Vildoza made his Bucks jersey debut against Chicago, in a game in which he tripled and played eight minutes.
Luca Vildoza lives in “child’s dream”. The 26-year-old point guard from Mar del Plata is playing in the NBA playoffs wearing the jersey of the last champion, Milwaukee, which he joined in early April and where he debuted on the 22nd of that month, in the third game of the NBA series. first round against the Chicago Bulls, which his new team won 4-1. More than a month after his arrival and amid the Eastern semifinal clash, in which the Bucks beat Boston 2-1-on Monday they played their fourth local game-, the Argentine reviewed how his first week in the franchise and made sure he still didn’t dare think of the chance to shout champion in the world’s most competitive basketball league.
“I don’t really want to think about it, I realized that we could win the title when we eliminated Chicago. But if I think about it, I can’t really sleep. It would be a dream to say that another Argentine has won the ring. NBA, “he said in a chat with “The Ortega Program” radio mark from Spain.
When he found out that Vildoza was leaving baskonia, of the ACB League, to put on the Wisconsin franchise’s “6” jersey, he explained that, although it wasn’t an easy decision, he wanted and needed “concrete utopia.” “This is what I projected when I was a kid and played in the bedroom at home with my dad. Playing in the NBA for me was the ultimate dream,” he had declared. And so he adopted it in the last hours.
Luca Vildoza smiled as he signed the contract with the Bucks. (twitter)
“I’m living a dream, seven months ago I was undergoing surgery and now I’m in a conference final with the best, “he said, recalling the left foot operation he underwent in October last year.
It was only after New York, a franchise he joined in May without a guaranteed bond, decided to end his contract. The man from Mar del Plata, who has not played any official games against the Knicks, acknowledged it was a difficult moment.
“The difficulty, I almost made an NBA team, I almost remember. And the difficulty of the first few months after the operation, I tried to walk again, but it hurt. But I don’t want to remember, it’s in the past. Now I’m in the NBA, ” he says.
“When I started to heal there was already contact from my agent in Milwaukee to try me outThey want to check on me. Then I played the qualifying windows for the World Cup with the Argentine team and I got sick. After that the call came and suddenly my foot no longer hurt and I ended up convincing them to stay here as well. He was the final champion and I am so thankful. I put in a lot to get back in the best way, but here we are, ”he said.
Reaching out to the Bucks for the Argentine also means the chance to share on the court, locker room and daily with Giannis Antetokounmpo, MVP of the Finals last year and the great figure of the defending champion.
“What you see on television can’t even be compared to what it is in person. What surprised me the most was his humility, how he tries to convey to all parts of it, he’s not a star who’s always looking. His annotation, read Everything is very good. I see him working every day to improve his shots, his skills, and always trying to please all the players on the team “, commented Vildoza.
He also remembers making his debut in that game against Chicago, where he entered with 8 minutes remaining and two seconds left in the fourth quarter, was on the court until the end of the game and contributed three points (a triple), three assists, two . steals and rebounds to seal the Bucks ’victory.
“A lot of things went through my mind on the day of my debut, I thought about my family, my friends, everything I went through because of the injury, moments when I couldn’t even put my foot down. It was a very good reward to be able to debut against the Bulls in an NBA Playoff, “he said.
That was the only game in which the man from Mar del Plata fed his personal stats. He played again – just two minutes – nine days later, in the fifth game against the Bulls in which Milwaukee closed out the series. On May 1, he was on the court one minute in the first semis game against Boston (101-89 win) and became the ninth Argentine to play in the NBA Conference semifinals. He added two more minutes in the second game, which the Celtics took 109-86. And he didn’t go into third, left in the hands of his team 103-101 to uneven the series 2-1. But the lack of shooting didn’t worry him.
“Now I’m very happy to be healthy, I didn’t really care what I played here. I focus more on the summer and next season because that’s where I have to earn,” he assured.
“The difference between the NBA and other leagues is you don’t realize until you face them, the physique is impressive, it’s more dynamic, but over time you get used to it and you realize you’re competing against the best on the planet, “he added. “Since I came, I feel at home. I’m happy with my teammates, with the team, with the organization, with everything. I’m working to improve and to show who I am. But above all, I’m enjoying a lot Myself”.
Source: Clarin
