Andrea Bargnani is already not exactly the most popular guy in Toronto. And that’s putting it kindly. He’s slightly ahead of Gary Bettman on the most hated sports figures list, but that’s about it.
So reports last week that Bargnani told an Italian publication that the Raptors were the worst team (and he would be out three weeks with an elbow injury) did not sit well.
But an emotional Bargnani denies he said that, reports Ryan Wolstat at the Toronto Sun.“Nobody is satisfied. Not me, not DeMar (DeRozan), not coach, nobody. That was my sentence, (a) pretty good answer to a pretty stupid question. But I think it was an answer that makes a lot of sense,” Bargnani said, clearly angered….
“I’m not going to go over every single crap that was in there, I just wanted to clarify for all you media guys that specific sentence. I’m going to have people look over it and take care of the other stuff, because I don’t think some people can afford to change my words like that, so I’m going to have people taking care of that,” he said, alluding to legal action.
Bargnani joins a long and proud list of athletes who say they were misquoted. Some were, many were not they just wanted out from under what they said. It’s harder with translated items because of the nuance and implications of words in one language that do not translate cleanly to another. The reporter says he has the conversation recorded.
Either way, I’m not sure the Raptors fan base believes Bargnani.
I don’t speak Italian, but I’ll just leave you this from someone who does at the reliable and fantastic Sportando.I am listening to Andrea Bargnani’s interview (gazzetta.it/Nba/14-12-2012…). He said: ‘We are practically the worst team in the NBA’
— Emiliano Carchia (@SportandoBasket) December 16, 2012