NBA
Facundo Campazzo wants another chance to play in the NBA
James is a Basketball Insiders contributor. He earned his bachelor's degree in English and Creative Writing at Southern New Hampshire University. James enjoys watching sports and helping gamblers win money.
All posts by James FoglioUpdated2 hours ago on April 19, 2024
Facundo Campazzo is seeking another chance to play in the NBA. The 5’10” guard played professional basketball in Argentina and Spain before signing a multi-year deal with the Denver Nuggets on November 30, 2020.
On Monday, in an interview with Argentinian newspaper “La Nacion,” the 31-year-old reiterated his desire to continue to play professional basketball in the NBA.
— Facu Campazzo (@facucampazzo) August 14, 2022
“I want to stay in the NBA, I think I showed that I can compete when I’m good,” explained Facundo Campazzo. “When they give me confidence and I feel part of the rotation.”
“In fact, in the playoffs the first year I was a starter, except for the last game. And in the regular season, I played a lot. But be careful, I’m not saying no to Real Madrid. What I am saying is that my attention and my energy are focused on the NBA. My first option is that.”
“That is the message,” continued Campazzo. “I feel like an NBA player, and I want to stay at that level. Because anything can happen, because it is uncertain, you improve, and you have every motivation to evolve. That’s kind of the way of thinking.”
“Real Madrid is the biggest club in Europe and being part of that club, helped me to be in the NBA. But the reality is that I want to focus on staying in the United States.”
Facundo Campazzo enjoys playing in the NBA
The NBA is the wealthiest, most influential professional basketball league in the world. Needless to say, the league also has the best players. Not everyone can maintain a roster spot.
It speaks volumes that Campazzo would much rather play basketball in the states than in Argentina or with a European club. With Real Madrid, the guard won two EuroLeague championships (2015, 2018).
In the 2020-21 season, through 65 appearances and 19 starts with the Nuggets, the guard averaged 6.1 points, 3.6 assists and 1.2 steals per game. He finished 38.1% shooting from the field and 35.2% from downtown.
During the 2021-22 season, in a total of 65 games played, Campazzo averaged 5.1 points, 1.8 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 1 steal per game. Plus, the second-year player shot 36.1% from the floor and 30.1% from beyond the arc.
In the Nuggets’ regular-season finale, Campazzo pushed Los Angeles Lakers guard Wayne Ellington to the floor from behind. He was then issued a $20,000 fine for escalating the incident and posting a threatening comment on social media.
As of right now before training camp, the Nuggets are not interested in bringing back Facundo Campazzo. First-round draft pick Bones Hyland exceeded expectations last season. The guard averaged 10.1 points, 2.7 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game.
Additionally, Jamal Murray is returning from his ACL tear. After the 2022 NBA Draft, UCLA guard/forward Payton Watson was then traded by the Oklahoma City Thunder to the Nuggets.
While his time in Denver is over, another team could sign Campazzo in the coming weeks. Starters and backups suffer injuries each season, so his career in the NBA is probably not done yet.
