Leandro Bolmaro, Argentine forward for Olimpia Milano, spoke with Sky Sport. Here are some of his comments from the lengthy interview reported by RealOlimpiaMilano.
Family background and early sports
“I come from a family that’s really into sports, so for me it was easy to get involved. I did all kinds of sports: basketball, football, athletics, swimming. I played a lot as a kid and in the end I chose two: athletics and basketball.”
Choosing between athletics and basketball
“At one point I was good at both. But I didn’t have much time because my mom wanted me to finish school—she always put school before sports. And I’m really happy I finished school before I moved to Barcelona. Then I had to choose one, and I chose basketball.”
Why basketball
“For me it was more fun, more people involved, I had more friends. And because of basketball I met people who are still among my best friends. That’s a really nice part of it.”
High jump and athletics as a foundation
“To be honest, I was actually better in high jump—that was my specialty. But my instincts told me basketball was the right decision, and I think it was.”
Coordination and physical details
“All the coordination… nowadays you don’t see many wings or two-meter guys with that much coordination. The coordinated jump was really important. Even though I’m right-handed: normally you jump more off the left, but I jump more off the right, which isn’t normal. And it was because of athletics—I was always jumping that way.”
The NBA Draft and being mentally ready
“I was too young, I wasn’t ready mentally. Also my English wasn’t good, and that’s a big part because communication is important.”
Noise around the game, money, and a change of mindset
“For me the NBA is also a business. You see everything: trades, everything happening off the court. You’re involved all the time. For me it was a lot of noise outside. I decided to go because I was young, it was my dream, and there was a lot of money. Nowadays I’ve changed my mind—money isn’t the most important thing anymore.”
Priorities now: feeling good, role, minutes
“Of course I have to earn for the future—I’m working, I can’t play until my 60s, I have to go until my body says stop, so I try to earn as much as I can. But at the same time I prioritize the person and the player: I want to feel good in the city, in the club, and I want my minutes, which are more important for my mind. Money can matter, but if you don’t feel good, if you’re not happy, then money doesn’t even feel good.”
Growing up and feeling comfortable today
“Back then I was focused on too many things that didn’t let me focus on basketball. Now it’s different: I’m more mature, more of a grown man. I feel more comfortable, also physically. I take it step by step. Now I’m playing and I’m enjoying it a lot—mentally it’s a big change. No stress, no extra stuff: I just focus on basketball.”
Working with a psychologist
“Last season was tough mentally, but thanks to a psychologist I could express myself. I could talk to someone who sees things from the outside: I just explained what I feel, what I think, what I thought, what I have to do. It’s kind of like ChatGPT, more or less, but as a person—he knows a lot and he knows how to treat people. For me it was a big factor.”
Daily routine: focus, vision, concentration
“This summer I worked with him not only on mindset, but also on concentration—exercises I do every day to stay focused, keep my instincts, work on my vision. It’s not only talking about life or basketball; it helps me every day when I wake up. One of the first things I do is work on focus, vision, concentration.”
Honesty and accountability
“I think it’s really important to have someone like that who keeps you humble, tells you the truth, and is honest with you. He’s not going to lie to me because we work as a team. He wants the best for me and I want the best from him.”
The Manu Ginobili example: consistency and “never give up”
“I took a lot from Manu Ginobili: even in periods when he wasn’t playing much—early in the NBA when he wasn’t always involved—he still went 100% every day. And that’s really tough when you don’t play—I can tell you because I lived it. I took that from him. Nowadays I do it too, even after every practice: I have my routine. Not necessarily the same exercises, but the consistent mindset. Never give up.”
Family values and playing “with heart”
“That attitude also comes from my family: they taught me to give 100% every time. People come to me and say they love how I play with heart, and that makes me feel at home too. The fans as well.”
Life in Milan
“You can do everything here in Milan. It’s a good vibe.”
Music off the court
“I do music a lot off the court. For me it really takes me out of basketball, out of everything.”
Worst music taste on the team
“Worst? The worst is Lorenzo Brown. Sometimes I go early to the weight room and the music is already on… it’s slow rap, really slow. Armani Brooks is terrible too. Sometimes he can change it—I’m trying to get him on my side, but…”
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