Per Simone Fontecchio it’s finally time to start talking as a new NBA player. The Italian – as we have reported several times – has signed a two-year contract with Utah Jazz with which he will play his chances in the league. The Salt Lake City team is in a delicate moment in its recent sporting life, after the heavy move with the sale of Rudy Gobert. In this regard, the inclusion of Fontecchio in the roster is also to be evaluated among the insiders.
NBA, Fontecchio: “I’m overjoyed to be here”
Interviewed with the microphones of the Gazzetta dello Sport, Fontecchio has talked about the situation in the Utah home:
The situation is developing after the sale of Rudy Gobert. Things can change fast, especially in the NBA. No one guarantees minutes on the pitch, but there is a real opportunity. It is the ideal situation I was looking for. I am overjoyed. In the NBA I think I can be there. I will have to be solid in defense and dangerous in archery. Of course, there is a wealth of options to expand and refine to demonstrate that you can stay at that level.
The player then tried to remember the exact moment when he realized he could play at very high levels:
The first Euroleague match against Alba Berlin in 2020 in Tel Aviv. We lost, but in 20 minutes I made 16 points with 8 rebounds and a recovery. I was hesitant about my fitness for a muscle injury in preparation. Instead I dispelled all doubts. I said to myself: ‘So you see I can play’?
So, a last comment on the national team, Fontecchio’s true launching point in great basketball:
Last summer in the national team was another very important moment. I thank Meo Sacchetti for giving me all those minutes to play. I didn’t expect it. I was in a moment of hallucinatory form, I was always making the basket, it would have been difficult to replace me. But personal satisfaction is nothing compared to the team’s results
