{"id":124147,"date":"2026-07-07T12:36:35","date_gmt":"2026-07-07T10:36:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.olimpiamilano.com\/?p=124147"},"modified":"2026-07-07T12:36:41","modified_gmt":"2026-07-07T10:36:41","slug":"his-story-started-in-congo-now-akele-is-in-milano","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.olimpiamilano.com\/en\/his-story-started-in-congo-now-akele-is-in-milano\/","title":{"rendered":"His story started in Congo, now Akele is in Milano"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Nicola Akele is from Treviso, grew up in Montebelluna, and became a true basketball player while playing for Reyer Venezia.<\/strong> But his story begins much further back, before he was even born. It begins when his parents moved from their native Congo to Rome, and then to the Treviso area. Piero, as everyone calls him, and Silvie arrived in Rome, where they raised their beautiful, large family of six children, of whom Nicola is the second. He arrived three years after the birth of Ange, their eldest daughter. With his height and body, Nicola quickly became a basketball prospect, so much so that he played for the national youth teams at all levels, starting with the Under-16s\u2014two European Championships\u2014and progressing to the Under-18s and Under-20s.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"\/
Nicola Akele in Treviso<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Growing up in the Treviso area, Akele began to think about becoming a professional basketball player during that time. So he watched the Benetton players: his favorite was Marcus Goree, an athletic and physically gifted power forward with a knack for scoring. Montebelluna was too small for him. He then moved first to Mestre and then to Reyer, where he made his Italian league debut. It was around that time that his career truly changed. In fact, Akele decided to leave Italy and move to the United States. His first step was the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida, a sports school specialized in developing young prospects. “Energy, defense, and every now and then a few points scored,” was how Akele described his playing style when the University of Rhode Island secured his services. His coach at IMG Academy was Mike Kelly. It was the one who directed him to Rhode Island, knowing that for an athletic player with long arms and a constantly active motor, receiving the benefit of high-level coaching would be essential.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"\/
Nicola Akele in Cremona<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

At the time, no one could have known, but Akele was coached by the most successful college coach of the next decade: Dan Hurley. A former Seton Hall player, brother of Duke point guard Bob Hurley Jr., who was drafted No. 7 in the NBA, and son of Bob Hurley Sr., who built a Hall of Fame career at St. Anthony High School in Jersey City, across the Hudon from New York City, Dan Hurley followed in his father’s footsteps. He became head coach first at Wagner, then at Rhode Island, and finally at Connecticut, where he won two NCAA championships and appeared in three NCAA championship games in four seasons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n