LUIGI SUIGO: MEGA TRUSTS ITS PLAYERS A LOT, THIS IS THE IDEAL ENVIRONMENT FOR ME

At just 18 years old, Luigi Suigo decided to swap his native Italy for Serbia. He took his first step toward senior basketball by joining Mega Superbet, convinced it was the best possible move toward achieving his ultimate dream — playing in the NBA.

“I chose Mega because of its reputation for working with young players and because it gives them great responsibility. Mega is known for trusting its players, allowing them to play, to make mistakes, and for focusing on long-term development rather than short-term results. For me, this is the ideal environment to improve my game and mature as a player.”

He fell in love with basketball in his hometown of Tradate, where he took his first steps in the sport.

“I started playing basketball in Italy, in my hometown, when I was very young. At first it was just for fun, but over time it became my passion. Step by step, through youth categories and hard work, basketball became something more serious and eventually my profession.”

Moves to Varese followed, and then to Olimpia Milan, where his excellent performances at the junior level drew significant attention. In the summer of 2025, he set off for Serbia and Mega.

“The beginning wasn’t easy, especially because everything is very intense and precisely defined. The training tempo, physical demands, and tactical discipline were challenging and at a very high level. Still, the coaching staff and my teammates helped me a lot, and after a few weeks I relaxed and felt freer and more confident within the whole system.”

Asked what sets Mega apart from others, Suigo says:

“One of the biggest differences is the daily intensity. Every practice here feels competitive and is fully focused on development. A lot of emphasis is placed on individual improvement within team concepts. In Italy, the approach can be more tactical and experience-based, while at Mega the priority is for young players to develop quickly and take responsibility on the court.”

Playing for Olimpia Milan at the junior level, he won the Italian championship twice and also claimed two Next Gen junior tournaments. One of the most dominant players of his generation, the 220-centimeter-tall center now believes he is facing a completely new challenge.

“This is my first full experience with senior basketball, and the jump to this level is really huge. The game is faster, more physical, and mentally much tougher. You have less time to make decisions, and mistakes are punished immediately. I’m adapting slowly, step by step, and this season I’m learning about consistency, professionalism, and mental toughness.”

In the previous round, Mega Superbet pulled off a big surprise by defeating EuroLeague team Crvena zvezda on its home court, with 14 points and 9 rebounds from the young Italian.

“The win against Crvena zvezda is very important for us. It showed us that we can compete with the best teams and that our work is paying off. Wins like that bring confidence, but also extra motivation to keep working, because then you realize how much potential we have as a group.”

This wasn’t the first time this season that Mega defeated a major EuroLeague-level team. As part of the Winline Basket Cup, Vulet Avdalović’s team beat CSKA in Moscow at the start of the season, as well as Lokomotiv Kuban at home — two teams that previously competed in Europe’s top competition.

“Playing against Russian teams in the Winline Basket Cup helped me a lot in terms of experience. Those games were very physical and competitively demanding, requiring a high level of focus and toughness. Facing different styles of play and strong, experienced opponents pushed me out of my comfort zone and helped me improve, especially in decision-making and quick adaptation during games.”

In the second part of the season, Mega will compete in the ABA League play-out phase, where it will face 10 new games against teams from Group A, as well as two more group-stage games in the Winline Basket Cup.

“We’ve shown that we can play against big teams. Our squad is young and talented, and we’ll try to achieve as many wins as possible in the second phase of the ABA League in order to reach the play-in. Also, we still have two games left in the Winline Basket Cup, and our chances of reaching the Final Four are still open. Qualifying for the final tournament would be a huge success for us,” Suigo concluded.

Photo: Mega Superbet