MADRID, 17 Ene. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Virtus Bologna coach and Spanish coach, Sergio Scariolo, confesses how “difficult” it was for him to make the “difficult decision” to leave the Toronto Raptors to return to Europe and that it even prevented him from “closing his eyes all night” , while it also makes clear the importance of the collective today “because today the defense can end an egoist.”
“I remember the night before I made the difficult decision was the only sleepless night I’ve had in the last 20 years, even before a game or after a game. I couldn’t close my eyes the whole night. And then After making the decision, I felt like: ‘Hey, it was a no-brainer,’ “Scariolo said in the space ‘The Croosover’ of the Euroleague hosted by former player Joe Arlauckas.
The Italian coach also spoke of his first experience as a coach in Spain when he took charge of Baskonia and highlighted the “energy” and “enthusiasm” he found in Vitoria. “There was probably no better place to take your first step outside your country than Spain, and specifically Vitoria, where there was a lot of energy, a lot of enthusiasm, a lot of desire to go up to the next level,” he said.
Scariolo spoke of his evolution on the bench, although he assured that his philosophy was always the same, both in a team loaded with stars like Real Madrid or the national team, as well as with Unicaja or Baskonia. “You have to be really available to play with other teammates, to share the ball, because nowadays the defense can take down an egoist, even if he is an extremely gifted player, much easier than before,” he noted.
“So, firstly, you have to have the willingness to play with your teammates, to share the ball. And secondly, you have to share the willingness to play defense. Those two principles are non-negotiable. I could barely coach a player who wasn’t really involved in this, committed to this. Then, you can have everything else more or less flexible”, he added.