He played football as a youngster on his home island of Mallorca, but basketball ability was in the family genes with both his parents players, while his elder sister Marta plied her trade in the American WNBA before also returning to Spain with her current club Salamanca.
Spain's Mallorca and surrounding islands bring in 11 times more international visitors than Sicily, even though the Italian island has a longer coastline, Mr. Gnudi said.