By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
Fresh from international duties in the FIBA World Cup 2027 Qualifiers, 60-year-old Luca Banchi talked about several topics, including the projected arrival of 28-year-old Donte DiVincenzo to the senior national team of Italy.
“I really don’t understand exactly his position. I don’t care about the statement and stuff like that. We have to look each other in the eyes and talk as mature people,” said the head coach of Italy in a postgame press conference following a win over Lithuania in Klaipeda’s Svyturio Arena on Sunday, revealing his plan to soon travel to the United States and meet the 28-year-old guard of the Minnesota Timberwolves in the NBA.
After being a late scratch for Italy in last summer’s EuroBasket 2025, DiVincenzo has been vocal about eventually expanding his career to the Azzurri.
“Next window will be February after the domestic cups. Other windows will be after the end of the playoffs, all around Europe. So extra stress for players who collect something like 80-90 games per season. Something like that schedule it’s a real threat to the health of the players. So, you have to create a connection with them,” he continued, confirming the possibility of DiVincenzo and fellow Italian option in the NBA, Simone Fontecchio, to suit up for Italy in the summer FIBA window.
Banchi also shared his opinion on five head-coaching departures early in the 2025-26 edition of the EuroLeague, in connection with the demanding schedule.
“We judge wins and losses,” he mentioned, “If we want to emulate the NBA going with such a schedule, we unfortunately have to think that we are creating the condition to lose a little bit of the value of the single games. If somebody says that every game matters, sorry, I disagree. This schedule is not human. To play every single night, every single game, you have no time to rest. No time to recover, no time to prepare games.”
“Such a type of coach needs to leave their footprint on a team. They need time. They need to build relationships with the players. They have to spend time in a gym. They have to go step by step and grow and valorize the personnel they have. Such a schedule kills the coaches,” he referred to Ettore Messina and Zeljko Obradovic, recently parting ways with EA7 Emporio Armani Milan and Partizan Mozzart Bet.
“Their statement is very noisy, and I hope it will help to understand that if we want to sell a better basketball, we have to change the format,” he added on the potential impact on the current direction of European basketball from the decisions of the legendary tacticians.
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