Garrison Mathews, fresh off a great performance with Napoli Basket, is the subject of “Uomini e Canestri,” Luca Chiabotti’s column in Repubblica-Milano. Here are three of his comments.
On the End of His NBA Career and the Decision to Move to Europe
“I had a solid career in the NBA that eventually came to an end. But I still feel a strong desire to compete, to play, and to give my best. Europe isn’t necessarily a Plan B, even though I’d never thought about it before. Last year, when the Pacers waived me, it was Christmas: I went six months without playing, and that really weighed on me—I’m too young to retire. I switched agencies, received offers from Crvena Zvezda and Olimpia, and I’m happy about this new challenge: it’s a lot of fun to play here, because of the level of the teams, the fans, and the fact that every game counts.”
On the pressure and challenges at Olimpia
“This is a new experience for me, too. I come from environments where three losses wouldn’t raise an eyebrow. Here, you feel the pressure and the drive to work hard to improve every day. There are a lot of new players at Armani, and we still need to find the right chemistry for everyone—it’s a process I feel very involved in.”
On life in Milan and the future
“How do I spend my time? Learning new things—in basketball, in business, in life. I don’t do much besides training and hanging out with my teammates. I feel the language barrier, but I enjoy getting to know a new culture. I have no idea if this means I’ll end my career in Europe. For now, I know I can shoot, and I’ll give it my all here in Milan.”
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