Ettore Messina gave an interview to former player Gianluca Basile for a Legabasket format. Among the topics discussed was the schedule of modern basketball.
“Back in the day, Gianluca, you used to play 30 minutes per game even with the EuroLeague. Today, however, players can’t handle that pace. Because the game is more physical. Because they play between 80 and 90 games a year. Because the travel is exhausting. Because the competition is much tougher. The reality is that the level has risen enormously, and injuries prove it: nowadays, everyone gets hurt. There’s no team without at least one or two serious injuries. The pace is too intense, and when there’s a break, players never really stop: they either continue with the EuroLeague or join their national teams. In the end, no one is happy: not the federations, not the clubs, not even the EuroLeague itself.”
“And what would be the solution? If the EuroLeague, NBA, and FIBA don’t sit down at the same table to find an agreement, we’ll never get out of this situation. We’ll keep arguing and losing resources. The problem is that, outside of industry insiders, no one realizes that we risk losing many young talents. More and more kids choose to study and play in American colleges, attracted by economic opportunities.”
“Here in our youth sector, we already have four or five players who’ve been contacted by American universities. One of them asked me for advice, and I told him: ‘You have to go. It’s the most beautiful life experience you can have. I myself have a son studying in America, and I deeply envy him.’”
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