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24/06/2025
Redazione Napoli Basket
Today, on board the MSC "Magnifica", a press conference was held to present the new company structure of the Blue Club. President Matt Rizzetta, partner Dan Doyle, new General Manager James Laughlin and Coach Alessandro Magro attended, along with all the members of the new Napoli Basket company. The event was an opportunity to unveil to the media and numerous sponsors present the new official logo of the blue company.
Statement by President Matt Rizzetta:
"Our project will be based on a set of values, uniquely Neapolitan, starting with those familiar. The Neapolitan community is international, global, but linked to values that we all share. We will try to create a family that carries on a sport perhaps secondary in Italy, but which is of absolute importance in America. This project will be ambitious, but it will take the right planning, without making unnecessary proclamations that have nothing to do with our spirit of humility. We will start right away with an important, but intelligent project. What I am asking for is the opportunity to earn your trust by learning and improving and raising the bar in the future. It will also be an international project, we are already moving in America to create synergies that can give us added value. It won’t be easy, but with the right work, we can open up to an international market that other teams in Italy don’t have. I am a fan of the NBA, raised when Shaq dominated, has a global appeal, everyone recognizes him in a nice and respectful way. We discussed the project with him and his manager, also in love with the project, Shaq is a man of the people. I think we can say that in one way or another it will be part of this project."
Statement by Dan Doyle:
"I am very happy to be here. My family is from this land. I am a business man, although my family is very close to basketball. Matt Rizzetta’s project impressed me very much and I decided to marry him. When you build an organization it’s like a company, it starts with people. We will go step by step, we would like to win immediately, but it will be a process, you have to do things the right way. We aim to have the right "culture". I will be special advisor of Matt Rizzetta, we are very serious about this project, when we do something we want to make it better".
Statement by James Laughlin:
"This is the first time in Italy for me. We do not have a button to press to operate immediately, but we must do everything step by step, making the right decisions. We will try to do the best for the city and the team of Naples. What I will bring here will be my work culture. Basketball is basketball everywhere. We want to try to find the most suitable players for our needs. Being aligned with the basketball culture is critical to thinking big. Coach Magro is the right person to lead the team. I was convinced from the first moment that I had contact with him".
Statements by Coach Magro:
"As with Brescia, I inherit a team that has been saved, but needs to be rebuilt. With them we started 3-6, then after the FIBA break we hit the record of 14 wins in a row and closed the season 21-9. To succeed we had a team that with the Naples of the future must have a common word: sharing. Share ball in attack and efforts in defense, fight together and show something more from the point of view of physical, athletic and motivation. You know how my teams play. In relation to team building, we do not want to sign players who come here without the right motivation to grow, also I would like to take advantage of my latest experience in Lithuania and integrate it into my way of coaching. I chose Naples because you make certain choices with your heart and this city is a unique place, with a fire that never goes out and with a huge potential."