Gevi Napoli Basket player Tomislav Zubcic gave an interview to the official website of the Lega Basket Serie A. These are his statements:
After two rounds in the Italian championship you have already conquered the city and the fans, what emotions did you feel during your arrival and your first stay in Naples?
“There’s definitely a different kind of pressure when you sign for a team with so much history and passion for basketball. You obviously want to respect the expectations they have placed on you, you want to win all the complicated games and give the fans that kind of experience at the arena. Coming from a city that breathes basketball (Zadar, in Croatia, ed.), I understand and appreciate all the support and love that I am continuing to receive from the city and the fans.”
You beat the Italian champions by giving them only 68 points. What was the key that led to this prestigious victory?
“First of all, coach Milicic is a precise person and knows perfectly which tactical key to adopt. It becomes easier if whoever leads the team lays foundations, makes the right choices in building his team and establishes the right type of rhythm to follow. Second what, we are a great group of people both on and off the pitch and we all give 100%, staying focused and striving to give our best. The most important thing though was seeing PalaBarbuto without even an empty seat. That’s the more powerful petrol for us”.
You and coach Milicic are both Croatian and have traveled all over the world in your career. What kind of relationship has developed between you in these first months together.
“Coach Milicic and I have been waiting for the right time and the right opportunity to finally get to work together and this season felt like the right time for everything to work out for the best. I feel like we understand each other perfectly because we both like a style of basketball very similar and I hope that this mutual respect and this way of understanding each other can also help the team achieve all the objectives we set ourselves at the beginning of the season.”
Despite having the size and centimeters of old school centers, she is a modern and flexible big who adapts well to modern basketball. Do you think you have adapted to a faster basketball style that requires greater mobility and versatility from big men, or was it a natural evolution?
“Yes, this has always been the type of playing style I prefer, but I have also learned to quickly adapt to the requests of every coach I have played for and the needs of the League I have played in. If you do not acquire those types of technical characteristics As a player and you don’t have the will to explore and learn, you end up sinking. As you get older, the biggest advantage you get is your experience, so you have to be able to offer something more.”
Tell us about who is outside the field. Does he have any hobbies? Has he already visited Naples?
“Off the field I am a full-time father and husband, I spend all my free time with my family going around parks and playgrounds, shopping centers, nothing special or extravagant. During the preseason I “went hunting” for While experiencing different restaurants, for a food lover like me this was definitely an excellent experience. However, I still have so many things to tick off my to-do list this season.”
Extra question: in the first years of your career you wore the shirts of Zadar and Cibona, you were selected in the NBA Draft and today you are in Italy. These are some of the steps also taken by a basketball legend like Kresimir Cosic, also given some physical characteristics that you have in common. How much did a player of his caliber influence/influence your career? Or is there any other Croatian legend that inspired you?
“The influence that Kresimir Cosic had on me was enormous. When you are a child and you come from a small Croatian town on the coast you have to know that you can do it; you need proof that someone out there, coming from such a small place, he succeeded. Despite this, I never thought of comparing myself to him, but having a role model to inspire you is really very important, it helps you see the path you have traced more clearly. My personal goal has never been to become a star, collect trophies and medals, don’t get me wrong it’s wonderful to win but it’s not remotely comparable to becoming the role model a child can look up to. Allowing other people to fall in love with basketball thanks to your the way you play and the things you do; is there anything bigger and more beautiful than this?”.
2023-10-12 18:12:32
#sign #team #history #passion #win #game
