TorontoSun.com - Basketball - The Andrea Bargnani lovefest was over before it started. It may be a homecoming, but it certainly hasn’t been a heartwarming one
Bargnani may be one of the best athletes out of Italy, but it is painfully obvious that he is not one of the most popular.

And that’s quite a surprise, as Bargnani’s handlers have sold the second-year Raptor as being a big star in his home country, and especially here in his hometown.

But there is a definite air of indifference surrounding Bargnani’s monumental return to The Eternal City. Most basketball fans here seem more excited about the presence of the big three from the Boston Celtics — Paul Pierce, Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett — than about Bargnani or the Raptors, and that’s why tonight’s pre-season game between the two NBA sides at Pala Lottomatica is sold out.

It seems that Bargnani is not Italian enough for Italians.