Boy Scout

Why does Maruizio Gheradini work so hard for the Euroleage? He does it for the kids, obviously.

In an odd description of his first encounter with a then-16 Andrea Barnagni, euroleague exec Maurizio Gherardini says:

"Immediately, I was surprised by, how you say, his athleticism. I was surprised my how smooth he was. He could move. It was then, the flirting began."

Ok. That's a little weird. The article continues:

For almost eight months, Gherardini offered and Bargnani declined. He said no. His parents said no. The push continued.

No means no. But some loves cannot be denied.
"You have to see him," said Gherardini, his eyes lighting up. "You won't believe it until you see him. You have no idea no strong he is. You have no idea how smooth he is. He is not a kid anymore. Now he is not afraid.”

Now I'm officially creeped out. The article doesn't mention it, but I suspect he also gave Bargnani wine and took shirtless pictures of him in his bicycle shop.