ARG - Better late than never as Prigioni joins Knicks

BUENOS AIRES (Olympics/NBA) - Argentina’s Pablo Prigioni proved over and over this past season at Caja Laboral in Spain’s Liga Endesa that he remains a leading point guard in international basketball at 35 years of age.

Now the evergreen playmaker will have a chance to show it in the NBA after agreeing to terms on a one-year deal with the New York Knicks.

The veteran’s decision to cross the Atlantic comes just a couple of weeks before Prigioni plays at the Olympics for the second time in his career.

"It's good that it has been confirmed now as I still have time before London to digest it, accept it and leave it to one side temporarily so that I don't get distracted in what I must be focused on now, which is the national team, continue the preparation and to arrive to the debut in London against Lithuania in the best possible form," Prigioni said to the Argentina Basketball Confederation (CABB) website.

Prigioni has admitted that he was never fascinated by the NBA but is intrigued with the opportunity in New York.

“I was never a fan of the NBA but I was tempted by this opportunity and an agreement was reached,” Prigioni told the Ole newspaper in Argentina.

“I didn’t expect this at this stage of my career.”

Prigioni left Argentina for Madrid-based Fuenlabrada in the 1999-2000 campaign has been a durable and successful point guard in the Spanish top flight ever since.

His first Euroleague season was 2003-04 at Baskonia in Vitoria, Spain, and he was on the books of that club for six seasons before leaving for Real Madrid in the summer of 2009.

He returned to Baskonia (Caja Laboral) for the 2011-12 season.

"For me, it's a huge joy to be able to take this step after so many years in Europe, the only step forward in my career was this one," Prigioni said to the CABB website.

"To have the opportunity to take it gives me a lot of satisfaction and confirms that I've been doing things well.

"Everyone is really happy for me and congratulated me.

"I think things happen because you work to achieve them.”

Argentina won the gold medal at the 2004 Olympics but Prigioni didn’t play for the national team in a major tournament until 2006 when he helped the team reach the FIBA World Championship Semi-Finals.

Two years later, Prigioni was the starting playmaker as the Argentinians captured the bronze medal at the Beijing Games.

Last year, Prigioni ran the point for Argentina as they won the gold medal at the FIBA Americas Championship in Mar del Plata.
                             
Prigioni's agent in the United States, George Bass, said to the New York Post: "I’ve been talking to (Knicks GM) Glen Grunwald for about four, five years about him.                                                               

"This is the year it got done. He’s been very persistent with checking in about Pablo.
       
“He’s a very big fan."

FIBA