Tales from the heart. A diary from the heart.

THEY SAY WE 

Explore a selection of thoughts excerpts from our memory book — stories that lie behind our Basket. I hope  it will take you on a pleasant journey filled with endless sources of inspiration, as a player, a man, and an artist, and actor, and that you will appreciate it as much as I do, because it is through our hands that head and heart find the fulfillment of their dreams.

Travel is an infinite sum of memories. The best landscapes are the ones imprinted in memory. Travel means meeting people. Even if you don't share a common language, a smile, and simple gesture will always help you to create a bond. These are the kinds of memories that last forever.

Take the time to observe what surrounds you and try to find the extraordinary in the ordinary. with love Claudio


History is not just something from the past. It’s in all of us. We are human, we are different, but there are a lot of similarities. And it’s interesting to see the things we share. The common ground. Gazing beyond the visible, we can catch a glimpse of this perfect web where every creature is connected to the other. Nourishing our creativity to face tomorrow’s challenges. Our message is to be seen as an invitation to find one’s balance, to not cross the line, to not overdo things and to give our guys a chance to be just that, allowing them to develop their own imagination and to express themselves. Learning to dig deep and to know oneself will be a positive and useful tool to face the world of tomorrow.

Guys are not the people of tomorrow, but people today. They are entitled to be taken seriously. They have the right to be treated by adults with respect, as equals, not as master or objects of the ego. They should be allowed to grow into whoever they were meant to be. The unknown person inside each of them is the hope for the future. It's this stillness and this moment of reflection that inspires us. BTA pieces together tiny fragments of images, of a lived moment, to create something new in a historical moment that allows us to do little. After all, every photo is visual communication, it represents and keeps a detail of life, it creates memories which otherwise would become weaker as they are repeated and as time moves on. (They repeat themselves but they are never the same).

So it's just about piecing all of those instants, of those smiles, to recreate the moment. We'd like to tell stories that can’t be found in history books. We believe that telling the story of places is important not only for the places but for people to feel a sense of pride, an attachment and a belonging to … a lot can happen in over 40 years.

Although we might count time in minutes, days and years, we measure its value in Moments. Here are some of our favourites:


Xavier Fergusson

BTA USA Team

"My ‘playground style’ has been my companion.

WHERE EVERYTHING CHANGES
My refuge when I needed it. My voice when I didn’t yet have one. It allowed me to connect with versions of myself long before I fully believed in them. And perhaps that is its true power. Today it remains an important self, one that has learned to understand itself, to fight … to always be itself." ...

With love.

Xavier Fergusson

Riccardo Sironi

BTA Academy

"The last thing I would have thought about my life is to find a true world in sports ...

WHERE EVERYTHING CHANGES
... a sport that had always been presented to me as a pastime that would never lead me anywhere. Thanks to you and to BTA I have come to understand what it means to play sports, and that is to grow in sport, in mind and spirit. I appreciate all that you have done and are still doing for me.."

Claudio you are a lifestyle.

Riccardo Sironi

Ryan Lewis

G. Whitney H.S

"BTA World is a combination of 'colors, smells and tastes'.

WHERE EVERYTHING CHANGES
One of the most magical things you can see in this world, this great blank canvas, is that you participate with your very being in what you’re about to learn. I think that society needs a great deal of time to reflect, to recognize the quality of our lives, our spirituality, and to 'breathe in' nature in all its beauty. BTA is about distilling the essence, the essential meaning, the most important aspects of the Game."

Thanks for all.

Ryan Lewis

Thomas Onyehara

BTA IT Team

"Because of social media, and youtube, there’s just no mystique about anyone anymore.

WHERE EVERYTHING CHANGES
We can only get what they choose to give us. It’s not like we can truly seek things out. BTA ... searching for deeply woven tales rather than transient moments."

Thanks BTA.

Thomas Onyehara

Walter Ferraioli

BTA Academy

"... you take care of people at all levels, not just the playing field, ...

WHERE EVERYTHING CHANGES
... and this is what makes you a reference figure who worries and takes care of us ... guys who have been left to themselves and a superficial existence that does not belong to us." ...

Feel loved.

Walter Ferraioli

Meriem Nasraoui

Costruzioni Italia Broni

"... and thanks to you because without you this court would have no meaning.

WHERE EVERYTHING CHANGES
Finding people who teach you a passion or help you feel better, without expecting anything in return, is a fortune."

Goodnight Coach

Meriem Nasraoui

Gabriele Sironi

BTA Academy

"... and the way I want to do that is to experience this world called BTA, ...

WHERE EVERYTHING CHANGES
... where I have realized that I can learn to give what I have received." ...

Thanks.

Gabriele Sironi

Stefan Jensen

BTA USA Team

"Everything in BTA has always been about Passion. It's a place for Basketball Players and guys who are excited by basketball. And anyone that doesn't like Basketball is not welcome.

