What had begun as a version of the American media, this Wednesday became official: the Argentine point guard Luca Vildoza became a new player for the Milwaukee Bucks, the current NBA champions, ahead of the playoffs that will begin on Saturday, April 16.
The Bucks are third in the Eastern Conference, with a record of 48 wins and 30 losses, behind the Boston Celtics and the Miami Heat, and are candidates to repeat the title they achieved last season. The injury of George Hill, the substitute point guard, opened the doors for Vildoza, who was already announced on the team’s Twitter account and who will wear the jersey of the franchise based in the state of Wisconsin. The great star of the Bucks is the Greek intern Giannis Antetokounmpo, 27, who was elected the Most Valuable Player of the regular phase (MVP) twice and once of the finals.
The Argentine basketball player, a regular player for the national team, had an unfortunate stint in the NBA, since an injury to his right foot prevented him from debuting with the New York Knicks and adding minutes after the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. With only a few minutes in preseason friendlies, the man from Mar del Plata became a free agent.
The agreement included a three-year contract, which was not guaranteed, but due to the physical problem he had, New York decided to dispense with his services. Faced with this situation, Vildoza underwent surgery, underwent rehabilitation in Argentina and trained alone during these eight months in San Lorenzo, in Obras Basket, in Quilmes in Mar del Plata and in Baskonia in Spain, with the aim of returning to his best version. Even in February he already added his first official minutes with the shirt of the Argentine team in the American Cup against the Dominican Republic and Venezuela.
With his new landing in the NBA, the man from Mar del Plata will be the third Argentine in the current season of the North American League, along with Facundo Campazzo in the Denver Nuggets and Leandro Bolmaro in the Minnesota Timberwolves, although for the moment the two are out of the call for their respective coaches. Vildoza, 26, will be the sixteenth Argentine in the competition, since Rubén Wolkowyski and Juan Ignacio Sánchez joined in the 2000/2001 season.
Vildoza, born in Quilmes de Mar del Plata in the National League, jumped to Spanish basketball in 2016 to play for Baskonia, where he was champion and the MVP of the 2020 ACB League finals with 17 points, 2 assists, 4 rebounds and 20 rating.
