By Rigas Dardalis/ dardalis@eurohoops.net
He is one of the biggest talents in European basketball and basketball experts expect that he will be one of the first Europeans that will hear his name in the NBA draft of 2013. Alessandro Gentile is the rising star of Italian basketball and while talking to “eurohoops.net”, he didn’t hide that his big dream is to play one day in the other side of the ocean, even though he wouldn’t mind following his father’s footsteps and wear the jersey of Panathinaikos!
“That would be nice. I really liked Greece, I stayed there for three years and even though I was very young, I have great memories. So it would be great for me to play there, but at this moment only Armani is in my mind”, Alesandro said and on the same subject his father Nando added. “ In wish he would play there. Panathinaikos is one of the biggest teams in Europe. I plaued there for three years and the season where we won Euroleague and Greek championship is the best of my career. Also Panathinaikos has great management, so it would be great for Alessandro to play there one day”.
What would he prefer for his son; “I don’t know. For sure he has to improve, cause he is very young. He has a great chance in Milano, under the guidance of a great coach like Sergio, with a great management and with fans supporting Armani. I hope he stays in Europe, cause USA is very far”.
Gentile played for 35 minutes against the Celtics and took the most shots, having 3/13 fields goals. “No I didn’t want to prove anything”, he said and continued.”I just had a chance to play against the best players of the world. I just tried to play as good as I can and that was it”.
-In the back part of your mind, you think of playing one day in the NBA;
“Of course it’s the dream of every basketball player. But it’s not that I get crazy about this. Right now, I think only about Armani and nothing else”.
-You think that if you have a good season, you’ll enter NBA draft;
“I don’t know, I really don’t know. It’s too early to think about it”.
-How is it playing next to Greek players, like Fotsis, Bourousis and now Tsiaras;
“I know Antonis since I was 6 years old and he was a teammate of my father. I met Giannis for the first time here in Milan and all Greeks are like people from South Italy. They are funny and is a pleasure to play next to them”.
-You agree that this season, your team is the favourite to win Italian leaguye and not Siena;
“This is what the papers say, but we have to prove it in the court”.