Italian people of travelers, saints, poets and football fans? It is not quite so! In the realm of world basketball, America, and in the most prestigious league in the world, the NBA, there has always been a large representation of Italian basketball players. Basketball players who have given their active contribution to making one of the sports most followed by Americans and by all fans of the segment ball in the world even more spectacular.
Italians in the NBA, absolute protagonists
The NBA, National Basketball Association, is the greatest expression of the wedge ball in the world. A dream for all those basketball players who want to leave their name in the elite of world basketball. A dream that for several Italians, or Italian-Americans, they have disputed at least one match with the Azzurri shirt of the national team, has materialized since the 70s. The annals of NBA sporting history report that the first Italian to be selected for training was Dino Meneghin in 1970.
The first Italian-American, on the other hand, who stepped on the NBA parquet was Mike D'Antoni. The first European and Italian who had the prestige of being a first choice was Marco Belinelli. Belinelli is also the only Italian to have won the championship and the consequent NBA title. The last, in chronological order, to play in America, is Nicolò Melli, in 2019, wearing the New Orleans Pelicans jersey.
NBA, the Italians who have walked the American parquet
The first Dino Meneghin in 1970 in the Atlanta Hawks. Then the Italian-American Mike D'Antoni, in 1973, who played for three seasons. In 1986 Augusto Binelli joined the Atlanta Hawks. The two-year period 1995/96 saw two Italians in the field: Vincenzo Esposito e Stephen Rusconi. In 2005/06 it was the turn of an Italian-American, Alex Acher, who also played a season between 2008/09. From 2005 to 2010 still an Italian-American on the field: Trevis Diener. Ten years in a row, from 2006 to 2016, for Andrea Bargnani.
From 2007 to today Marco Belinelli is the standard bearer of the Italian flag on American soil. From 2008 to today, Italy also supports Danilo Gallinari. Luigi Datome played from 2013 to 2015, while Alexander Gentile in 2014 he wore the Minnesota Timberwolves shirt. Italian-American from 2017 to today Ryan Archdeacon with the legendary Chigaco Bulls jersey. Since last year Nicolò Melli plays in the ranks of the New Orleans Pelicans.
NBA, Italians not only on the pitch
Two curiosities. THE Toronto Raptors are the formation that over the years has had the most Italian basketball players on the roster: Vincezo Esposito, Andrea Bargnani and Marco Belinelli. Following, with two Italians, Chicago Bulls, Detroit Pistons, LA Clippers, NY Kniks, San Antonio Spurs. To tell the truth, the first Italian-Canadian to step on the parquet of what at the time was a first draft of the current NBA was Henk Biasatti.
In 1946 he was bought by the Toronto Huskies and took part in the NBA's ancestor which was called BAA. But the Italians also asserted themselves on the bench and behind a manager's desk. Sergio Scariolo he is assistant manager of the Toronto Raptors with whom he won the NBA title in 2019. Gianluca Pascucci toured several teams as manager before joining the Minnesota Timberwolves last summer.
It's still…
Claudius Crippa is director of international scouting for the San Antonio Spurs. Adam Philippi He has been pro scout for the Sacramento Kings since 2018 with a past as a manager also in the Los Angels Lakers and the Charlotte Hornets. He has also written two books on the secrets of how to train shooting. Luca Desta is a scout for the Los Angeles Lakers. Fabrizio Besnato is director of international scouting for the LA Clippers. Simone Casali European Scouting Director for the Brooklyn Nets. Stefano Lupatelli Minnesota Timberwolves scout. Massimo Biasin head of international scouting for the OKC Thunder, while David Prati is an international scout for the Memphis Grizzlies. Marco Baldi he is a European scout for the Washington Wizards, while Francis Alfier is an international scout and video analyst for the LA Clippers. Francesco Cavalifinally, he is a scout for the Washington Wizard.
