Facu Campazzo drives to the airport without knowing what will happen to his future. At each traffic light, at each pause in his obligatory journey to an unknown destination, he refreshes the Twitter timeline to see what is being said about him. On ESPN they say that he could play for the Lakers, but there is nothing very solid behind that rumor. Adrian Wojnarowski, celebrity from minute to minute, announces transfers one after another but Facu does not appear anywhere.
They are difficult days. Complicated hours in which it seems that his time in Denver is over. The NBA can be wonderful, but it can also be cruel and ruthless. Recycling basketball in which all the players are expendable, no matter what happened until yesterday. Campazzo suffers and it is not for less: everyone plays except him. Gone are the euphoric nights of impossible assists, the ecstatic cries of the histrionic Chris Marlowe, Facu’s laughter to infect the world.
2:31
The Nuggets beat Orlando 121-111 with 26 points and 15 rebounds from the Serb plus a good performance from Facu. The Argentine contributed 5 points, 5 assists and 2 rebounds in 19 minutes.
It’s 5:00 p.m. in Argentina and there is no more time for last-minute changes: Campazzo stays. Social networks, always fans of Facu, no longer complain about the leaders, the teammates or the coach. They react with extreme ostracism. Nobody writes anything, there are no videos or public defenders to support it. The few publications are so timid that they seem pats on the back of a family member at a wake. Pure condescension. And it is understood: Campazzo staying is an unexpected downturn. The phrase that says “better bad known than good to know” does not work here: Who can think that something will change for a guy who was in the market offered to the highest bidder? He will be in limbo until he can become a free agent. The scene is bleak.
Campazzo now watches from the bench and bites his nails. He knows that no one expects too much, that the cards are laid, that getting excited can be a mistake. He remembers that this time it took him a little longer to tie his shoes, put on his pants, put on his shirt. However, tonight the mirror gave him a look that he already knows. There is something that not everyone has and he does: he cares very little what others think. A pity for the fans of statistics, but this is something that is not measured in numbers. An internal fire that survives the most complicated storms.
You have to be prepared. Always ready. It’s not a matter of luck, it’s a matter of focus. And then Malone, a well-known caretaker, gives him a few inches of hope so he can go play. Result? Three triples in five attempts and 11 points in 11 minutes in a row. Where did this Campazzo come from? An act of resilience that draws everyone’s attention but is nonetheless one of his most powerful attributes.
Campazzo has a peculiarity: he always gets up. He takes a hit, another, and another. They throw him to the ground, shake him, punish him, but he doesn’t give up. He is an unbearable hardhead for this sport. There aren’t many guys like that. He keeps this madness going since he got on the bus in Río Tercero to join the Peñarol pension in Mar del Plata. Whoever dares to corner him will receive a bite. He is the world champion in destroying preconceptions. First it was the height, then the physique, then the time management and now it’s the distance shot. Some in the NBA said he was going to have problems defensively! Result: now he is nicknamed ‘El Bandido’. To tell Campazzo that he cannot do something is to invite him to prove otherwise. Until now, it was always a matter of time.
The final stretch of the season has him under the magnifying glass. Does he stay or does he go? Was it a good or a bad idea to have left Real Madrid to play in the NBA? Does it help you to be part of a team like the Denver Nuggets that doesn’t have you – nor does it seem like you will – among the main actors? They are all valid questions. However, someone who risks important things for a goal is worth defending. It is worth putting your hands in the fire for whoever is able to leave money on the table, even at the risk of getting burned. Change the luxury of Madrid for the thorns of Denver. True courage is in risk: diving into destiny and embracing uncertainty. Those who understand it are welcome. Come and see those who daydream with a passion so great that it tears. This is Campazzo: it is not about being the best of all, but about fighting every day in search of the best version of oneself. From below in a sport of giants. With the chest up and the heart that burns. And then yes, the effort, the illusion and the journey will have been worth it.
It will be, from now on, a fight against the circumstances. But much more than that will be against himself. As before, as now, as always. Fall, get up and compete again.
In short, never say never with Facundo Campazzo.
The bell hasn’t rung yet. And Campazzo, dear friends, always gets up.
