ROBERT "TRACTOR" TRAYLOR photo Lorenzo Montanari

Naples, a suggestive city in south Italy with a great basketball history, is the brand new home of Robert “Tractor” Traylor. The former Michigan Wolverine has just arrived in Italy from Turkey (Antalya Kepez Belediyesi) to help Martos Naples overcome a seven-game losing steak.

With new players like Traylor and the other former Cavalier Damon Jones, Naples is stepping up slowly, trying to find a new balance with the help of the newcomers and with a young new coach (Federico Pasquini, the front office dismissed coach Franco Marcelletti after two games in regular season). Martos Naples is missing a point guard like the desert misses the rain, but the rest of the team is absolutely competitive for the Italian League’s level.

We met Robert Traylor during Martos Naples road trip to Ferrara, facing Carife Ferrara.

What about the differences between NBA basketball and european basketball?

For sure in the NBA there are too many games, the NBA regular season are 82 games, in Europe the season are more or less 30 games, and if you play for Euroleague or another Cup’s team, you can play few more. Probably also the speed of the game is different, the NBA is faster, a lot of young guys try to play fast break ball, to be athletic on the court, and all the europeans who come in the NBA are hungry and motivated, trying to be at the same level.

MVP of 1997 NIT Finals at The Garden. Your memories?

It was a tremendous experience, we got a great team on those years, sometimes during 1997 season we weren’t able to play as our best, but in the end of the season we demonstrated what we really could be, and it was a joy for me to be the player who came out for the MVP, to me it was a stepping stone, it was the moment to say “ok, I wanna be a player, I wanna be the guy who can have a chance to play in the NBA.” Has been a great experience for me and my teammates, one of the best things I remember, and one of greatest moments of my career.

Are you planning on going back to the NBA? Do you like to be in Europe?

I don’t know, I’m taking it one year at a time. I like to play in Europe. It’s great for myself to play here. I have a chance to be competitive. I’m working hard to do my best for the team, I’m also trying to help young guys to improve their game for their careers. As I told you before, it’s a little bit different to play in here, but I like where I am. I’m having a great experience in Naples and in Europe.

About LeBron?

Wow, LeBron is a tremendous player. I had a great experience playing with him, one of my best experience on a basketball court. He can do whatever he wants on a court, he’s unbelievable, he’s a man on a mission. He’s a leader, he looks at the way you play, and after he can tell you when to shoot, when not to shoot, when you need the ball, when you don’t need it. I played with LeBron in his early years in the NBA, and he was incredible, always focused on the game, not easy for a 20-year-old guy trying to find a way to improve his game and his team’s game. LeBron will accomplish the mission.