Nicolo Melli excited to fulfill ‘a kid’s dream,’ begin NBA career with Pelicans
Born in 1991, Nicolo Melli isn’t old enough to have witnessed in real time the careers of several NBA players who greatly influenced him, but as a youngster in Italy, he had the next-best thing: Video cassette tapes featuring the highlights of all-time greats such as Julius Erving, Magic Johnson and Larry Bird. As he watched “Dr. J” soar through the air for a dunk, or Magic throw a no-look pass, or “Larry Legend” swish a dagger three-pointer, Melli immediately knew what he wanted to do in life.
