James Nunnally had his first team practice with Olimpia ahead of his Gran Canaria’s debut in the EuroLeague on Friday. In fact, he had already practiced in the morning to take some conditioning tests with the S&C coach Giustino Danesi, then he was instructed about the team plays with the assistant coaches and four teammates (Andrea Cinciarini, Nemanja Nedovic, Simone Fontecchio and Kaleb Tarczewski). Finally he completed his morning with a meticulous individual session, with shots taken from every position. Here is his first interview.
About how he started to love the game – “I think I started to love the game by following my older brother, Mike, around. I looked up to him and he was always there for me. He showed me the way, what I had to do as a person. I always followed him around. He was recruited from a lot of colleges when he was in high school and I see that and just wanted to be like him. I began to love basketball because of how much he loved it. I also played football, I liked football, but I always thought basketball was my calling”.
About having his number retired by his Weston Ranch High School – “It was a humbling experience, it shows that anyone can do it, anyone can achieve something important if he really wants it. No matter where you come from, you can do great things in your life: if you work hard and you have the right people around you can do it. “
About his college days at UC-Santa Barbara – “The road to the NBA I knew it would not be easy. We had another star on the team, Orlando Johnson, and he was drafted. He deserved it, he was Batman and I was Robin, he was like Michael Jordan for us and I was like Scottie Pippen. I knew I could play. I spent a lot of time in the D-League, it helped me develop and get ready to play in the NBA and overseas. I’m glad with the path I took, that path brought me here “.
That MVP season in Avellino – “It was not the one in which I realized my potential, but the one in which I got noticed by people. Avellino I think it was a special place, for me it will always be, we had veteran players that helped me, Marty Leunen, Alex Acker, Marques Green, we had Joe Ragland, Ivan Buva, we had great guys on that team, Ricky Cervi, we had a good team, we had so much fun with Coach Pino (Sacripanti), Max Oldoini. It was a good season, we got off and won many games “.
About Fenerbahce – “It showed our selflessness. You cannot be selfish if you play in a team like that. What you need to do is to sacrifice a little bit of yourself for the betterment of the team, sometimes it can be hard because everyone in that team could be stars anywhere, but if you see that the guy next to you is sacrificing for the betterment of you or someone else, it makes having a cohesive unit easier, it makes for a smoother system, a smoother operation”.
About winning the EuroLeague – “Winning the EuroLeague, when you go to play in a team like Fenerbahce, is what you are talking about, because they play to compete every year. And when you win it you feel on the top of the world, and then you have to also play the domestic league, and say ok we won the EuroLeague, but we can also win another title. It is unbelievable, especially after so much time in Europe, with players coming from so many different countries that makes a special bond “.
The NBA experience – “It was a learning experience, I’m a little bit disappointed about how I was handled by the Timberwoles, but I would not say the Timberwolves, the coach there did not give me the opportunity. I worked extremely hard and prove myself, I know I can play, but now it’s the past, I do not worry about it. In Houston it didn’t work out, they had needed to fill and I was in the crossfire. It does not matter, I know I can play in the NBA. “
About Milan – “I’ve been in Italy for years, I know the building and I know that here they are trying to build something special for the future. And I think I can help this project. I know the coach, I talked to Coach Pianigiani for almost an hour on the phone. He called me a couple of times, he showed how much he wanted me and how he considers me an important piece of the team, I think I can help the rebuilding and bring Milan back to the top of European basketball, where it should be. “
About his shooting – “I am a natural born scorer, I can score in many different ways and shooting is just one of the easiest ways to score. But I worked hard, nothing in my life was handed to me since I was a kid, I had to work hard for everything, I’m not afraid to work to improve and I’m here to prove it “.
About the 3-and-D label – “I’m much more than that. It’s a term they use to label people. Don’t let label to fool you, because I’m much more than this, I know I can do many more things, I have great confidence in myself and I think this is enough. I just want a place where I’m happy, where I’m wanted and where they believe in me “.
Here you can watch the complete interview
