© photo by Doniselli/Ciamillo
His return to the field after a month’s break was immediately invaluable for the team.Olimpia Milan: we’re talking about Leandro Bolmarothe Argentinian born in 2000 who in his second season in Italy is playing his best EuroLeague with figures of 10.9 points, 4.1 rebounds and 2.8 assists with an incredible 47.4% from three points. Bolmaro told Sky about when he was chosen in the NBA Draft as the 23rd overall pick in 2020: “I wasn’t ready. My English wasn’t good either, communication is key. For me the NBA is obviously a business, where you see everything: trade, movement, everything that happens off the court constantly involves you. It’s frustrating for me. I decided to go there because I was young, it was my dream and it was also a great economic opportunity. Today, however, I changed my mentality. For me money is no longer the important thing now. Of course, they count, I have to think about my future, I can’t play until I’m 60, I have to take advantage of the time in which my body allows me”, says Bolmaro.
The Argentine does not rule out a return to the NBA
“At the same time I give priority to the person and the player. For me it is essential to feel good in the city, in the club, to play. In my mind this is more important than solids. If you are not happy, even money loses value. Before I was concentrated on three things that did not allow me to focus on the game. Today everything is different: I am more mature, I speak better English, I feel more physically ready. The athletic level is very high. Now I feel much more at ease. But I think about the present, step by step. Maybe in the future I could try again.”
The present at Olimpia Milano
“I’m playing now and having a lot of fun. Mentally it’s like saying “wow”, a huge change. There’s no stress, no distractions, I focus on basketball. Last season wasn’t easy mentally, but thanks to my psychologist I was able to express myself. Talk to someone. He watches the games on TV, so he can’t see what’s happening inside me, but I explain to him what I feel, what I think and what I have to do. I can say it’s a bit like Chat GPT but as a person. This summer too I worked with him, not on the mental aspect but also on concentration, exercises that I do every day to stay focused, work on vision, maintain instinct. All this helps me every day. A person like that keeps you humble, tells you the truth, is honest. He won’t lie to me, we work as a team, he will always tell me the truth. And it’s precious when it comes to basketball.”
Manu Ginobili
“I learned a lot from Manu Ginobili: even in the periods when he wasn’t playing in sports and, in the NBA, in the first years when he wasn’t always involved, he continued to give 100% every day. It’s very hard when you don’t play — I say this because I’ve experienced it. I took this from him: the mentality of consistency. Today I do it too, even after every workout: I have my routine. Not necessarily the same exercises, but the approach: continuity, discipline and total availability.”
