Sr. NBA Draft Analyst Matt Babcock shares his experience of
moving to Bologna, Italy, where he became an assistant coach for a
professional basketball team before becoming a sports agent. Check
out part 1 about how he got his
start and part 2 about helping players
prepare for the 2006 NBA Draft.
It was 2006, I was 22-years old and I was set to begin my first
full-time job out of college as an assistant coach for Virtus
Bologna, a professional basketball team in Bologna, Italy. Before
leaving for Europe, I stayed at my parents' house in Milwaukee,
Wisconsin. I had received my travel itinerary via email, so I
packed up all of my stuff, purchased a couple of Italian
phrasebooks and hugged my mom. Then, my dad drove me to Chicago for
my flight, and before I knew it, I was off to Italy.
After a long travel day, I made it to Bologna. I had not been
given many details about my arrangements before landing. I knew
that I would be an assistant coach and that the team would cover
all of my expenses, but I didn't know where I would be living. I
didn't even know if anyone would pick me up at the airport. I
didn't have anyone's contact info from the team. To say an unknown
world awaited me would be a significant understatement. I was a bit
anxious.
I exited the plane and made my way to the baggage claim. I had
hoped to see a driver holding a big sign with my name, but I did
not see anyone like that. I collected my two massive bags that
contained pretty much everything I owned at that point, took a seat
and waited, hoping someone from the team was coming to pick me up.
I was exhausted and grew increasingly anxious the longer I waited.
I began to think, "Did I make a mistake coming here?"
Finally, a man approached me and said with a thick Italian
accent, "Matt?"
I felt like I had been rescued from a deserted island.
The man pointed to a logo on his shirt that read, "Virtus
Bologna." It was evident that he did not speak English. I didn't
speak any Italian, so I'm sure you can imagine how everything
carried on. We shook hands, and he directed me to follow him to his
car, which was seemingly a team-issued van. After about a
twenty-minute drive and no words exchanged, we arrived at a small
hotel. A receptionist translated for us when we walked into the
hotel, which was a huge relief. She explained that the team was on
the road, but someone would reach out to me on the hotel phone the
next day. (I didn't use my cell phone, as international roaming
charges were costly at the time.)
I was exhausted but also starving, so I asked the receptionist
if any restaurants would be serving food at that hour. She directed
me to a place nearby. I walked into the restaurant, and no one
spoke English very well. I sat down at a table with my Italian
phrasebook in hand. I ordered a pizza and a glass of red wine—I was
in Italy, after all. After a long day and night, I was tired and
stressed. Having been a young guy on my own in a foreign country
was difficult. The language barrier was challenging, and all of the
unknowns were nerve-wracking. I again questioned if I had made the
right decision accepting that job. However, the waitress brought
out my pizza and glass of red wine, and let me tell you, they were
perhaps the best things I had ever tasted in my entire life!
Subsequently, my stress subsided a bit, and although I still didn't
know what to expect next, I could relax and appreciate the
opportunity.
The following day, I woke up at about 3:00 AM because of jet
lag. After hours of killing time, a man named Daniele Cavicchi
called me on the hotel phone. He introduced himself in a thick
Italian accent, saying he was the team's assistant coach (there was
only one before I came). He told me they were happy to have me and
that he would pick me up in a few hours. He explained that the team
had the day off, but I would meet with the head coach and general
manager.
When Daniele picked me up, I instantly liked him and thought he
was a nice guy. Although he was older than I was, maybe in his late
20s, he was a relatively young coach. So he naturally became my
"go-to guy" while I was there. Anyway, we got into his car, and we
were off to the practice facility. He told me that he was from
Bologna and would show me around the town. He gave me the lay of
the land as we drove around, similar to a tour guide. Daniele
explained that it was essentially a college town, with the
university being the oldest in the world, established in 1088. He
continued to explain that within Italy, a country known for its
food and wine, that specific region was the best and even the home
of bolognese sauce. It had been dark the night before when I
arrived, so that car ride with Daniele was when I realized that
Bologna was an extraordinary place, rich in culture and history.
The more he described the city, and the more I saw it, the more
excited I became to be there. I couldn't believe that was where I
would be living. It felt like a dream come true.
When we arrived at the team's offices, my first meeting was with
the team's head coach, Zare Markowski. A classy gentleman from
Macedonia, he was a veteran coach that seemed to have coached
nearly everywhere at some point in his career. Our initial meeting
was brief as he pretty much just welcomed me. However, despite only
meeting with him briefly, I found him to be a charming guy.
My second meeting was with the general manager, Piergiorgio
Bottai, a businessman from "Roma." After meeting him, it was
apparent from his enthusiasm that he was the main reason I was
there. He outlined his vision for me and laid out the details of my
arrangements during my stay. He told me I would be an assistant
coach, and my primary responsibility was to develop their players
individually. They also wanted me to occasionally direct the youth
team's practices with a translator. He continued to tell me that
they had an apartment for me in the "city centre," which also
happened to be in the same building as the team's owner. I would
have access to a nice restaurant, and I could eat there whenever
I'd like, order whatever I'd like and always put it on the team's
tab. He then explained that Mercedes-Benz sponsored the team, so
players and staff members were given courtesy cars, myself
included. It was apparent that the team had intended to take great
care of me while I was there.
Following my meetings, Daniele brought me downstairs to give me
all of the team-issued gear: a team jacket, polos, t-shirts, etc. I
felt part of the team, and everyone was very welcoming.
After leaving the practice facility, Daniele and I had a great
dinner at the team restaurant, and then I settled into my apartment
afterward. It was "perfetto." The following day was my first day of
practice, where I was set to be introduced to the team as their new
assistant coach. Although it had been a hectic couple of days, and
I was nearly 5,000 miles from home, I went to sleep that night with
my mind at ease. Everything was "molto bene!"