First things first: my name is Mattia and I'm from Cuggiono, a small town near Milan, Italy.
Instead of playing soccer, I've always wanted to play basketball and that's why I decided to start doing that around 1st grade. I played for my home team up until 7th grade then, due to the fact that there wasn't a team for boys of my age here, I decided to take a brake and try other sports, but the passion for the game was always there. That's why I decided, after a few years playing for different teams, to come back to play for my home town team. A big part of my decision to start playing again was also influenced by a team that I started to root for during that period: the Detroit Pistons.
Having relatives in the Detroit area (my uncle lives in Grand Rapids and my cousin is from Bloomfield Hills) make that choice even easier. I was always hearing about this pistons team, but since I din't have the possibility to watch NBA games on TV, I wasn't that much interested in it, but it all changed back in 04. my uncle was back in Italy visiting the family right after the Pistons won the Finals. He gave me a Pistons jersey and that, with the fact that I finally had a pc only for me, that was it.
As a basketball player, I love playing hard–nose defense, working hard and be very physical on the defensive end. To put it simple: I just happened to have that "going to work pistons mentality" without even knowing it. with every video I watched, with every article I read, I just fell in love with this team.
(This is how I always go to practice)
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Since then I started reading every statistic, every article and every rumor about the Pistons. I also watch the games whenever I can even if they are in very late here in Italy (about 2/3 am) due to the different time zone
You can imagine how pumped up I was when, in 09, being in Detroit for my Uncle's wedding, I had the opportunity of having a tour of the Palace of Auburn Hills! it was such an emotional moment for me and everyone there was extremely kind to me: they also gave me a pistons bag with some Pistons stuff in it to remember my visit!
Here are some photos from my visit at the Palace:
Photo with the champs!
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Me with the sound tech guy:
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what was in the bag part one:
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what was in the bag (and the bag itself) part 2:
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looking to the rafters from the court:
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In the Locker room
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Up above:
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Tayshaun's suite
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Lunch time with a familiar face:
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I thought it would fun to remember how the love for our Detroit Pistons began and to remember that, even if we may be a few years away from being a serious contender once again, we'll always be a big blue, red and white family!
Deeeeeetroit! Basketbaaaaaaall!
Mattia
. Although I had no to little idea that team was great. Anyway me and my best friend back then, around 2003, started follow and play basketball. We were playing it, we occasionally went to seeing our local club or elder guys around park, we were playing NBA Live series on PC and PS. I played around with Pistons because of Okur on those games. As a 12 year old kid who is from way back East watching the actual games was hard but I actually have watched some. Remember watching a game of Bucks series, away win, not sure which one. Billups' half court shot against Nets, the block, last match before finals. My friend said we should bet over Finals and picked Lakers. After that he became a Wade fan as Wade improved (TMac fan in West) and our competition went on as our interest in game is increased.