By Eurohoops team / info@eurohoops.net
We all know how it ended up between Paolo Banchero and the Italian national team, with Gianmarco Pozzecco’s squad first losing the opportunity to have him on board and then playing against the Orlando Magic‘s superstar in the 2023 FIBA World Cup Quarter-Finals.
Despite all of that, there could be another NBA player possibly committing to play with Italy this summer, being naturalized. In an interview conceded to The New York Post, in fact, Donte DiVincenzo said that he “would ideally love to” wear the blue jersey.
American raised in an Italian family, after not being included in USA Basketball’s 41-man pool ahead of this year’s Olympic Games in Paris, Donte DiVincenzo is now hoping to make it there with the Italian national team. “Logistically and how everything plays out, I don’t know if it’s possible. But if everything works out perfectly, I would love to. Multiple factors weigh into this”, he commented.
Averaging 13.6 points per game with the New York Knicks, he would bring another dimension to Italy. “There’s a few more hoops to jump through. But it’s something I told my family, my agent, that I wanted to do, to be able to represent a country. And hopefully, I can get all the paperwork done and be out there as soon as possible”, the 27-year-old commented.
Jalen Brunson, who played against Italy in the Philippines, also commented about his opportunity for his teammate. “That’d be cool. That’s an opportunity for him and if he wants to do it, I’d be more than happy to support him in that decision. If we do play or don’t play or whatever, it is what it is because we’ve had a lot of battles”, he said about Donte DiVincenzo possibly playing for Italy.
After entering the global Top 8 at the 2023 FIBA World Cup, the Italian national team will now face Bahrain and Puerto Rico in the first phase of the Olympic Qualifying Tournament, trying to ultimately get to the Olympic Games in Paris.
PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images