Nicolo Melli names important career lessons, sets rough timeline for retirement / News - Basketnews.com

Nicolo Melli reflected on his career trajectory, focusing on the most important decisions he had to make, the bitter conclusion he came to draw about his NBA days, and the two lessons he picked up. He also revealed until when he'd like to play.

Credit: Fabrizio Carabelli/SOPA Images via ZUMA Press Wire Credit Fabrizio Carabelli/SOPA Images via ZUMA Press Wire

Almost as soon as he came of age, Nicolo Melli's intention was to play for EA7 Emporio Armani Milan one day.

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"I wanted Milan. It is a city that has always been attractive to me. I confess it is in part because I am an Inter fan. For me the trip to Milan, the few times I have come to San Siro, has always had a particular charm. And then Olimpia Milano: I certainly don’t have to be the one to explain what it means," the veteran big man recalled in an interview with the club's website.

"Furthermore, I come from Reggio Emilia and a special player from Reggio Emilia played here in Milan, Piero Montecchi. I can’t say that as a child I supported Olimpia, because naturally I supported Reggiana, but it was an important team, represented a goal. When the dream became true, I was just happy. Happy and aware that it would only be a starting point for me."

Melli played in the EuroLeague straight away, since his first year in Milan. But as seasons came and went by, the Italian international realized that he hadn't found his place on the team.

"After winning a championship, I said to myself 'I'm going where I can really be a starter.' There was this too, but above all I wanted to be wanted. It had an influence, it made me reflect, I wanted to prove that I too was a EuroLeague-caliber starter," he reflected.

That's why he went from Milan to Bamberg, a choice Melli himself doesn't call courageous.

"I didn't feel brave, I'm telling the truth. I had this opportunity, Bamberg was an ambitious club, which had done well in the EuroCup and was playing in the BBL. Certainly, it wasn't an established team, Bamberg. But when they had the chance to play the EuroLeague that helped the choice."

3-pointers this season

40%10,9Points made:10,9Accuracy:39,6%Place in standings:1Record max:17Record min:4Most made 3FGs:Shavon ShieldsTeamEuroLeagueStatisticsSchedule

Melli saw a club and a coach -Andrea Trinchieri- who wanted him, and a team that had talented players, like Brad Wanamaker who he had played against when he was in Pistoia.

As he matured as a player, Melli found out that players' careers aren't judged by statistics but by team wins.

"As far as I’m concerned, I had two lessons that helped me a lot in my career," he said.

"The first, which helped me over a difficult time in my career, is to try to do the things that allow you to stay on the court. If you score 20 points every game it’s obvious that you play, but that’s never been the case with me."

Melli learned, by watching and studying the opponents, what he could do to stay on the court.

"I have always grabbed rebounds even at youth level; defending is something I learned, working hard, then how to pass the ball. I like watching basketball, so I studied the situations. I had coaches like Trinchieri and Obradovic who helped me understand how to read the games."

The other lesson that he learned is that if you win as a team, everyone benefits.

"Especially at a high level, if you’re a winner or someone who helps the team win, it eventually comes back to you," he noted.

"If a team has high-level ambitions, those who allow it to win are rewarded. It’s not just an economic issue, but a matter of feelings. It is said that trophies are getting covered with dust and only emotions count. I agree, but I have no problem dusting trophies, if that helps. It’s not the only thing that matters but it’s one of the most important."

Nevertheless, Melli admits that the two years in the NBA left him with a sense of incompleteness.

"More the second year than the first," he specified. "By never playing, you’re left with this desire for competitiveness that you can’t express, no matter how much you train. In Europe perhaps we exaggerate because every game is seen as having to be won at all costs, while in the NBA it's almost the opposite. I missed this pathos, this daily experience," he confessed.

"There are positive things about experiencing the season that way, but what I missed was playing. If I had played, I would have found a way to express my competitive spirit."

Now he's the all-time record holder for appearances with Olimpia, while not thinking too much about the future.

"I would like to play at least until 2028, so I have another Olympic cycle after this year to handle," he revealed.

"I also talked about it with Gigi Datome: the important thing is to remain at a high level, do things well, be presentable. I think I still am."

The only problem Melli sees in reaching those milestones is try to keep track of what each souvenir he's presented with stands for.

"When they handed me the first commemorative ball after a milestone, perhaps it was the rebounds record, I didn’t write above what it was for. Instead, I have to do it because there are starting to be a lot of them.

They will never be as many as Kyle Hines has in his cellar or warehouse, but I have to start writing down what they are for otherwise I’ll get confused," he concluded.

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