CREMONA – Yeezy Foam on your feet, smile printed on your face, well-groomed short hair. Marcus Zegarowski Vanoli looks like a kid but in reality he is ‘already’ 25 years old. For him, this is his first year outside the USA in Cremona but his best weapon is his calmness and composure. Even on the pitch he is one of those players who never loses his composure and who surprises in his choices, even when closely marked. The point guard must think, he does it. He is an atypical American and let’s understand why.
From Hamilton to Cremona.
‘It was an intense start. I arrived and immediately went onto the pitch. I felt good. This is a small city like mine where you can go anywhere by car without taking too long. I arrived in Cremona with my mother and first we visited the center and I climbed the Torrazzo. Then a trip to Lake Garda. I like the food, I like the climate, for now I almost feel at home.’
And on the pitch? He manages to do much better in the second half than in the first.
‘I always want to be in movement and as the minutes go by it’s normal to find more chemistry with my teammates. It’s true that during the interval the coach always finds some solution that could annoy the running opponent. We all have a greater drive, we all do something more. I certainly have to improve in many things and I’m ready to work to improve one step further every match.’
There is the stereotype of the American who does not defend…
Marcus replies seriously: ‘In the NBA you don’t actually defend much… But only there. It’s not negligence but just a way of experiencing basketball. In that championship there is talent, physicality, athleticism. Sometimes he doesn’t defend himself on purpose, choosing to leave a few shots to his opponents instead of wasting energy. In Europe everything is different. Regardless, you try to deny the opponent the attack. I like basketball here. Each match is a separate event, there is more competition in each match. In America you win and lose by playing more or less the same way. In Italy each team has its own playing identity. I have to say that I love this mentality the most and this way of always playing every match as if it were the last of the season.’
There will be elections in the US soon. What do you think?
‘I have little interest in politics’.
Usa means rap. For her too?
‘I like that genre, like R&B but I also love country music. My favorite artists are Jay-Z e Meek Mill‘.
Basketball, travel, food and?
‘I like watching movies. I’m an enthusiast. I love being in nature and going on bike rides. Then I have a great passion for pickleball (a sort of mini tennis) which is very popular in America.’
Fiancé?
‘Yes and she has just arrived here in Cremona’.
Reference player?
‘I really like Stephen Curry and of course I love my brother Michael who is unsigned at the moment.’
After ten years spent in the NBA, she could advise him to join her in Cremona…
‘We’ve never played together but I’d like to. With him at Vanoli? Why not? It would be nice’ and as always Marcus’ response is serious.
2023-10-18 18:10:41
#Basket #American #prefers #Europe..
