Facundo Campazzo Returns to Real Madrid: Reflects on NBA Experience and Future with the White Team

Facundo Campazzo, who left Real Madrid in November 2020 to go to the NBA, is officially, since last week, a new player for the white team. The only signing for Chus Mateo this summer. The point guard is preparing with the Argentine team in Spain, in the Alicante town of La Nucía, to then face the qualifying tournament for next year’s Pre-Olympic in August, since the albiceleste will not be in the World Cup that will begin on August 25, having failed to qualify. Campazzo speaks with Básquet Plus in an extensive interview, among other things, about his return to Real Madrid.

Campazzo returns to Madrid.

The point guard acknowledges that, “somehow”, he was “always tied to Madrid”. “As a city and as a team, Madrid captivates you. Everything that Real Madrid represents, even if it is a football club. At the basketball level it is also great and in Europe there is not much like Madrid. It is the closest thing to an NBA team. For all the facilities you have as a player, for how you travel, for everything”.

“The departure from Dallas, through social networks”

Campazzo celebrates that his team in the NBA between 2020 and 2022, the Denver Nuggets, won the ring just over a month ago: “I was happy. In fact, I wrote to several of them, both on the campus and the staff. The mentality they had was to become champions. It was written on the walls, there was a photo of the trophy in the gym…”. The Cordovan reflects on the difficulties of gaining a foothold in the NBA: “A key factor is being in the right team and luck. Just fitting in and being in the team that needs your way of playing, attacking or defending. For individual development, you improve even if you don’t play. Training with these guys is the best there is and I tried to make the most of it. And then there is the issue that everyone wants to go there. Because there are the best. The NBA represents that. In my case, I also think that the height had a lot of influence. The space that I can occupy in defense is not the same as someone who is taller and longer. That played against. When the Dallas thing ended, which I found out on social media… by the way. I waited the two days that corresponded and talking with my family we decided to return to Europe. Being happy in this case was playing. I knew that in the NBA I was not going to have a chance. I wanted to go back to Europe to play pick and roll, have minutes, run the court…”.

“Money has not been the main factor”

A six-month adventure at the Red Star and back to Madrid, renouncing financially superior offers: “My decisions are not going to be based mainly on money, wherever I am going to play. I’m not stupid, but I weigh a lot of other things too. Money is a factor, but not the main one. And so it was in this case. I feel at home in Madrid, my daughter was born, I have a great relationship with the club on and off the pitch and I felt that it was the place where I had to try to be. I had other offers, but in the balance there were many other positive things in Madrid than in the other options”.

Campazzo is now focused on Argentina, but he knows what awaits him at Madrid: “Expectations are always high, the best. Trying to be in the game that makes you become European champion, of the rest of the titles. I feel super motivated, anxious, wanting to be there, although now I have the energy in the National Team. I think the adaptation process will not be difficult, because I know most of the players, the coaching staff and the club”.

2023-07-25 10:43:00
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