WHERE EVERYTHING CHANGES
This is the first sentence I heard in BTA. Anyone who works in a creative field will recognise that moment when a desire for control and order begins to restrict the very thing it was brought in to promote, to live, to experience. That’s when you lose your soul. Culture always has to triumph over corporate process if you are to have any hope of retaining an independently creative mindset. I worry sometimes we’ve all become too uniform, too predictable because, back in the day, I’d go to my friend’s house and see his LP collection or CD collection. I’d see his books and I’d start to get a sense of the person. Whereas now, everything’s just IKEA furniture & iphones in people’s houses. What I didn’t really understand at first was that culture does come from the top. And I know that’s a cheesy phrase that you hear, but I’ve really learned it because I’m really into Basketball and doing things the right way. Soul is that indefinable thing that you never seem to find on the ground or in a planning document and yet it’s something that BTA is passionate about. Why shouldn’t Basketball have a little bit of soul incorporated into it ... always? BTA is a keen supporter of soul-grown talent. BTA is actually a very talented Club of storytellers, whether it be through the court and its philosophy, the Basket and its technique, the complexity and Soul of its Coaches and Athletes. The best way to describe BTA is: you help guys make sense of sport, of life. That's it. It's as simple as that. Or, to be more accurate, like Basketball itself, it's as simple or as complicated as you want to make it or to live it."

With love.

Stefan Jensen

James Davis

BTA USA Team

"BTA World, I will never forget where my Story began.

WHERE EVERYTHING CHANGES
BTA embodies the Art of Basketball and through it, all the emotional moments that it intends to cultivate: those that we savour, that we long for, that we will remember. BTA looks after the Art of moments adding a touch of pace to every workout. For all these moments when Stories are lived and human values are transmitted ... thanks for celebrating the moments that make life more beautiful through a sport made of emotion. Sometimes you will never know the value of a moment until it becomes a memory."

With love.

James Davis

Kevin Patterson

BTA USA Team

"I don't think that every soul is supposed to be in one place. I do think, in a way ... it's a place ... it's also a feeling ... it is both.

WHERE EVERYTHING CHANGES
I want to experience new things. I want to feel exhilarated. If you meet the right community you can feel at home anywhere ... it doesn't matter where. I think when curiosity outweighs comfort ... that's when you really find something special. BTA is the word that describes that familiar feeling of your heart being at home. From the sensation of your toes in warm sand to the calming silence on your favorite hiking trail. A place, a smell, or some detail in everyday life is a concept with no singular meaning. BTA is a universal feeling for all. BTA World is a walk along a path that varies according to the depth of the Soul."

With love.

Kevin Patterson & Adrien Roger

Adrien Roger

BTA USA Team

"I don't think that every soul is supposed to be in one place. I do think, in a way ... it's a place ... it's also a feeling ... it is both.

WHERE EVERYTHING CHANGES
I want to experience new things. I want to feel exhilarated. If you meet the right community you can feel at home anywhere ... it doesn't matter where. I think when curiosity outweighs comfort ... that's when you really find something special. BTA is the word that describes that familiar feeling of your heart being at home. From the sensation of your toes in warm sand to the calming silence on your favorite hiking trail. A place, a smell, or some detail in everyday life is a concept with no singular meaning. BTA is a universal feeling for all. BTA World is a walk along a path that varies according to the depth of the Soul."

With love.

Adrien Roger & Kevin Patterson

Alexander Dawson

ESP Team Finland

"Only recently have we begun to acknowledge the importance of remembering our failures just as much as we celebrate our successes.

WHERE EVERYTHING CHANGES
That’s what this moment demands, not just change, but a completely new way of thinking. Now is also the time to reassess what we value, and what we believe is worth remembering. I will never forget where my story began. My life started in a place of pure thought and friendship, place of encounters, of shared passion, a place for growth. It was here that I learned the fundamentals of basketball, but more importantly, it was here that I learned how to become a man. I played for myself, for the joy, for the growth—without worrying about what the future held, at least not yet. Then, one day, my career blossomed. My dream had simply been to become a good player. I never dared to dream beyond that, so every moment since has felt like a gift. Along the way, I realized something: the more success you find as a player, the less time you have to truly play, to talk, to just be with your friends. I learned that there's a difference between the business of playing basketball and playing basketball itself. Playing basketball is an act of creation, of passion, of friendship. The business of playing basketball, on the other hand, is doing everything necessary to make sure you get the chance to play again. What I long for most is the simple luxury of those moments when I truly get to play basketball again."

Thanks for all BTA.

Alexander Dawson

Simone Brioschi

Basket Seregno

"I think that everyone, throughout their entire existence, meets lots of people and ...

WHERE EVERYTHING CHANGES
... tries to take the best from them to improve themselves ... as you always say, basketball doesn't have a single purpose. It should prepare you for real life, school, work, and prepare you for the challenges ahead, and so on, and whatever the future holds for me, I wanted to thank you because some points of view, experiences, friendships and choices that I live or make today are also due to that little bit of basketball that I was able to 'draw out' from you."

Thanks.

