Simone Fontecchio says that patience is the most important thing in his first year in the NBA.
The Utah Jazz forward Simone Fontecchio made a jump to the NBA and found his role in the team, even though it's rather limited.
In an interview with Eleven Sports, the 27-year-old Italian talked about his experience in the US.
"When there are some difficulties, the key is to have patience. Since this is my first year in the NBA, I knew that were going to be some difficulties, in addition to that, I also had some bad luck," Fontecchio told Eleven Sports. "First, I got COVID, and then I had an ankle injury. For a while, it looked like every time I had the opportunity to play, something had to happen."
"But you need to realize that some things are out of your control, make peace with that, and just wait for the next opportunity. My wife and daughter helped me a lot in making this situation more manageable," Fontecchio added.
Fontecchio signed a 2-year $6.25 million deal with the Jazz last summer, a month before the EuroBasket 2022.
So far, his most memorable moment in the NBA was a game-winner against the Golden State Warriors.
The Italian averages 5.1 points, 1.4 rebounds, and 0.7 assists per game over 40 contests.
However, Fontecchio will definitely have a bigger role in the upcoming FIBA World Cup, where he's expected to represent Italy.
"We do not feel like underdogs before the World Cup," Fontecchio said. "It's not in our DNA, and it wouldn't be right for what we've been able to do in the past two years. We have to step on the court like we always did, with some passion."
"We have a really good team. At the end of April, there'll be the draw, and we'll have a clear picture of our situation, but I'm fully convinced of how good our group is and the type of chemistry we've built in the last two years. We're following the right path to win something important," Fontecchio concluded.
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