Three years removed from his first stint in the EuroCup with Gran Canaria, Nicolas Brussino is back with the club with more experience and playing better than ever.
More-experienced Brussino shining brighter in second stint at Gran Canaria
Player Spotlight
4 Mins read
Nicolas Brussino has lived up to the expectations put upon him when he joined Herbalife Gran Canaria this off-season. And a major reason for that was the great experience he has collected over the years - something he was missing in his first stint with the Spanish club.
The Argentinean forward averaged 13.3 points and an index rating of 10.7 in his first three games in the 7DAYS EuroCup, including a 20-point outburst in the team’s opening game against Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana.
Brussino then fall victim to a COVID-19 infection in early November and he missed a month of action. And he is only slowly getting back to full fitness.
“I have recovered really well - not at 100% - but I'm training and working hard to return to the same level I was competing at before the virus,” said Brussino, who has posted performance index ratings in double figures in each of his last three appearances.
“I always had respect for the virus. I always take the best care of myself, but I knew that someday I'll be infected. That's why when I got infected, I stayed calm.”
But Gran Canaria knows what they have in the 28-year-old Brussino, who is a different player than the one who arrived for the first time during the Top 16 of the 2017-18 season.
“When I arrived at Gran Canaria, it was my first time in Spain and the Spanish League, and my adaptation was more difficult than I and the team expected,” said Brussino, who averaged 4.0 points, 2.0 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 1.3 steals in seven games in the Top 16 and Quarterfinals. “I was never able to show all of my potential as a player.”
That is different now for the native of Cañada de Gómez in Santa Fe province, Argentina, who left Gran Canaria after that season and spent the 2018-19 campaign at Tenerife CB Canarias and then the last two campaigns with Casademont Zaragoza - all in the Spanish League.
“Now I have a better knowledge of the league and more experience and that really helps to demonstrate all of your potential on the basketball court.”
His experience since leaving Gran Canaria also includes playing for Argentina at the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019 in China - where the South Americans took the silver medal - as well as the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo.
“It meant the world to me,” he said about playing in China, where he averaged 5.0 points, 2.6 rebounds and 1.3 assists in getting to the final, where Argentina lost to Spain. “For me, to represent my country in a World Cup and be able to play a final on that stage is my highest achievement on or off the court - aside from the result.”
Last summer Brussino played in his second Olympics after having competed at the 2016 Games in Brazil.
“I thought it was going to be similar to Rio 2016, but there always exist some things that might surprise you and allow you to enjoy every moment,” said Brussino, who averaged 6.0 points 3.3 rebounds and 1.3 assists as Argentina lost to Australia in the quarterfinals in Tokyo. “To be able to share the Athletes Village with athletes from all around the world and be able to hear all of their stories of overcoming was more a personal experience than a sports one.”
After hearing about those experiences, Brussino was excited about returning to Canaria.
“I was also looking to take a step forward in European competitions and Gran Canaria had all of that.”
“My decision to come back was made because of the project the club has to compete in the Spanish League and EuroCup. I was also looking to take a step forward in European competitions and Gran Canaria had all of that,” he said. “Also it was important that I already knew the city.”
Brussino is not the only person who has grown during his time away but also the club, Gran Canaria, itself, he said.
“Gran Canaria is a club that grows a little bit every year. Their structure and future project is even bigger than when I left and it's something you notice as soon as you arrive,” he commented.
Gran Canaria and the team’s fans have noticed that this version of Nicolas Brussino is quite a bit different than the one who arrived three years ago - and someone who is really living up to the expectations.