Within the friendly walls of PalaLeonessa, yesterday afternoon (ed) the Brescia basketball under the orders of coach Alessandro Magro and her staff, went down on the parquet for a training open to professionals and also to fans. About 200 fans present who thus had the opportunity to see their team live. After the training session we had the opportunity to intercept them and to take stock of these very first days of work. Besides David Moss (absent justified) for clinical controls, was not present Nazareth Mitrou-Long since he has not yet arrived in Brescia. Today they will be officially presented John Petrucelli, Kenny Gabriel and Michael Cobbins (arrived by surprise last night at the end of training) and therefore have not issued any statements.
Isac Jenkins – Player Development Coach: “The people, the staff, the organization and the city have been incredible to me. There is a very positive atmosphere. We have done our best to set up a team that can compete at the highest level possible. I was very focused on training, but it was nice to see in a period like this (Covid 19) some fans who support you as they did ».
Emanuele Di Paolantonio – Assistant Coach: «We started a few days ago, but I must say that all the guys showed great availability right from the start and this is a good starting point. In building the roster, we first chose the person and then the player. Of the new faces we have collected as much information as possible. However, we will start from a nucleus that is already known. Alessandro and I have already been lucky enough to work with some of them and this will help us ».
Matteo Cotelli – Assistant Coach: «I am now a veteran… (laughs ed). Seriously, I must say that I have seen an Alessandro who has grown a lot from the point of view of team and staff management. I think the two years he spent as head coach have served him a lot. Compared to before I think it has acquired a more complete vision than the one I left three years ago. I am really very happy with the return of Lee Moore and Tommaso Laquintana, because they will give a big hand to the new players to understand the context in which they arrived and pass on to their teammates what is around the world of Basketball Brescia. These are two very valuable additions that add to the experience of Moss, Burns and Parrillo. We didn’t have the chance to do the cups, but I would say to look at the glass half full. The cup is like a blender, when you are inside it absorbs you a lot, but we can concentrate all our energy only on the championship ».
Roberto Iezzi – Athletic Coach: «I found the boys very well, with great enthusiasm. Everyone was very ready. For example, many of them arrived earlier to work individually so as to be even more ready for this first week of work. I am really very satisfied with how the guys are approaching work. Playing only once a week allows us to work on as many aspects as possible and to arrive with more freshness. The preparation is very individualized, everyone follows their own path. I am very happy to be back in Italy after three years, it is something exciting. Today it was really nice to see our fans ».
Amedeo Della Valle – Guard: «I’m back in the Italian and Brescia league with more experience and I’m happy with this. My characteristics are those of making a basket and that is that when you are confident you can do it better. The coach allows me to take all the shots I want when I’m open and I’m happy with that. My teammates know my characteristics and it is clear that being at the center of the project, I feel I have responsibilities which then turn into taking them on the pitch. The important thing is to have fun, because if you are sad the games are not won. During a season it is normal for there to be moments of up and down, but we will have to be able to get out of difficult moments with our heads held high. It is important to create the right team chemistry right from the start. At the moment there are many young people and I am one of the most “veterans”, so I have to act as a glue especially since I am Italian. We are training well, we are all convinced of this project and having started so early can only be an advantage ».
Christian Burns – Ala/Centro: «I am really happy to be back here in Brescia after the little parenthesis with Naples. There are some important players and we are all working towards the same goal. I have a great relationship with the coach, ever since my first adventure here. In Italy I will often play as a pivot, but if there is a need in the role of 4 I will give my contribution ».
Salvatore Parillo – Play / Guard: «I am very happy with the work we have done. Beyond the individual commitment that each of us is putting in place, it was precisely the approach that we each had towards the other. We immediately tried to create a good group and sees many guys who want to do and be together. There is a mix of youth and experience, these can be two ingredients that can create an explosive cocktail. We must always be able to make the right choices, because we have the qualities to take away the satisfactions. Our goal is to do well and having only one match a week can only be an advantage ».
Tommaso Laquintana – Playmaker: «I am really very happy to be back in Brescia. Everyone knows how attached I am to this city, to the fans and to this shirt. Today being back in this arena with our fans was an indescribable emotion. We hope to make the fans and the club proud with important results. Already from the first training sessions we saw a cohesive group that first thinks for the good of the team ».
Alessandro Magro – Coach: «I consider this new adventure in Brescia an opportunity. I left Brescia not by my will, but I think it was fortunate that there was this type of path. As Steve Jobs says: “You can connect the dots only by looking backwards”. The fact that I left gave me the opportunity to have different experiences, to be away from Italy and my family for two years. It was a priceless experience. Obviously when the proposal to be the head coach in Serie A came, I was very happy, because it was the dream I kept as a child. I had the opportunity to choose the team and the staff, you don’t always have this luck. On the other hand, you have a lot of responsibility if things don’t go well. The role of the coach is also this. But I want to protect myself by surrounding myself with people I trust. I do not have the presumption of knowing and doing everything by myself. I think this is an entrepreneurial reality where people if they have what they have it’s because they get up early in the morning. People work here. If at the end of the day we have given everything we have, we will have worked hard, then we will have to raise our heads and see if the others have been better than us. What I can’t stand is having regrets. I don’t like it when you lose without fighting ».