They say home is where the heart is. And Italy in a sense has become my second home. Not only when it comes to basketball but the people too. Folks I’ve been able to connect with, folks I call family.
Whether it be Mama Letizia and Maria in Ischia, my loyal friend Fulvio in Milan, the Filipi family in Bergamo with the world-famous polenta or the Galloti family in Arona. I am so blessed to have people that care about Jori the person before the player here in Italy. Many players don’t get that type of support while playing abroad.
From 2015 to 2018 I played in Italy and during that time I’ve grown to love and admire the way the people here value family and community. Their passion for the game of basketball and loyalty to their fav teams go unmatched. In a lot of ways, it reminds me of New Orleans, my hometown and how my family interacts with one another.
I’m so excited to be back around familiar faces, good food, amazing vino, and better yet another club that takes pride in having a family atmosphere. Looking forward to eating my fav dishes here in Italy. Polenta with rabbit, pasta with pesto, risotto, eggplant parmesan…and so much more.
But things are different this time around.
It’s my first time entering the season at age 30. And everybody wanna know how’s your body? Can you still ball? Now I’m the old head playing with a large number of young players. So I feel dirty 30 more than ever.
My rookie season I was focused on surviving and taking care of Jori. But I know it’s no longer just about me. Now with my experience I know I can help the younger players find their way as they start a new journey in their careers and lives.
Serendipity? Last season in Spain I had Tinara “Tuna” Moore, a Michigan native who had recently graduated from Central Michigan, on my team. And this season in Italy I have yet another Michigan native and Central Michigan grad as my rookie teammate, Reyna Frost. Both are super chill, hardworking players. I guess there’s something in the water in all those lakes.
I don’t think Reyna will be taking over my house like Tinara though. But it feels good to know that the positive vibes will continue to flow. Many of the young Italian players are being heavily recruited by American colleges as well. So my mentorship expands out to the Europeans that are looking to go and play in America too. The recruiting process is stressful enough as an American I can’t imagine being in a whole different country trying to figure out which school is best.
It feels good to be back. My new club Basket Costa has welcomed me with open arms and I can’t say it was unexpected. It’s been a year since I left for Valencia and I feel like I have so much catching up to do with my Italian family.
Season 9.
My 8th team.
Different vibes.
But familiar.
We ready?
Yeah we ready.
*** Always want to hear your thoughts and experiences too. Feel free to leave a comment below or to hit me up on IG or Twitter. It’s all about sharing and building a community. ***
