By Cesare Milanti / info@Eurohoops.net
MILAN, Italy – In a fully packed Mediolanum Forum, Olimpia Milano and Virtus Bologna are facing each other in Game 1 of the best-of-seven series to decide which team will win the Italian league. Among several other personalities, the New Orleans Pelicans‘ 22-year-old forward Trey Murphy is also present.
The former Virginia Cavaliers player is here mainly to support another former student at the same university. “I’m here for my friend Devon Hall, we played in the same team and it’s very good to see him in action tonight”, he exclusively said to Eurohoops before talking about the level of basketball he’s enjoying tonight. “It’s a different game and you just appreciate all types of basketball, especially when it’s different from what you’re accustomed to”, Trey Murphy added.
The American forward, who averaged 14.5 points and 3.6 rebounds per game with New Orleans this season, shared the locker room with Willy Hernangomez, who won EuroBasket 2022 with Virtus Bologna’s head coach Sergio Scariolo. “It’s different”, Trey Murphy commented on the style of basketball brought by the Italian head coach, rumored to join the Toronto Raptors.
“At the end of the day, whatever European coach comes to the NBA, he always brings something different and something innovative to the league. It’s very important to bring those types of people into the league because it moves basketball forward”, he added about Sergio Scariolo potentially being the head coach of the Canadian franchise next year, where they could be opponents. “I’m expecting an even better season next year. Coming back to the Playoffs, and bringing New Orleans a lot of success”, Trey Murphy finally said.
PHOTO CREDIT: Olimpia Milano