Italy's Luigi Datome saves World Cup medal hopes with his impressive performances
Posted : 02 September 2023
Italy found themselves in a dire situation, with their hopes of reaching the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 Quarter-Finals hanging by a thread. Then, their savior emerged in the form of Gigi.
Luigi Datome, Italy’s captain, harkened back to his glorious performances for the Italian national team, possibly rescuing their chances of securing their first-ever World Cup medal. Italy was trailing Serbia by a daunting 16 points midway through the third quarter, and the prospects appeared bleak for Italy to secure a 3-1 record in Group I.
In a remarkable turn of events, the 35-year-old Datome unleashed his magic. He threw down a thunderous dunk, sank two crucial three-pointers, and executed a turnaround jumper, all within a mere 100 seconds. These plays brought Italy within a single point at the outset of the fourth quarter.
"Gigi is a legend. What he did today was just a cherry on the top of his career. It was something unbelievable," praised Simone Fontecchio, who contributed 30 points to Italy's stunning 78-76 victory.
“He showed us the way being down 16. No matter what, he kept playing at 35. He was simply amazing, just leading by example. He's our captain, he's our leader. He's just the best teammate you can imagine. That really pushed us to find the last energy in our bodies to come back."
Nicolo Melli, who has shared the court with Datome for many years, characterized it as Gigi being true to himself.
“He's one of our veterans, he’s our captain, so you know he shows the values of this team. He showed character like he always has in his career," Melli commented.
These 10 crucial points were all Datome scored in this game, following a combined total of 17 points in Italy’s initial three matches.
"I've been struggling with the three-point shot but I keep on believing in my shot and myself. Most importantly, my teammates are still believing in me and my coach," Datome modestly shared. "I'm happy that I gave my contribution, but today I don't remember a single player that didn't contribute to the win."
Thanks to Datome's remarkable 100 seconds, Italy's dream of World Cup success lives on.
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