Olimpia Milano, Gigi Datome retires: the announcement

Olimpia Milano, Gigi Datome retires: the announcement

Gigi Datome announced on his social profile his retirement as a progessional player: “There are no easy ways to say what I have to say so I will go straight to the point: I stop playing basketball, I finish with basketball played.”

Datome traced his career: “When, at 14-15 years old, I left I simply wanted to see if this passion and love for basketball could become my life. I had dreams and never could I have dreamed everything that happened to me: ten years in Serie A between Siena, Scafati and Rome, of which the last one at Virtus is one of the best of my life; playing for the Detroit Pistons and Boston Celtics; living unforgettable years at Fenerbahce winning nine titles; ending my career at such a prestigious club as Olimpia Milano, with five titles and two championships in a row.”

“I could never have dreamed of playing my last game in a game-7 of a final that we all still have in our minds, a beautiful challenge to play and win. And I could never have dreamed that all these seasons were interspersed with the national teams, from youth to the major, of which I would become captain and have been for ten years. The best thing of all, now that I sit here, is that I don’t have any regrets: they were great years, I played with incredible teammates, I worked with great coaches, I won so much as a star player. What’s even more important is that I’ve had so much fun, it’s been a crazy 20 years. Those who play sports know that having fun is too important to do anything good.”

Datome will participate in the World Championships: “The only worry is the national team, with which I never managed to bring home a medal. That’s why I want to keep dreaming a little more, I’ll have another blue summer. I thank Pozzecco because he will allow me to play a few more months to wear this jersey. It remains a dream and not a goal, but for what’s left of me as a player let me dream, because I’ve been doing it my whole career and I want to keep doing it.”

His future will still be at Olimpia. “There will come a time for general thanks, but right now I want to dwell on Olimpia Milano, not only because they have been great years but because I am staying with the club: I will help the team in another way. It is a top club in all of Europe, and to start my career off the court in such a context is a privilege that I hope I deserve.”