Ortelli not satisfied as Germany's new youngest player
The German easyCredit BBL has a new youngest player in history, but Kristian Ortelli of Brose Bamberg is not satisfied with the accomplishment. The ambitious 15-year-old SG likes to set lofty goals.
The German easyCredit BBL has a new youngest player in history, but Kristian Ortelli of Brose Bamberg is not satisfied with the accomplishment. The ambitious 15-year-old SG likes to set lofty goals. Brose Bamberg did all of us a favor and published a short interview with Ortelli to let us know a little bit more about him - the interview having been translated below by Taking The Charge.
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Get to know Germany’s youngest player in league history - Kristian Ortelli
There is a new name to know in German basketball and it is Kristian Ortelli - who by playing 40 seconds against s.Oliver Würzburg became the youngest player in the history of the easyCredit BBL (since the start of digital data collection in 1998). The 1.84 meter shooting guard was 15 years 9 months 28 days - eclipsing the previous best of Martin Kalu, who was 16 years and 9 days old when he played for Rasta Vechta.
Ortelli is playing this season with two teams - the 2nd Regionalliga (fifth division) Baunach Young Pikes as well as the Regnitzal Baskets in the U16 JBBL league. In the JBBL this season, he is averaging 26.0 points, 9.3 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 1.2 steals. Last season in the JBBL, he collected 25.7 points, 13.7 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 2.7 steals. There are not extensive stats for the Young Pikes. Of the 11 games the team has played, there are no scoring stats for two of them. Ortelli is not listed in three other games, and he has averaged 8.3 points in the other six games - topped by 14 points against BIG Rockets Gotha.
Here is the translated version of the Brose Bamberg interview with Kristian Ortelli
Brose Bamberg: Kristian, it’s not that easy to reach you. Where are we catching you right now?
Kristian Ortelli (laughs): Between practice and school, and actually during the only free time I have today.
You mentioned school: We heard you had a French test today. How did it go?
I think it went pretty good!
Did you have even time to prepare in the past couple of days? After all, you were with the BBL pros yesterday.
Yeah, the last couple of days were just normal. I didn’t find out that I would be on the roster until Tuesday evening. By then I had naturally studied enough.
In the end, you were not just on the roster but Coach Oren Amiel even subbed you in. Did you think that would happen?
No, not at all! From the very beginning everything was absolutely surreal, and when my name was called I couldn’t believe it.
We could see that. You couldn’t hold back your smile, could you?
No, but I really don’t even remember that exactly any more. Everything went so fast and the experience was truly overwhelming. Three years ago, I set the goal of sitting on the bench in the BBL at least one time in my life. The fact that I was aleady there as a 15-year-old and in the end I would even play, I would have never thought that.
Now you are the record holder. The youngest BBL player of all time. Did you know that could be possible?
We were trying to figure it out over at Aufsees (Bamberg’s basketball boarding school Aufseesianum), but we weren’t certain. Only when there was talk about it in the gym in the third quarter was I aware of it.
It was certainly just as much a big surprise for the fans as it was for you. As a 15-year-old, you are an unknown. Tell us a little bit what we should know about you as a basketball player and person.
As a basketball player I would describe myself as an all-arounder. I can control the ball, but I also showed in the JBBL that I can score if I need to, and I rebound well. Generally, I would say I am a shooting guard. Off the court, I am very ambitious. I am rarely satisfied with things and set lofty goals. In private, I am always there for my friends.
You achieved one big goal with your appearance. So are you satisfied?
No, not at all. I know for sure that I cannot think too much about it. I slid into the roster because the pros were missing German players. That doesn’t change anything that I am a JBBL and (2nd) Regionalliga (fifth division) player at the moment. For me, this means I have to keep working just as I have. Still, the experience was incredible and it was an enormous honor to play at the Brose Arena.
Well, we don’t want to keep you any longer. After all, you have Regionalliga practice soon with the Baunach Young Pikes. Thank you for your time and have fun at practice.
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