Part 2 of this series is here. They say that hard work pays off. I suspect that this is not always true. Nevertheless, be joyful and grateful when it does. Credits Special thanks to biologist and nutritionist Sarah Pigozzo for the invaluable pieces of advice she has given me. Featured image source: https://deadline.com/video/uncle-drew-review-kyrie-irving-shaquille-oneal-lil-rel-howery/
The long and winding road to “professional amateurism” — Part 2
Part 1 of this series is here. The gym subscription I recently purchased includes the measurement of your body composition too. I jumped at this opportunity, and here is the measurement report: Interestingly, the instrument used for this purpose — which resembles an electronic scale — is capable of providing more information than the BMI … Continue reading The long and winding road to “professional amateurism” — Part 2
“Fascist” basketball
In recent times, the event of greatest hype in the basketball world has undoubtedly been Caitlin Clark's landing in the WNBA. As predicted by many observers, the facts are proving that we are not dealing with a mere sports event, but with something that deeply penetrates the political sphere too. Just type "Caitlin Clark WNBA" … Continue reading “Fascist” basketball
The second fundamental law of economics and finance
Recently, I published a new page on this website. It is entitled "The fundamental rules of economics and finance" and represents a sort of vademecum I have written to set some firm points I have learned throughout the years. I was so certain of their ineradicability that I had the audacity to refer to them … Continue reading The second fundamental law of economics and finance
The long and winding road to “professional amateurism”
Part 2 of this series is here. I know, the expression "professional amateurism" is an oxymoron. However, I think it is effective in describing one of the goals I would like to pursue in the second and final part of my professional life—the one I am currently entering as I approach fifty years old. From … Continue reading The long and winding road to “professional amateurism”
Sella Ronda Bike Day 2022
No words needed. The pictures speak for themselves. https://www.sellarondabikeday.com
Basketball Is Like Engineering
Basketball is like engineering: any theoretical lesson is useless unless you put into practice what you have been taught immediately. Featured images sources: https://www.pexels.com/photo/black-basketball-hoop-1331750/https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Expedition_36_flight_engineer_Chris_Cassidy.jpg
Equalized on a Basketball Court
Basketball fans who are old enough still remember the dramatic death of the player Reggie Lewis, which occurred literally on a basketball court. I was a teenager when it happened. Of course, I was impressed, but, although I already fell in love with basketball, I felt it as detached event. Luckily, when we are young, … Continue reading Equalized on a Basketball Court
No Space for Emotions in Sports Any More?
June 14th, 1998. Around 4:00am. I'm glued to the TV and I'm going to witness history in the making, but I am not yet aware of this. He steals the ball from Malone. He slowly and patiently crosses the mid-court line. The game is down the stretch, in the clutch, but he's not in a … Continue reading No Space for Emotions in Sports Any More?
There’s a New Kid in Town
Maybe all is not lost for true basketball lovers. A 19 year-old kid from Slovenia is showing the world that old school basketball is still alive. And it can be successful, too. Drafted in June 2018, Luka Dončić is proving to everyone that you can play the old way and yet be effective. This is … Continue reading There’s a New Kid in Town
AI Don’t Lie
Most basketball fans remember the famous sentence that Rasheed Wallace often repeated during the games: "ball don't lie." This post's title should be a reminder of that sentence. As a matter of fact, this article talks about the role Artificial Intelligence (AI) can play in basketball. Even though I never wrote an article on AI … Continue reading AI Don’t Lie
Apathy
A couple of months ago, my teammates and I organized a friendly basketball game between my amateur team and a team composed of players who were born around the year 2000 (technically speaking, they compete in the U20 local tournament). As usual, I was excited about the idea of playing against players that young. Although I … Continue reading Apathy
You Play to Win, Don’t You?
At first sight, this question sounds rhetorical to the majority of people living in the western world. We should not take for granted the answer, however. Some weeks ago I wrote a post on victory. Right after writing it, coincidentally I had the chance to discuss on another blog a different topic related to victory … Continue reading You Play to Win, Don’t You?
An Obsession for Victory
I have always been fascinated by top athletes who spend their entire lives aiming at one goal: winning. Michael Jordan, Michael Phelps, and Roger Federer are examples of this elite group of people. Anyone who has ever practiced a sport knows well that an extremely rare combination of factors is required to reach—and to keep—such … Continue reading An Obsession for Victory
Please, Don’t Call It Basketball Anymore
On several occasions, I stated what I think about current basketball (for instance, see the following posts: Basketball 1.0, True basketball, and Pristine basketball). After watching some games of the 2018 NCAA tournament, I have to admit that my beloved college basketball has been corrupted as well. It is not as unwatchable as the NBA … Continue reading Please, Don’t Call It Basketball Anymore
Pristine basketball
Thanks to some days off work, last November I had the chance to read the book "Coach Wooden and me", written by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. As stated in the title, the book primarily talks about how the friendship between coach John Wooden and the author developed throughout the decades, despite the fact that he played for … Continue reading Pristine basketball
The communication as a form of power
Being an engineer, I have several friends who fill similar technical positions in the companies they work for. Quite often, we have the opportunity to talk about our jobs. One of the questions that rises more frequently is: in general, why do the sales guys earn more money than the technical people? Obviously, the thought … Continue reading The communication as a form of power
Teamwork and communication
In 2016 I attended a course about the communication strategies in politics. Although it dealt with some specific techniques used in this context, the basic mechanisms it illustrated are valid for the communication in general. The course was held by a mental coach who has specialized to work with politicians and work/sports teams. Therefore, I took … Continue reading Teamwork and communication
True basketball
L'anno scorso ho scritto un post su come sia cambiata la pallacanestro negli utlmi anni. Recentemente, la FIBA ha ufficializzato una serie di modifiche regolamentari che rafforzeranno ulteriormente questo trend, snaturando ancora di più lo sport che tanto amo. Per questo motivo, io e l'amico Davide stiamo cercando di organizzare un torneo (denominato True Basketball … Continue reading True basketball
How to measure the greatness?
Occasionally, I write comments on a blog that talks mainly about basketball and sports in general. With some of the frequent readers the same old debate arises again and again: who are the greatest basketball players of all time? Of course, every time this question is raised, it is followed by endless discussions. In general, … Continue reading How to measure the greatness?
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