Playing in Italy: It’s Fantastico : Ferry Could Like It So Much That He’ll Stay

It sounds like a dream asignment: as much as $2 million to play about 30 games of basketball while living amid the stunning splendors of Rome. Tooling around town in a Lamborghini or Maserati. Postgame meals of scampi and risotto washed down with Frascati. Midnight strolls along the Tiber or in the Piazza Navona, where you can encounter some of the world’s best ice cream or most glamorous women.

Those puzzled by Danny Ferry’s decision to shun the Clippers in favor of playing in Italy for a year may not realize some of the great experiences that may await a 22-year-old American with the imagination to expose himself to the finest in European civilization and debauchery, with a lot of time and money to enjoy both.

The whirlwind courtship that led to Ferry’s snub of the Clippers in favor of Messaggero Rome virtually assures him of superstar status in a country that has embraced basketball with a fanaticism previously reserved only for soccer. Some of the American players who have preceded him in going to Europe have found life so exquisite that they decided to remain forever, in many cases marrying native women and changing nationalities.

The vaunted style and hospitality will mean virtually all doors in Italian society will be flung open. High-powered industrialists, who often serve as the sugar daddies of European teams, are all too willing to proffer financial advice, investment opportunities and endorsement ideas. With the help of such well-heeled groupies, American players in Europe have been known to plunge into lucrative sideline pursuits involving the wine-export business, veterinary medicine, radio talk shows and the modeling of high-fashion suits in Milan.

On the court young Ferry will discover some pleasant advantages in choosing the more elegant and fastidious style of the European game over the rigorous and more brutal nature of the NBA.

A greater premium on shooting and the intolerance of referees for violent jostling under the backboards will result in fewer bruises and less wear and tear on the body. That has enabled many former NBA stars, such as Bob McAdoo and Spencer Haywood, to prolong their careers well beyond retirement age in the United States.

Road trips also will prove less grueling: Short hops from Rome to Venice bear little in common with transcontinental red-eye trips, and gondola cruises afford more relaxation and stimulation than hotel lobbies in Cleveland.

With only one or two games a week on the schedule, and a very Mediterranean attitude toward practice sessions, professional basketball in Italy almost can seem like the sporting pursuit of a gentleman of leisure compared to the ruthless Darwinism of the NBA. But those appearances can be deceptive.

If your team does not win, forget about looking elsewhere to place the blame. As the prized American import earning a salary more than 10 times that of the best-paid Italian, you will be the scapegoat for losing games even if you score 40 points, pull down 20 rebounds and all but spoon-feed layups to your teammates.

If you succumb to the abundance of the dining-table temptations and put on 10 or 20 pounds in the first weeks--an affliction that strikes many of the American players arriving in Italy--be prepared for serious grumbling from the owners. If your game falls below par or your team loses, be stoic when they place you on a penitent diet of spinach and water. Or else be ready to dispense with part of your paycheck for the hefty fines when you indulge in a pasta fix.

When you play away games against gritty little teams in Sardinia, where the entire village is poised to celebrate for a week if the local team can defeat Rome and its million-dollar American, be prepared for nothing short of guerrilla warfare. Referees will be cowed into whistling you for fouls if you come close to breathing on an opponent. Maniacal fans have been known to heat up 100-lira coins with their cigarette lighters and toss them at the American star. When the crowd runs out of change, burning cigars and cigarettes may rain down on you-- especially if you are causing their team to lose.

A smart American player will make the best possible effort to learn the native language as quickly as possible. But as you go through culture shock in the early phase of your stay, don’t be too bewildered when scenes of Babel-like confusion surround you. Well-meaning coaches will try to bridge the communication gap with their English, and many of the Europeans are impressively fluent in the American lexicon of the sport. But don’t lose your cool when, in the heat of the game, you hear the coach rabidly exhorting you to “make breakfast” when he really means you should join the fast break.

If you approach the season with a sense of adventure and respect for another culture as well as an air of bemusement, you cannot fail to have a great time as well as acquire a great education in a unique kind of life abroad. You can always come home next year to try your luck in the NBA. But there is also a chance you may not wish to do so.