
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