Allen Iverson and Kobe Bryant are great legends in the basketball world from the land of the United States. Talent in basketball can emerge not only from the United States but also from European countries, including Italy.
Andrea Vincenzo Montemurro, a 14-year-old youth from Italy, is a basketball athlete with exceptional talent — he started to learn and play basketball at the age of 5.
At such a young age, he has already been called up by the Italian national basketball team U-15. Moreover, in 2022, Andrea achieved the title of regional champion in the U-14 and U-15 age groups.
“I love this sport because it’s a team sport and very dynamic, everything can change from one minute to another,” said Andrea.
Sharpening Skills Through Continuous Competition Participation
Despite having participated in various championships at the national team level, Andrea continues to sharpen his skills by training diligently to remain competitive in various competitions. This year, Andrea has set his sights even higher than before.
“This year, I’m playing with U-15 and U-17, and we’re fighting to win the competition again,” he continued.
With a height of 185 centimeters, Andrea excels in playing the role of a playmaker or guard. He enjoys setting the tempo of the game, just like his idol legend, Allen Iverson.
“I love orchestrating the game and putting my teammates in the best position to score. My specialization is ball handling (like Iverson or Kobe),” Andrea expressed.
Due to the high demands of the playmaking position, Andrea always pushes himself to train harder. However, at one point, Andrea experienced a significant injury that sidelined him for several months.
“I push myself to keep practicing, but at that time, it didn’t allow me to play for a few months. I was fortunate that my family has always been supportive, and I want to achieve my goals to make them proud of me,” he added.
Dreams and Motivation from NBA Legends
One of Andrea’s strongest motivations to fulfill his dream of becoming a world-class basketball player comes from his role models, who have now become legends, such as Allen Iverson and Kobe Bryant. In addition to these two NBA legends, Andrea also aims to follow in the footsteps of current basketball players like Marco Belinelli (Italy), Milos Teodosic (Serbia), and Adrian Banks (America-Israel).
“I greatly admire the ‘Mamba Mentality’ from Kobe and the way he played the game. It’s a true source of inspiration,” continued Andrea.
Therefore, Andrea acknowledges that to become a great basketball player in the future, he is ready to dedicate his days to training every day with his team, Micromega Cosenza, both with the U-15 and U-17 teams at the PalaFerraro arena in Cosenza, Italy.
“I don’t want to limit my career, and I am eager to become a professional basketball player and play in the NBA. To get there, I will do everything I can to achieve my goals,” he concluded.
Andrea Montemurro’s Achievements:
- Champion of the regional U-15 tournament in 2022
- Called up to the Italian U-15 national team.
