Inter defender Alessandro Bastoni feels that basketball and the NBA are a source of big inspiration to him.
Speaking to UEFA, via FCInterNews, the 23-year-old named Golden State Warriors point guard Steph Curry as a major source of inspiration to his game, and drew comparisons between the increasing positional fluidity within football and the style of basketball.
There have long been strong connections between football and basketball, as there have been across a number of different sports.
A number of players make no secret of their interest in basketball, whilst AC Milan coach Stefano Pioli is among the coaches to have spoken openly about the influence that his interest in the sport has had in how he approaches football.
Bastoni is an NBA fan, and he feels that it’s not just about enjoying the sport of basketball, but that it’s also something that has an influence on his own style on the football pitch.
“I come from a small town called Piadena with a population of just three thousand, but there’s a big basketball culture there,” the defender noted.
“I went to watch the games on Saturday nights,” he continued.
Bastoni explained that “I grew up with basketball, and it’s a sport that I’m very passionate about along with football.”
He added that “My favourite player is Steph [Curry[, and I try to take a lot from his game, especially in terms of his vision for the game.”
Bastoni then remarked that “The way that football is going, it’s less and less important what position you play and everyone does a bit of everything, which is where we can learn from basketball.”