Virtus Bologna, Marco Belinelli: “They say I’m old, they motivate me.”

Class of 1986, won the NBA ring in 2014

Marco Belinelli is one of the biggest stars of Italian basketball. An NBA champion in 2014 (with the San Antonio Spurs), at 36 he still feels he can make a difference, so much so that he can’t stand to sit on the bench: “I hate when I can’t play: I feel bad, I suffer. I love basketball, the confrontation, the challenge, being able to train. I try to be a good example for my teammates, which after all is what my role as captain requires. Moreover, right now I feel good: I take care of my body, I live a simple and humble life,” his words to Corriere dello Sport.

To those who say he is now too old, the Vere Nere ace responds in his own way, “Me old? I don’t give a damn if they say I’m old, boiled or anything else. In fact, as far as I’m concerned they are all extra motivation to be able to prove otherwise.” Marco Belinelli will be engaged, with his Virtus Bologna, in the Final Eight of the Italian Cup, kicking off Feb. 15 in Turin: “I want to win it.”