JaKarr Sampson: 'I like Italian basketball, there's a lot of physicality' / News - Basketnews.com

Credit: Elsa/Getty Images/AFP-Scanpix Credit Elsa/Getty Images/AFP-Scanpix

American forward JaKarr Sampson was officially introduced as a new member of Virtus Bologna in a press conference today.

JaKarr Sampson

Position:PFAge:28Height:206 cmWeight:104 kgBirth place:Cleveland, United States of AmericaProfileNewsStatistics

The player, who has already started working with his teammates, showed great enthusiasm about the possibility of playing in Italy.

"I like Italian basketball: I'm a physical player, and the basket here is really physical. Compared to the NBA, here there's much more energy, I immediately realized that after the first training with my teammates", Sampson said to the reporters.

The American forward also emphasized the influence of supporters and spoke about his responsibilities on the court.

"Even outside of the court, there's a different atmosphere, the fans show a different type of energy. This team was already very strong before my arrival, I have to bring defensive energy. The offense will come by itself. First of all, I have to focus on building the right defensive chemistry with my teammates".

Sampson also mentioned his connection with LeBron James, the two players were born in the same city, Akron.

"We come from the same city, and I played in the same high school he went to. We trained together, he's a great player, but he's also a great person. I appreciated his nice words about me," Sampson concluded.

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