LeBron “hypocritical and arrogant”, Curry “exhibitionist and narcissistic”. «Nba confidential», secrets and vices of the stars – Corriere.it

Did you know that Stephen Curry has the air of a good boy but sometimes he also has the typical attitudes of someone who flaunts a presumptuous blue-blooded nobility?. Or would you have ever imagined that LeBron James is not just a center mover of the NBA current – ​​indeed, probably, the engine center – but also an intriguing careerist who has ruined the game out of lust for power? Two of the ten profiles treated are enough to understand that NBA confidentiala book written by Riccardo Pratesi for Diarkos Edizioni, opens up an unprecedented journey into the world of professional basketball: the various characters are not outlined facts and triumphs, but also misdeeds and sides if not exactly obscure certainly much less known.

Born in Siena in 1975 in Pratesi, from 2014 until recently he worked in the USA for the Gazzetta dello Sport and for Sky Sport 24, dealing with professional sports with stars and stripes and basketball in particular. First of all I started following Marco Belinelli since he became champion with the San Antonio Spurs. I followed him, changing cities myself, in many of his team changes, but I also made choices to cover American areas and, consequently, more disciplines. For sure, basketball was my main point of reference.

Here is the story about franchise men and pack leaders. Stories and plots, jealousies and locker room alliances. The champions of American basketball beyond the figurine, demystified and told for those who are behind the scenes, with their strengths and weaknesses, including those of a human nature. Curry, Ginobili
, Butler, Jokic, Doncic, James, Paul, Durant, Antetokounmpo, Duncan: the choice fell on these players, two of whom, Manu Ginobili and Tim Duncan (former teammates in San Antonio), ended their careers. I have dedicated a chapter to each of them because they are certainly ten giants of parquet – comments Pratesi -; but in their stories, basketball can also be framed as an enchanting accessory. I then added an eleventh profile, that of Belinelli, to let Marco tell me how to live in the horde of pack leaders, as a role player.

So let’s quote some passages by Pratellesi on the individual protagonists, starting with LeBron James: There is boundless admiration for the champion and for the steely will of the man. For social commitment and solidarity. But there is also the dismay of seeing the hypocrisy and arrogance of the phenomenon that has been able to transform itself from scratch into the Sun King. About Stephen Curry: If anything exhibitionist and narcissist, in a context of a musical band of which he would be the vocalist. But he likes to share the party with the other “musicians” and with the public, to entertain. Here, this is his revolution: from him another music on the NBA parquet. Here’s Kevin during: In his galaxy, the end always justifies the means. So not only passed to the enemy, but he did backstabbing former comrades.

There are not only negative backgrounds. NBA confidential also an opportunity to rehabilitate stereotyped images. For example that of Jimmy Butler, ace under the Miami Heat. Jimmy portrayed by the American media as if he were a villain. What’s true? Nothing. But Butler does not please the interlocutors – not a standard product of the system. And who does not comply, not tolerated. So he is considered a bad apple, although not at all like that.

The choice of ten players (plus one, as we have seen) could only be one of the possible interpretations. And certainly not exhaustive compared to a truly vast and varied world. However, Pratellesi has tried to broaden the scope to create something broader and more complete: in the final part of the volume, therefore, he added the portraits of the legendary franchise men of the past and then took a leap into the future: what will be next? Last but not leastthere is the gloss on American media, in perennial balance between news and narrative: If you think that marketing needs can interfere with the way a champion figure is disclosed to the public, you’ll find confirmation here. And you will discover, on the contrary, what the true face of a particular player is.