To guess the nationality of Nicolás Laprovittola (Morón, 1990) it is not necessary to ask for his passport. Mate accompanies him everywhere and empanadas are his favorite sin. As a child, soccer was the king sport in his house and Boca Juniors, his passion. But basketball entered his life in the most unexpected way. One day he went to the cinema to see Space jam, a film in which Michael Jordan teams up with Bugs Bunny against some (not so) evil aliens, and he began to fall in love with the world of basketball. And until now, he has been built on his own merits as a flesh and blood star in Jasikevicius' Barça.
The Argentine escort is the fashionable man at the Palau. They all want to talk to him. In Belgrade he faces a final four for the first time, perhaps the biggest challenge of his entire career. To make matters worse, he won't be facing any rival but Madrid, the team that gave him the kick at the end of last year after two years in which Laso didn't know how to extract the best version of him. “During the last season in Madrid I already knew that I was not going to continue. They didn't want to count on me and I searched for my life. Luckily Barça appeared and I have been gaining my place, which now makes me enjoy it a lot, ”he explains relaxed in a chat with La Vanguardia hours before the semifinal.
The prudence that he does not have with the ball does accompany him in the speech, although it also leaves room for pride after so many months of work well done. “We have formed a team that is the favorite to win. We are the best team in Europe but we have to prove it and beat Madrid, to start with”, he snaps. Laprovittola doesn't know what to expect from the final four but he is clear about the steps to follow: “I'm positive and I'm preparing to enjoy it, it's a new experience and I'm going to try to enjoy it. But always being aware that you have to be prepared to play well and win, which is the important thing”.
Laprovittola was chosen as MVP of the Endesa League in 2019, when he defended the colors of Joventut, and Real Madrid did not take long to buy him an airlift. Dressed in white, he lived through two difficult years, becoming an almost residual player in Laso's rotation, and there in the offices of the Palau they were quick and saw an opportunity to exploit all that talent again. "At first it was not easy at all, I worked very hard to try to adapt to the system and they had a lot of patience with me", he thanks.
Not everyone in Barcelona was convinced of the signing and the fit of a free soul like his in Jasikevicius's corset... and the beginnings seemed to prove them right. But an injury to Calathes in November turned the tide of his season. He began to enter the quintet, to play more minutes, and he took advantage of them to perfection. So much so that six months later he has become an indisputable part of the gear. “I took advantage of the moments of injuries. I took a step forward and earned a place that I try not to let go of. I try every day. You have to be prepared for when the opportunity comes”, he confirms. “I feel very confident, I notice that the team feels comfortable with me and that they trust me a lot”, he adds smiling. The numbers confirm his words. He is the team's third leading scorer this season, behind only Mirotic and Davies, and the player with the second most minutes. His weight in the Jasikevicius rotation has grown exponentially. “In my early years at Lanús I wasn't a great scorer –he recalls–, but I've always worked hard on the fundamentals. I think that everything that is happening now comes a little from me but it is also the result of Jasikevicius' work, I think I fit into the system. Against Madrid, Laprovittola has not failed as a Blaugrana. He averages 14 points in the last five classics, having reached 20 in two of them. It seems that white motivates him. “More than what I have shown this year, I think it is not possible. I have nothing to prove, my performance is seen on the track”, he wields. The man with the mustache has Madrid on his way.
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