Maurizio... Signing Off...

June 5, 4:12 p.m. I will be leaving soon to go back to Italy for the Reebok Eurocamp, the top showcase for European young talents. A year ago I was actually the host, as we’ve been organizing the event in Treviso for the past few seasons. I worked on every detail of the camp and readied the welcome for all the NBA people scheduled to come. This time, I will be sitting in the stands with all of them, attending an event that we all worked hard to grow while at Benetton. My first year as an NBA executive, my rookie year, is coming to an end and so is this blog which I was happy to share with our fans and readers all over the basketball world. It has been a year to remember, from Bryan’s unexpected phone call late at night inviting me to join the Raptors, to the family “time-out” and the whole decision making process, from the last championship win with Benetton to Andrea Bargnani’s choice as first overall pick in the draft, from the excitement of our first workouts in Waterloo and the exhibition season where we started to feel the embrace of our ‘red fans’. There were visits through the season from friends, media and people from the international basketball community. There was New Year’s Eve and my family coming over to celebrate, my first blizzard and discovering a city I have come to love. I was at the hockey game where Mats Sundin scored his 500th goal and came to understand even better what hockey means to Toronto and Canada. I traveled everywhere throughout the basketball world and managed a flight from Moscow to Toronto to Las Vegas to catch the NBA All-Star game. The season has brought CB4’s further steps to absolute stardom, TJ’s amazing speed, Jorge’s heart and tears, MoPete’s unbelievable shot at the buzzer, Andrea’s three pointers, Anthony’s class, Jose’s solid growth as well as the growth of our whole team. I learned what a “magic number” meant and witnessed a season that began as an Ugly Duckling evolve into a swan. I saw the raising of our first Atlantic Division banner and felt goosebumps on the tip-off of Game 1 of the playoffs. I experienced the disappointment of our first-round loss to New Jersey very early in the morning by watching TV in my hotel room in Athens where I was scouting the EuroLeague Final Four. I remember we started our season with a wish: for the Raptors to be contenders. Toronto is a great place to be and I believe the Raptors delivered the message. That’s why Bryan, Coach Sam, the players and all the other people involved in the organization deserve so much credit. And it’s a great feeling, going back to the Eurocamp, to be associated with a team on the rise. It was a beautiful year, my rookie year. I hope I never loose the feeling of being new: the excitement, the passion of this wonderful challenge. And so the circle is complete and it is time for a farewell to the people who read this blog and those who gave me the opportunity to write it. Enjoy your summer.