The Free League

When I meet Miguel Font on an early December morning, the encounter feels almost disarmingly simple. We meet at the Patrick Baumann House of Basketball in Mies, just outside Geneva—a place that quietly houses the heart of global basketball governance. Despite basketball being the world’s second most popular team sport, with more than 3.3 billion fans worldwide, the sport remains oddly misunderstood in Switzerland. Yet here, a dozen kilometers from Geneva, sits the epicenter of its international memory.

The House of Basketball itself is a striking architectural gesture: shaped like a hand, its curves and structure subtly echo the geometry of a net. Far more than an office building, it is a cultural arena. The ground floor unfolds like a miniature world museum of basketball—objects, photos, documents, shoes, posters—each fragment narrating how the sport grew across continents and generations. At its core lies the world’s largest basketball library, open to researchers and curious visitors alike. Moving through the building feels like walking through the sport’s DNA.

Guiding this universe of stories is Miguel Font, FIBA Foundation Historical Curator. Spaniard by nationality, multicultural by upbringing, and international by vocation, Font embodies the borderless nature of basketball itself. Born in Madrid to Moroccan and Portuguese parents, he grew up “in the streets,” as he likes to recall, the fifth of seven children. Basketball offered him structure and belonging. With characteristic humor, he describes himself as “short, overweight, and a very bad player,” yet he became a coach at just fourteen—later working in wheelchair basketball and spending more than twenty years on the sideline.

What ultimately shaped his path was not athletic ambition, but curiosity. Font began collecting stories, objects, archives, and memories—anything that testified to the way basketball shapes people’s lives far beyond the court. This passion naturally aligned with the FIBA Foundation, where he now oversees the Cultural Heritage Unit. From Mies, his team manages collections, exhibitions, archives, research initiatives, and the storytelling arm of an organization that connects more than 200 national federations.

For Font, basketball is a cultural phenomenon before it is a sport. Sneakers that became icons of music and street culture, films that shaped collective imagination, political histories embedded in games, Cold War narratives playing out on the court—his work curates all these intersections. One of the Foundation’s major projects, From the Court to the Big Screen, draws on hundreds of films to explore basketball’s cinematic life.

Walking with Font through the House of Basketball feels like being guided by someone who not only knows the sport but feels its pulse. He speaks with equal passion about James Naismith’s legacy, the 1989 turning point that opened FIBA to professional players, the rise of 3x3 basketball, and the incredible multicultural ecosystem that now surrounds the game. His perspective is global yet grounded, historical yet forward-looking.

“History teaches humility,” he tells me. Basketball, in his view, is a lens through which to read the 20th century—and perhaps to glimpse what comes next. In many ways, Miguel Font is not just a curator of basketball’s past. He is one of the storytellers shaping how the world understands the game’s future.

David Glaser

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Aner Levron grew up in a kibbutz in the Upper Galilee, a world shaped by nature, community, and simplicity. This environment forged his values: solidarity, effort, belonging—and a love for basketball. Now 41, he is assistant coach at Fribourg Olympic, after spending 19 years travelling through Europe as a professional player, mainly in Germany but also in Austria and Italy. His journey was made possible partly thanks to his German roots: his grandparents were born in Germany before fleeing the country, allowing him to obtain a German passport and explore Europe.

Levron’s career unfolded across seventeen cities. Not a star, but a hardworking, selfless player, he built balance on the court and uplifted teammates. A standout game in Germany, where he scored 27 points and was named MVP, symbolized a personal reconciliation with a complex past marked by Jewish history.

Since settling in Switzerland, he has become a central figure at Fribourg Olympic. Known for his “tough love” philosophy, he acts as a bridge between players and coaches—strict, supportive, available at any hour. He has lived intense moments with the club, including a memorable Europe Cup quarter‑final in Thessaloniki.

The war in Israel deeply affected him, especially the attacks on kibbutzim. Yet he holds on to the hope of peace. Today, in Fribourg, he continues to grow, teach, and help others evolve, his journey still unfolding.

By David Glaser

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From the small gyms of Monthey and Vevey to the electric atmosphere of an Olympic 3×3 final in Paris, Sebastiano De Martis has lived basketball from every angle—player, referee, and coach. What began as a childhood passion in Wallis became a lifelong compass, guiding him through the Swiss leagues and beyond.

He played for Vevey Basket and Blonay Basket until age nineteen, before discovering officiating at twelve, climbing all the way to the national level in 5×5 and later becoming a leading Swiss referee in the fast‑paced world of 3×3. Coaching followed naturally: after working with youth teams—including a young Jonathan Dubas—he took charge of Romanel-sur-Lausanne’s second team in the 3rd League, bringing intensity, analysis, and a distinctly Italian tactical culture inherited from his Sardinian and Pugliese roots.

For De Martis, tactics are intelligence: understanding opponents, reading defenses, and teaching players to see the game’s hidden details. As he observes Swiss basketball’s growth—boosted by names like Sefolosha and Capela—he believes the next step is investing again in 5×5 while nurturing the booming 3×3 scene.

His career is filled with vivid memories: the EuroLeague Final Four in Belgrade, a thunderous Crvena Zvezda game, an encounter with Joakim Noah in Orlando, and that unforgettable Olympic final where he calmly watched a Dutch friend sink the winning shot.

With the poise of a referee, the intensity of a player, and the vision of a coach, Sebastiano De Martis remains anchored by a simple conviction: on the court or on the bench, the team always comes first.

By David Glaser

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In its very first interview, The Free League introduces Julija Matic, a 19-year-old basketball talent whose journey bridges Switzerland and Serbia. Born and raised in Switzerland to Serbian parents, Julija discovered basketball at age ten thanks to her older brother Geo, who first brought her to the playground. What started as sibling support quickly became a lifelong passion shared by the entire family.

After early years playing with boys in Ticino, Julija’s career took a decisive turn through summer camps with Red Star Belgrade, her father’s beloved club. Her shooting skills—earning her the nickname “the Swiss Sniper”—and her all-around game helped her rise through Serbia’s youth system, from U16 to U18 and eventually to the first team. Serbia also shaped her mentality: competitive, emotional, and resilient.

Now back in Switzerland with Elfic Fribourg, Julija has established herself as a versatile, vocal player who contributes far beyond scoring—through defense, rebounds, assists, and key moments in EuroCup competition. She proudly represents the Swiss national team while remaining aware of the contrasts between Swiss and Serbian basketball, particularly in intensity and fan support.

Grounded by strong family ties, lasting friendships from her Red Star years, and a clear love for the game, Julija keeps her ambitions open but focused. For now, Fribourg feels like home, and her goal is simple: finish the season strong and keep pushing toward the highest level possible.

By David Glaser

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