He started from Rome with many ambitions to win trophies, in 2013 and flew to the NBA to make the leap in quality worldwide, but since 2015 he has found his professional stability in Turkey with Fenerbahce . We are talking about Luigi Datome , twenty-nine year old basketball player of the Italian national team , born in the province of Treviso but raised in sports in Sardinia.
Datome made his bones in the Sardinian region in the youth teams of the Santa Croce in Olbia , but his name in Italy is certainly compared to Virtus Roma with whom he disputes five seasons and finds his definitive consecration. Indeed, in the last year in the capital, the basketball player is electedbest player of the regular season of Serie A 2012/13 reaching the play-off final as captain and coach. Game lost against Montepaschi Siena (4-1).
World fame, however, comes only with the showcase of American basketball, in the NBA. Gigione, so called in the basketball scene, marries into the Pistons in Ditroit with the dream of being able to do well in basketball that matters to him. To the most famous star of American basketball LeBron James introduces himself like this:
@KingJames I’m gigione. Nice to meet you
– Gigi Datome (@GigiDatome) February 13, 2013
The small forward of the Italian national team and a lover of social networks primarily Twitter(almost 150 thousand followers) . So much so that in the first seasons in America he is remembered more for his non-sporting events than for his performances on the pitch. This situation is also partly due to the serious foot injury remedied with Italy which keeps him away from the NBA parquet for a long time and which brings him down in the team hierarchies.
Between a few highs and many lows Gigione moves to Boston in the Celtics for a second American chance. The season looks much more favorable. He reviews the Datome of Virtus Roma to the point of being defined by his coach Brad Stevens as “one of the better shooters” . ICelts reach the playoffs but are then beaten by the Cavaliers of LeBron James.
His adventure in NBA sets shortly thereafter also because Datome cannot find a right place. For this reason he returns to Europe, to Turkey in Fenerbahce where many appreciate him for his technical and physical skills. Among the physical peculiarities of him there is certainly also the thick beard. Among the various jokes about it, the basketball player reiterated (obviously on Twitter) that he would cut it only in case of victory with the Azzurri national team.
“@AssiduoLettore: #askDatome for what great goal would you be willing to cut your BEARD
” beautiful this! To a medal with Italy!
– Gigi Datome (@GigiDatome) June 6, 2014
Too bad that for now the beard is growing more and more and Italy, has excellent basketball players in the squad, is unable to establish itself internationally.
In Turkey, Datome found the right spirit in high-level basketball, albeit different from the NBA. The Turkish club has prospects and has been on important stages such as the Euroleague for many years . Last year the club played a stratospheric season, winning the national championship and cup as well as the Euroleague final, lost against the Russians of CSKA Moscow . Datome is defined as the key man of the team . In fact, the Italian winger, despite a not very high average points per basket, manages to give that balance that is needed by the five on the field.
Datome defines itself as one that“Without rules he does not know if he would have made this career” but the fact remains that Giggione (with double G as the Romans call him) keeps his promises. He last in chronological order and the word kept with the guys from Brembate Sopra , an amateur basketball team, with whom he will play a game after losing a bet launched on social media.
The challenge was launched by a CSI player who tweeted to the Sardinian basketball player:
“Hey! How many retweets do I have to do to get you to come and play with my team for a game
”
Datome’s answer: 10 thousand.
Said and done. The young man, with a great mobilization on social networks, won the bet, the retwett have exceeded the quota and the blue will play on a pitch in the Bergamo area.
Champion also off the pitch with the aim of winning the Euroleague and why not also a title with Italy because we want to see Datome without a beard.
Dario Sette
