After Europe and the NBA Marco Crespi lands in Trento. Longhi: “One of the most important figures in Italian basketball”

TRENTO. “This is for us a historic dayone of those days that will be remembered as a turning point for society“. So the president Luigi Longhi welcomes the new director of the Dolomiti Energia Basketball Academy, Marco Crespi, officially presented to the press in the meeting room of the Juventus headquarters in via Adalberto Libera. An important figure who fits into a key position in the Aquila project, which is what he wants demonstrate their willingness to invest and relaunch their Academy.

“Marco Crespi – adds Longhi – is one of the most important personalities of Italian basketball by technical profile and experience. A basketball man with whom the club wants to take an important step, projecting itself into the future not only from the basketball point of view: our Academy is an important reference for the territory, we are proud that Marco saw in us a credible interlocutor and a reality with which to work to make Trentino basketball grow. Marco will not be in the Academy as a coach, but as a figure who will give vision and who will even be able to help our coaches grow “.

In short, a respectable presentation, supported by Crespi’s curriculum, who certainly has experience to sell. Trainer and expert commentator has lived basketball for 43 years now, participating in both the European and American scene. At home it stands out bringing Bella and Casale to Serie Awhile overseas he is called by the Phoenix Suns and the Boston Celtics as Director of International Scouting. From 2016 he then began to collaborate with Sky Sport as commentator and columnistcommenting, among others, also lhe historic final series between Aquila and Reyer in 2017.

It is on this occasion that he falls in love with Trento, both for the quality of life and for the good impression that the Juventus project leaves on him. This first experience leads him to choose Trentino as a new home in February 2022, even before speaking to L’Aquila of his possible inclusion within the club.

The general director Andrea Nardelli comments on the new purchase: “Our paths crossed at the right time. We bring a man with great knowledge of basketball into a key role of our Dolomiti Energia Basketball Academywith a long history of high level behind it between the NBA and Europe that strengthens the club’s international profile. With our Academy we open a medium-term path, with a 3-5 year perspective in which we want to make the “Trento model” a national reference”.

Concludes the meeting just Marco Crespiwhich declares: “In Aquila Basket I immediately perceived something different, an atmosphere and a way of working and living basketball different from that of the Italian basketball system that I had known. Now let’s start a stimulating journey: in the future we would like every player who grew up in the youth sector of Aquila Basket and passed through the Academy clubs, completed their path can be identified for his way of playing, of being on the field, but also for the desire to get involved and grow, I’m not in basketball. Come Academy we want to be an engine, a reference: first of all, however, it will be fundamental listen, understand and value the many differences and different ways of experiencing basketball and working as a club in the area. The goal is to far increase the number of practitioners and enthusiasts of this sport: we will try to do it by working with humility and vision “.