Luigi Datome: 'The dream is to return to the Final Four' / News - Basketnews.com

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Luigi Datome will return to AX Armani Exchange Milan to play his third season for the club.

3-pointers this season

35%9,0Points made:9,0Accuracy:35,0%Place in standings:8Record max:14Record min:3Most made 3FGs:Devon HallTeamEuroLeagueStatisticsSchedule

The Italian forward will turn 35 years old this season. "I feel I can still play at this level and I am happy to be able to continue another year hoping to be able to do some good things together," Datome said to in an in-depth interview with Antonello Palmas from La Nuova Sardegna.

"Olimpia was already a very important club and for this reason, I had chosen it, and I think that in the last two years it has further grown in terms of ambitions, results, appeal," the Italian explained.

The 34-year-old Italian has been a member of Armani Exchange since 2020. During his first two seasons in Milan, Datome helped the team win the Italian championship, SuperCup, and two Italian Cups. On top of that, he navigated Olimpia to the 2021 EuroLeague Final Four.

"Now I look forward to another year full of excitement. The dream is to return to the EuroLeague Final Four," he shared. "And a team that often plays them sooner or later will also have a chance to win them."

Datome averaged 7.0 points on 39% 3-point shooting and 1.4 rebounds in 26 EuroLeague appearances (13 starts) last season. In the Italian league, he posted 9.0 points on 41.3% 3-point shooting, 2.1 rebounds, and 8.3 PIR on average.

Datome scored game-high 23 points to clinch the title in a decisive 2022 Serie A Finals game against Virtus Segafredo Bologna.

"The goal remains to win in Italy, which is never taken for granted," he said. "It is true that maybe we and Virtus are detaching ourselves from almost all the others, and I think we also give prestige to the championship. Big budgets don't always match the results and we have the pressure of always having to win."

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