No, it is not the Messiahs – well maybe for some NBA team. But to get to the point where CSKA head coach Ettore Messina goes to the NBA, something else has to happen first: CSKA Moscow needs a new coach.
It looks like CSKA is looking into new coaches right now. In this Turkish basketball forum it is mentioned that CSKA offers a 3 year contract with 4 million EUR per year to the current head coach of Efes Pilsen, David Blatt.
This has been confirmed by the CSKA general manager.
So what team is a fit for the Italian coach? Will he be the first European head coach or will he enter the NBA as another assistant coach? Since we heard that NBA coaches like Cleveland’s head coach Brown consult Ettore Messina or at least discuss “things” with him it should be unlikely that Ettore Messina will come to the NBA as an assistant coach.
So far we know of one team that is already called the “Euroaptors” with a GM that loves Europeans and his assistant who is Italian. Maybe that might be a good fit? We will wait and see I guess.