Biography of Andrea Bargnani

A magician at the Italian Embassy in the NBA October 26, 1985

Who is Andrea Bargnani?


Andrea Bargnani was born in Rome on 26 October 1985 and is an Italian basketball player, considered among the best in the history of national basketball. Is 213 cm tall, plays as a power forward and Center, but he can also play small forward. Riccardo Pittis, former Italian basketball, gave him the nickname "Wizard" that Bargnani he brought in his experience in the NBA.

In 1991, the young Andrew as all children of the same age dreams of a future in football. Instead, at age six, for the first time, led by mother Luisella, former amateur golfer, at a basketball practice. Driven by his uncle Max Balducci, former star player before the Blue Jeans and then Perugia Rome, Andrea "should" fall in love with the Club and, in truth, it takes little to pick up the basketball. In those same months then moved to Trezzano Rosa, Milan, together with his parents and brother and begins to shine at the youth level, by being remarkable also at national level.

In 1997, the young Andrea Bargnani returned to Rome, where he currently plays Basketball Roma coached by Roberto Carlos, former captain of the Banco. The five years that goes with the coach Carlos are firm but very important to Bargnani. The training sessions, according to the Italian champion, are mainly based on the strength, the quickness and shooting from three. The defect of the young Andrea, in recent years, is to be overly thin and slow but nevertheless Castellano employs it as a guard, always believing in him and in his talent. Comes the first disappointment for Bargnani.

In 13 years, in 1998, goes among the sixty players that gathers the best Lazio players but not beyond, and discard. A year later, in 14 years, the national team of 1985 the class convenes for the first time. At the age of seventeen, in 2003, Andrea Bargnani arrived in serie B2, the Stella Azzurra Roma, played a great Championship, which earned him the call of Benetton Basket Treviso, in 2004.

In his first season, the 18-year-old Roman basketball player never plays, but trained with the Italian basketball greats such as Pittis and Garbajosa and learn directly from coach Ettore Messina. In that year, earned his degree, with sixty 60th.

The following year, 2005, is the turning point. Coach David Blatt comes in Treviso, which has the task of restoring Benetton. He succeeds, and the team, thanks to the explosion of the young Roman, professional basketball player in the thrilling final with Fortitudo won the League title 2005-2006. Bargnani was elected young player of the Italian League, award-winning, in 2006, also at international level, with trophy Rising Star Trophy as the best player under 22 Euroleague Basketball.

Three days after winning the League, Bargnani was invited by the NBA to New York to spend the days before the Draft together with thirteen players candidates to be chosen among the top stars and stripes Championship lottery. Andrea passes this time together with his family, and on 26 June 2006, is called by the Toronto Raptors as the first overall pick. Is the first Italian Player to be named in the first round, as well as the first European to be selected as the number one absolute, the second, after the Chinese champion Yao Ming, not to have formed in the States.

Emotions and satisfactions don't end up Andrea Bargnani. A month later, on 25 July 2006, the Mayor of Rome Walter Veltroni confers the title of Ambassador of Rome to the world, awarding with "La Lupa di bronzo".

Bargnani Arrives in Toronto. Here is leaving his Jersey number 11 to t. j. Ford, taking 7, number with which he debuted in basketball, as well as number brought Up by his uncle B. But the beginnings, especially during the first two months and in the Summer League, unfortunately are not exciting. Adaptation with the American basketball is difficult and the young Italian basketball player play shortly.

The debut in the NBA comes only on 1 November 2006, in the game played and lost against the New Jersey Nets, when midway through the first quarter in place of Chris Bosh. In 8 minutes of the game, Bargnani scored 2 points, 2 rebounds, 2 blocks, 1 fumble and 3 fouls.

The 2006-2007 season with the Raptors terrible part and also the young player romano makes expenses. Since the middle of the League but then things improve and also Bargnani carves out a place in the team. After the game a turning point of Salt Lake Cities against the Utah Jazz, where he made 15 points, 3 rebounds and 2 blocked shots, Andrea Bargnani collects another small but significant record, scoring 23 points against the Orlando Magic well: the highest number of points scored in an NBA game from an Italian professional basketball player. So, in January 2007, he was elected freshman of the month in the Eastern Conference, as well as selected for the match between the best players in the first year in the NBA, rookies, against those on the second year, in the 2007 All-Star Game in Las Vegas. Here, Bargnani 12 points in a 114-155 carries.

At the end of this first season, the young Italian champion reaching the second place in the ranking of best Rookie of the year, after Brandon Roy, playing even a good session of playoffs, but not enough to allow the passage of round to the New Jersey Nets.

In the meantime, though, came the national call.

Andrea Bargnani debuts in the blue Jersey in the summer of 2007, on the occasion of some European preparation matches Spain. The player Raptors does not shine in this competition, while taking home an average of 12.7 points and 5 rebounds per game, and his contribution is not sufficient to bring Italy to the quarterfinals.

A year later, in the season 2007-2008, at the height of X men experience, renunciation of national call, also because of the pressures of the Toronto Raptors. With his team though, things start to go smoothly and the Italian name is almost always present in the original Quintet, often in position to play, and this in spite of an injury and the difficult relationship with coach Sam Mitchell. It also improves his personal scoring in the match of the 1 St February 2008 ben's 28 points against the Los Angeles Lakers.

The following season did not start well for Bargnani, also due to the purchase by specialist Raptors player Jermaine O'Neill. The Italian, however, manages to win the starting spot during the season, playing as a small forward and earning the esteem of the fans. On March 16 of 2009, against the Charlotte Bobcats, surpasses 1000 points for the first time in a season, and a month later, on April 12, against the Philadelphia 76ers can match his record of 6 blocked shots in a game, adding 17 points and 4 assists. In addition, on 12 February 2008, he received his second call for the All Star Game in New Orleans, playing in the NBA sophomore team athletes.

In August of 2009 back on the national team to take part in the Additional Round, which is giving away the last spot available for the European Championships. The Blues however arrive last, behind France and Finland, with just one win, and also Bargnani plays well below its possibilities, letting down the fans. Meanwhile, in July 2009, the player signs a contract extension with the Toronto Raptors, with a five-year agreement of about 50 million dollars.

The 2009-2010 season proves good for Italian basketball player, which improves both his personal best in rebounds, in January against the Indiana Pacers, reaching 17, and 34 points in 36 minutes is: against the same team, but a month later. The average price at the end of the season is as follows: 17.2 points, 6.2 rebounds, 35 minutes played in 80 games. In addition, reaching seven times the so-called "double double", namely the double-digit points and rebounds in the same game.

The summer of 2010 back in the national team, for the European Championship qualifiers 2011 basketball. And here, Bargnani played some great matches, as confirmed by improving his personal best in blue, reached the 20 August 2010 in Bari against Latvia: 30 points, 13 rebounds, 4 blocked shots. The same record, however, is now improved by the athlete of Raptors, exactly six days later, in the match against Montenegro, with 34 runs scored.

The 2010-2011 season should be the turning point for Bargnani, Toronto's leading offensive, especially after the departure of Bosh. On 9 December 2010, the Italian Player, at Madison Square Garden in New York, brings further up his NBA record, scoring 41 points, 7 rebounds and 6 well most assists.