Simone Brioschi

Gregorio Braga

Basket Seregno

"I am very pleased that Gregory can learn lots of things from you ...

WHERE EVERYTHING CHANGES
... at a very high level even beyond sports because the passion and care you put into your work with the guys is extraordinary and is not limited to the attention to physical movement but to the person as a whole." ...

Thanks.

Mamma Enrica

Francesco Barreca

Pallacanestro Cantù

"In the Italian basketball world you are unique, ...

WHERE EVERYTHING CHANGES
... it took me a while, but I figured it out."

Thank you for what you have taught him.

Papà Antonio

Simone Mastore

BTA IT Team

"All true! At the same time, one comes up against a different, ancient, archaic vision ...

WHERE EVERYTHING CHANGES
... of life, a vision according to which to grow and evolve is wrong. I'm sorry I didn't get a chance to meet your world before because if it is true that one is born with certain visions, it is also true that certain visions may be acquired after having known them."

Thanks for all.

Simone Mastore

Lorenzo Maspero

Sting Mantova

"Is it right or wrong? Is he a coach or a ball boy? Is it a concept or a rule? ...

WHERE EVERYTHING CHANGES
... Is he a fool or an idiot? Is he naked or dressed? Is he Italian or American? Is he black or white? Is he sweet or salty? Is he feet or space? Is he alien or human? The first time I saw this man I unconsciously had to ask myself and formulate many of the questions listed above ... eh I’m not kidding ... For the past seven years I have spent almost every summer day with this man together with other guys of all ages and every day, living with him, is magical. Not only because he teaches us to be creative and to fully express our technical, physical and mental potentials within a basketball court, but more importantly, he teaches us the importance of human values, every day. Those damn human values to which sometimes we don’t give importance because we think we take them for granted, but, in reality, we don’t even know where to start. The abundance, the Passion and the Freedom that he shares daily are truly impressive. Even more, his way of meditating, acting, seeing things and thinking of the next before himself. You are unique’. YOU ARE UNIQUE." [July 2019]

You are an inspiration Claudio.

Lorenzo Maspero

Niklas Karjalainen

ESP Team Finland

"Thinking outside the box and experimenting ...

WHERE EVERYTHING CHANGES
... with new techniques, making the game simple yet highly effective. Thanks BTA."

With love.

Niklas Karjalainen

Jelani Poston

Minnesota

"Would love to train under you.

WHERE EVERYTHING CHANGES
Please let me know if it's possible to train under you if so let me know the details."

Best.

Jelani Poston

Paolo Viganò

BTA IT Team

"A world to share experiences ...

WHERE EVERYTHING CHANGES
... and ideas with, on and off the court."

With love.

Paolo Viganò

Roberto Mapelli

BTA Academy

"BTA, Claudio the one who's always there for me.

WHERE EVERYTHING CHANGES
A special shout-out."

With love.

Roberto Mapelli

Filippo Attolini

Aurora Desio

"A place where I can really be myself".

WHERE EVERYTHING CHANGES
Thanks.

Filippo Attolini

Sergio Fiorini

Sporting Milano

"I found between falsehood and hypocrisy (the pages of a newspaper), telling a story of extraordinary courage and honesty, ...

WHERE EVERYTHING CHANGES
... which are totally lacking in my generation. But Dr. Ambrosoli's courage cannot be bought in the boutique as the elders said. We simply need to appreciate it in other people, including yours."

Thanks Claudio.

Sergio Fiorini

Timothy Nath

T. Jefferson H.S.

"... and it was here that I realized there was a place ...

WHERE EVERYTHING CHANGES
... where people engaged with the world of ideas I, too, longed to be part of ..."

Thanks for your time.

Timothy Nath

Tyler Scott

Whittier H.S. California

"'It’s from the champions of the impossible, rather than from the slaves of the possible, that evolution draws its creative force.' [Ref. Barbara Wootton]

WHERE EVERYTHING CHANGES
I’ve always tended to avoid taking things literally. For me, learning or creating a new basketball move is like opening another door or window in the mind. The moment you try something new, you start becoming someone new. You begin to bend, to move, to access unfamiliar ideas, creating something on my own allows me to feel free. It helps me understand emotions and experiences that would otherwise stay hidden. It means the world to me. Without it, I would be lost. The atmosphere shifts ... I was lost, until I found you. Most people don’t really think about the future, or if they do, they see it as a series of inevitabilities. But you challenge that. You help people see the future as something open, participatory, a canvas waiting to be filled. Even today, playing basketball is what makes me feel most connected, to myself, and to life."

With love.

Tyler Scott

Daniel Sivan

Maccabi Tel Aviv

"Yeah, the emotions are in the details.

WHERE EVERYTHING CHANGES
Thanks for showing them to me."

With love.

Daniel Sivan

Dan Reynolds

Saint Elisabeth H.S.

"Il Mondo BTA,an interaction between techniques ...

WHERE EVERYTHING CHANGES
... and creativity where details make a difference on the court."

With love.

Dan Reynolds