From the US to PalaBigi to meet Winston: "He's one of the most beloved Spartans ever"

Da Michigan State al PalaBigi to see Cassius winston. The star-spangled elf has remained in the annals of his college as one of the strongest players seen on the Spartans parquet to the point of pushing two young American boys, Aidan Davis and Matteo Castiglioni, who attend the American university, to attend the match a few days ago Basketball Champions League against Manresa to shake hands with their idol. "We were at a Michigan State basketball game - says Matteo - in East Lansing earlier this year when they showed some highlights of Cassius. I am originally from Milan but moved to Detroit, Michigan, when I was six years old. We came to Italy to visit my grandparents and family. After finding out that Winston now plays in Reggio and seeing that the city is a couple of hours from Milan, we thought we would take a trip to see Cassius up close."

What were your feelings about the match? "We had never been - Aidan intervenes - to a European sporting event, so we had no idea what to expect. Being from Detroit and attending Michigan State University, we have attended many NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL and NCAA sporting events, however, the atmosphere at the PalaBigi was different. The passion of the fans was fascinating, especially those with the flags: it is something that does not happen in the United States, but it made the atmosphere and the experience much more beautiful".

What did Winston say to you when he saw you? "We made sure to wear Michigan State basketball jerseys and he noticed us at halftime and gave us a big smile. After the game, we took a picture, he wanted to give us his game jersey but he said he wasn't allowed but thanked us for coming to see him." So is it true that Cassius is one of the idols at Michigan State? "Yes," Matteo continues, "he is one of the most beloved players ever. Not only was he a great player at Michigan State, but he was also a great person off the court that our community looked up to. The university has approximately fifty thousand students and six hundred thousand alumni spread across the world. Cassius is compared to people like Erving 'Magic' Johnson who attended and played at Michigan State in the 70s, and is one of the best players of any sport to have worn the Michigan uniform. He led our university to multiple conference championships and even a March Madness Final Four (the NCAA national finals), beat out Zion Williamson who became the first pick in the NBA draft that year and overcame top-seeded Duke University. He became one of the most decorated players in the history of the university and was named the Big Ten Conference Player of the Year in 2019, finishing his college career as the Big Ten's all-time assist leader."

Have you had the opportunity to play against him on the basketball court? “Before I attended Michigan State University,” Aidan says, “I remember watching Cassius beat my high school team, Birmingham Groves High School, in 2016, leading his high school in Detroit, UofD Jesuit, to a Division 1 state championship, and going on to be named Michigan’s Mr. Basketball, which is a very important honor in the United States.”

Did you get a chance to visit Reggio? "Unfortunately, we didn't, we flew back to Milan right after the game, so we didn't get to see much of Reggio. However, the PalaBigi was super welcoming and everyone we interacted with, the fans, the staff and the team, were very welcoming and great. It was also really cool to find out and see that Kobe Bryant grew up watching his father play for Pallacanestro Reggiana. We didn't know Joe 'Jelly Bean' Bryant played here in Italy, so it was awesome to see the dedications to Kobe outside the building."

So Unahotels has two new fans? "Absolutely! We will be cheering - concludes Aidan - for Reggiana in the league and in the Champions League, we will continue to follow the team on social media. We will definitely be back in the future, in fact it would be great if Pallacanestro Reggiana came to Michigan State for an exhibition game at the Breslin Center, our home field; I think Cassius could help sell out the 16.000 seats, since he is so beloved here in Michigan".