Diana Taurasi at the US awards ceremony (REUTERS/Brian Snyder)REUTERSFollow all the information about the Olympic Games and the results here
Five years ago, the last time she visited the country, she left her suitcases in the hotel in Buenos Aires and quickly got lost in the streets of Buenos Aires, taking advantage of the few hours she would be in the big city before traveling to Bahía Blanca, where she was to play the Olympic qualifier with the United States team. “It was a beautiful day: I walked a lot, I ate a vegetable risotto, I had a coffee, I went into a bakery, I watched the people… I relived the memories of that year I lived in Rosario, in 1994. It was incredible, unforgettable for me in every sense and returning, after so long, has been very special.” It was shocking to hear Diana Taurasi, when she returned to her Argentina, 25 years later. Especially because we are talking about, for many, the best basketball player of all time. Or, at least, the most successful and important in history.
Now, if that weren’t enough, at 42 years old, he has just achieved another milestone, a historic one at the Olympic Games, no less. He won his sixth consecutive Olympic gold, something that no one has achieved in more than 100 years in Olympic team sports. He helped, this time in a minor role, to extend the unbeaten streak of the US team (61-0), after a very tight final with France (they won by 1).
Taurasi is also coming off her 20th season in the WNBA, always playing for the Phoenix Mercury and after having surpassed 10,000 points, a unique milestone. She was a three-time NBA champion, with three MVPs in total (two in the Finals), five scoring titles and nine All-Star selections. But, of course, her achievement goes beyond that because, during the breaks, for years she went to Europe, basically because the salaries in the USA were always lower. And in the Old Continent she won 18 titles, six in Europe, being the top scorer four times. If she was missing something, with the United States she won five Olympic golds and four World Cups. A living legend that we can say “is ours.”
“Yes, of course, I feel as Argentine as I do American. You can ask my teammates how I behave when we are at an Olympic Games or a World Cup. Think that in my house we speak Spanish, we drink mate, we eat facturas, milanesas, empanadas, asado, tripa, pollo al galeto, we talk about soccer all day long… I lived almost all my life in the United States, but I would come home to Los Angeles and it was like arriving in Argentina. Also, that year I lived in Rosario left a mark on me for life…” Her story, in that note for Infobae, is striking. Because of her almost perfect Spanish. Because of how deeply rooted she is in our roots. Because of the passion with which she speaks about Argentina. Because of the emotion that her words give off. And because the one who says them is a superstar of all time.
Her past in the country left a lasting mark on her. “I have beautiful memories. I was 12 years old and practically lived at the Club Atlético Villa Diego. I was there all day, from 8 in the morning until 8 at night. I still miss the club life because it doesn’t exist in the United States. There is school and university, but there are no institutions like that. I remember that I played everything there, soccer, tennis, hockey…” she recalls. And basketball, of course, a sport in which she already stood out and played with older girls, although she always clarified “that at that time I liked soccer more, eh.” When she returned to the United States, she continued playing both until she had to make a decision. “Still, I still love soccer and with my dad, a former player, we watch a lot of games. In fact, I tell you: if there is a game of the National Team and another of the Lakers, I watch the one of Argentina. And there is a game of Central or the Suns, I watch the one of Central. I have no doubts,” she clarified.
Her father, Mario, was a player. He was Italian and came to the country when he was five years old. When he was older, he met Liliana, a true Rosario native. They got married, had Jessica, and when they thought they would stay in the country, an opportunity came up in California and they left. There, in Chino, a city in San Bernardino County, they settled down and Diana was born on June 11, 1982. She was 12 when she returned to Rosario, for a little over a year, but long enough for the experiences to remain with her. “Rosario will always be my home. My family is there, my heart. People walking along the sidewalks, the bakery, the grocery store, the butcher shop… You don’t see those things in the United States. I remember well the weekend mornings, they would give me some pesos and tell me ‘go buy some pastries.’ I would go with my sister, walking, we would buy pastries, also soda, wine and we would go back home. There was my aunt making gnocchi and the sauce… All those things are in my mind, even the smells,” he recalled.
The shot with which France sought overtime against the United States, they looked for a triple, but it was a double
Sundays were about football. And, like most of Rosario, having to decide between two clubs. “Many of us in the family are Central fans and some are Newell’s fans, but well, we don’t talk about that (he laughs). I have beautiful memories, like those of 1995, when I was on the pitch in that great final that we won in an incredible way (Editor’s note: he refers to the 4-0 and victory on penalties over Atlético Mineiro in the final of the Conmebol Cup, after losing 4-0 in Belo Horizonte). And now I always follow it, as I can,” he described.
A woman of strong convictions, 5 years ago, in the first home game in the WNBA, Phoenix Mercury –her team- decided to use that first night at home to highlight women who have marked history and she chose to put two images on her sneakers, that of the American judge Ruth Bader Ginsburg and that of our Eva Perón, in beautiful shoes that also had the colors (light blue, white and gold) of our flag. “I wanted to pay tribute to two women who had a great impact on society. Who were not afraid to say things that at that time could not be said, that many people wanted to say but did not have the support. Eva fought for women, for those who have less. She left her mark in many ways. My parents told me about it, but then I also informed myself. Today you go to YouTube and you can watch whatever you want. And I love everything that is related to Argentina because I want to learn more,” she explained.
Taurasi broke many records, like today at an Olympic Games, but her impact goes beyond the court. But off the court she also broke barriers or, at least, helped to break them down, like Evita. In 2012, when she stood up to FIBA for a dress code that she considered sexist. Like in 2017, when she married Penny Taylor, an Australian player and teammate in Phoenix. Or like in March 2018, when Taylor gave birth to their son, Michael Leo. “We never wanted to be examples, we kept everything private. We got married because we are two people who love each other and having a child felt like our next step in the relationship, but it is clear that basketball and the world in general have made a lot of progress in breaking the historical paradigm,” she said.
Diana, in her career, always had Argentine athletes as a reference and inspiring examples, starting with Maradona and reaching Messi, passing through Ginóbili and Scola, two of her sport. “It was like that and I feel that way. I still need to meet Messi, I would love to. With Maradona I got my wish in 2008, when we were in China and went to see the National Team. I asked Adam Silver especially, the NBA commissioner who was with us. He managed to get me some time with Diego and I still have the photo we took. I have been with Manu quite a lot when he went to play in Phoenix. Also with Luis (Scola) when he played for the Suns and with Pepe (Sánchez) in the Olympic Games, although in 2019 I had the chance to be with him when I traveled to Bahía Blanca and played in a high-performance center. I have always liked to chat with them and ask them about everything about the country,” she says. And she leaves a reflection on Argentinianness and a way of being so special. “We are different, we live life in a different way, with more intensity, with more passion,” he said.
-And do you feel that the famous Argentine grit and passion have been present?
-Yes, of course, without a doubt. Maybe because I have Argentine blood and Italian blood. The Argentine DNA is in me, it’s part of me, and it has helped me. And maybe that’s one explanation. The same as having always played with an immigrant mentality. I bring it from my family, from my parents, who went to the United States and, with effort and dedication, made their way.
