Marco Belinelli, guard and leader of Segafredo Virtus Bologna, gave a long and interesting interview to Euroleague TV.
One of the few experiences missing from his notable CV is the Euroleague Playoffs, which could become reality with a victory at the Buesa Arena.
Despite his 38 years, Belinelli remains a high-level player, among the top 15 overall scorers and the top 10 for points per minute in the EuroLeague.
“For me, age is just a number – this is my opinion – so I just try to go on the pitch, in every training session and in every match, to show what I can do, to show how I can help my team win .
Surely taking care of my body and everything else is the reason why I’m still playing 100%,” explains Belinelli. “I try to do my treatments, eat right, go to sleep early, be with my family and my baby, and that keeps me going. This is the reason”.
Virtus one step away from yet another goal.
“When I signed for Virtus Bologna, I had the opportunity to win the Italian championship straight away… so for me it was truly a dream come true. I didn’t expect it from the beginning, so quickly…But it’s important to say that if someone comes to play for Virtus Segafredo Bologna, he must know that we want to win trophies here. So, that’s the first thing, and we’ll try to do it every year.”
This season Belinelli is averaging 14.2 points, 1.8 assists and a PIR of 9.4, proving he is much more than a three-point shooter.
“I think this is my style of basketball, everyone knows me as a three-point shooter but, as I have said many times, I don’t want to be just a shooter. I try to help the team and create opportunities for my teammates too. I try to defend better”, I try to do it because I want to do it, I want to show our people that we only care about winning”.
Belinelli believes that Virtus has one of the most dangerous backcourts in the competition, which could make the difference in Vitoria-Gasteiz just like it did against Anadolu Efes in Istanbul.
“We have a lot of players who are playing much better than last year. They have more confidence….
I think we have a great group of guys. Everyone wants to play hard and sacrifice for our coach and the organization. And we play together. We move the ball from one side to the other, everyone has the confidence to take the field and be important for the team.”
Su Shengelia Store.
“He’s a good guy, he’s a good leader and honestly I expect that from Toko. He is talented, he can score from practically any position. He can handle the ball, run fast around the court, so I’m really happy and very lucky to play with him. And I hope he stays with us for a long time to come.”
Belinelli was born in San Giovanni in Persiceto, just 30 kilometers from the city. He believes that returning to Virtus was the right decision at the right time, closing the circle with the team where he began his career as a professional basketball player.
“I mean, it’s great for me. I played in the NBA for 13 years, so it was a long time. For me the time had come to return home,” says Belinelli. He and Virtus “want more or less the same thing, to win some trophies and improve as an organisation. So I’m really happy to be here. I’m at home and I believe that Virtus should remain at a high level for a long time.”
2024-04-18 18:40:41
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