Why Andrew Goudelock’s nickname is “Mini Mamba” is well known. Goudelock himself has told the story so many times that it’s unnecessary to repeat it one more time (to make the story short: after an unexpected offensive outburst against Charlotte when he played for the Lakers, Matt Barnes and Luke Walton, two of his teammates, in the locker room were talking about his ability to shoot, comparing him to Kobe Bryant, hence the nickname of Mini Mamba that Bryant himself made famous by talking about it to the media). But games like the one he had in Desio, in Game 3, are the best possible demonstration of what it means to be Andrew Goudelock.

 

His first field-goal was his customary, very difficult but perfected after hours of work, “floater”, that sort of rainbow shot with a very high arc, necessary to “beat” the big men coming to block it when you’re 1.88 as Goudelock is. The second was a sudden three taken by beating a Culpepper’s late “close-out” off a Micov assist from one side of the court to the other. In the second quarter he targeted Culpepper off an isolation play and made the second three of the game. The third one came after some kind of a pick-and-pop play with Cinciarini. Cantù tried to switch defender but giving him enough time to pull up and shoot (while probably fouling him). Then another “floater” was made after taking off the dribble Christian Burns, who had switched on a Kuzminskas screen, another three came exiting off a screen, too quickly for Culpepper. Then, in the fourth period, a three was taken off a Tarczewski’s screen and in spite of Thomas attempting to switch. With 1’31” left in the game the sixth three was taken after a lateral dribble with which he created separation from Burns (then he closed the evening with two free throws). Goudelock story with Olimpia is full of curious facts: after the 2012/13 season when he was named MVP of the then D-League and earned a second chance with the Lakers for the playoffs to replace the injured Kobe Bryant, Goudelock was very close to sign for Olimpia. He was 2kidnapped” at the last second by Kazan with an amazing offer that he honored by winning the Eurocup MVP trophy. The coach of Kazan was the Milan-born Andrea Trinchieri, his Lakers coach was our own Mike D’Antoni. But it’s not over yet: when he left the Lakers, his spot was taken by MarShon Brooks, who would later also be in Milan. Goudelock after Kazan and Fenerbahce instead went to China and then closed the season in Houston. The Rockets coach was JB Bickerstaff whose place was going to be taken by D’Antoni, again. And Bickerstaff is now the head coach in Memphis where he has among his players MarShon Brooks who is like a family member for Goudelock: they both come from East Atlanta. An incredible amount of intertwining (at Houston at that time former Olimpia general manager, Gianluca Pascucci was working in the front office) is on display here. It’s a little bit as if Goudelock and Milan had chased each other for years. Until this season, in fact.

 

 

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