Fortitudo Pallacanestro Bologna is an Legadue Basket professional
basketballBasketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
club that is based in
BolognaBologna is the capital city of Emilia-Romagna, in the Po Valley of Northern Italy. The city lies between the Po River and the Apennine Mountains, more specifically, between the Reno River and the Savena River. Bologna is a lively and cosmopolitan Italian college city, with spectacular history,...
. It's currently sponsored by
ConadConad is an Italian retail stores brand which operates one of the largest supermarket chains in Italy. Created in 1962, Conad is a cooperative system of entrepreneurs, dealing in large-scale distribution...
.
History
Despite being one of Europe's richest clubs, Fortitudo has for much of its history played second fiddle in its own city to arch rivals
Virtus Bologna-Notable players: Marco Bonamico 9 seasons: '75-'76, '77-'78, '80-'86, '88-'89 Carlo Caglieris 6 seasons: '75-'81 Pietro Generali 6 seasons: '75-'76, '78-'83 Gianni Bertolotti 5 seasons: '75-'80 Terry Driscoll 3 seasons: '75-'78 Eric Luc Leclerc 1 season: '75-'76 Luigi Serafini 2 seasons: '75-'77...
. Fortitudo won its first major trophy in 1998, winning the Italian Cup.
Fortitudo made the Italian League championship finals ten consecutive years (1997 through 2006). After three straight finals losses, Fortitudo won the Italian League Championship for the first time in 2000. Four consecutive finals losses were followed by Fortitudo's second league title in 2005, courtesy of a 3-1 win over
Armani Jeans MilanoOlimpia Milano is a Lega Basket Italian professional basketball team, based in Milan, Italy, founded in 1936 by Milan businessman Adolfo Bogoncelli. Its colors are red and white, and the team is sometimes referred as "Scarpette Rosse" because team officials imported from the United States red...
in the finals series when
instant replayInstant replay is the replaying of video footage of an event or incident very soon after it has occurred. In television broadcasting of sports events, instant replay is often used during live broadcast, to show a passage of play which was important or remarkable, or which was unclear on first...
upheld a Ruben Douglas
buzzer beaterIn basketball, a buzzer beater is a shot taken just before the game clock of a period expires, when the buzzer sounds. The term is normally reserved for baskets that win or tie the game, but also refers to shots that beat an end-of-quarter or halftime buzzer...
in Game 4 of the championship series.
In recent years, Fortitudo has become a fixture in the
EuroleagueEuroleague Basketball, commonly known as the Euroleague, is the highest level tier and most important professional club basketball competition in Europe, with teams from up to 18 different countries, members of FIBA Europe. For sponsorship reasons, for five seasons starting with 2010–2011, it is...
, basketball's equivalent to the
Champions LeagueThe UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
in
footballAssociation football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
. It got to the Final four in 1999 (it lost in semifinal against Virtus Bologna) and the semifinal of Euroleague playoffs in 2001 (again eliminated by the eternal rivals of Virtus); then the club lost in the Euroleague final in 2004 to Maccabi Tel-Aviv by 44 points, after defeating
Montepaschi SienaMens Sana Basket, more frequently referred to as Montepaschi Siena, is an Italian League professional basketball club from Siena. More precisely, it is the now-autonomous basketball section of the comprehensive sports club Polisportiva Mens Sana...
on the day before in semifinal. However, they had a subpar
2006-07 season- Regular Season 2006/07 :Teams marked in green qualified for the playoffs. Teams marked in red were relegated to Serie A2. Benetton has been penalized 12 points for signing 19 professional players instead of maximum allowed 18...
by their recent standards, finishing 13th out of 18 teams after changing coaches no less than three times. They nonetheless made the field for the
2007-08The ULEB Cup 2007–08 was the sixth season of the second-tier level basketball competition ULEB Cup, organized by ULEB, and also the last season for the competition as the ULEB Cup. The ULEB Cup is the level that is one tier below the Euroleague level...
ULEB CupEurocup Basketball is the second-tier level transnational professional basketball competition in Europe. The Eurocup is the level that is one tier below the Turkish Airlines Euroleague level...
, as most of Italy's entries to that competition are based on performance over a three-year period, and Fortitudo's past performances compensated for their disappointing 2006-07 campaign.
Fortitudo's home arena is Paladozza, now also known for sponsorship reasons as
Land RoverLand Rover is a British car manufacturer with its headquarters in Gaydon, Warwickshire, United Kingdom which specialises in four-wheel-drive vehicles. It is owned by the Indian company Tata Motors, forming part of their Jaguar Land Rover group...
Arena.
Roster
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Tre Kelley |
Point Guard Point guard , also called the play maker or "the ball-handler", is one of the standard positions in a regulation basketball game. A point guard has perhaps the most specialized role of any position – essentially, he is expected to run the team's offense by controlling the ball and making sure that...
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| 5 |
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Matteo Guidetti |
Guard |
| 8 |
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Stefano Chiarini |
Forward |
| 10 |
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Andrea Pecile |
Point Guard Point guard , also called the play maker or "the ball-handler", is one of the standard positions in a regulation basketball game. A point guard has perhaps the most specialized role of any position – essentially, he is expected to run the team's offense by controlling the ball and making sure that...
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| 11 |
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Patrick Baldassarre |
Guard |
| 12 |
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Brett Blizzard Brett Alan Blizzard is a basketball player formerly for Virtus Bologna of the Italian A League. Originally of American nationality, Blizzard opted to acquire dual citizenship in Italy while playing overseas. He became eligible to play on Italy's national team because of a distant Italian relative...
|
Shooting Guard The shooting guard , also known as the two or off guard, is one of five traditional positions on a basketball team. Players of the position are often shorter, leaner, and quicker than forwards. A shooting guard's main objective is to score points for his team...
/Small ForwardThe small forward, or colloquially known as three, is one of the five positions in a regulation basketball game. Small forwards are typically somewhat shorter, quicker, and leaner than power forwards and centers, but on occasion are just as tall...
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| 14 |
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Matteo Montano |
Point Guard Point guard , also called the play maker or "the ball-handler", is one of the standard positions in a regulation basketball game. A point guard has perhaps the most specialized role of any position – essentially, he is expected to run the team's offense by controlling the ball and making sure that...
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| 15 |
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Giacomo Filippini |
Center The center, colloquially known as the five or the post, is one of the standard positions in a regulation basketball game. The center is normally the tallest player on the team, and often has a great deal of strength and body mass as well...
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| 19 |
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Donato Cutolo |
Forward |
| 24 |
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Egidijus Dimsa |
Center The center, colloquially known as the five or the post, is one of the standard positions in a regulation basketball game. The center is normally the tallest player on the team, and often has a great deal of strength and body mass as well...
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| 40 |
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Zoran Vrkic |
Forward |
Notable players
| John D. Douglas John David Douglas is a retired American professional basketball player who played in the National Basketball Association...
4 seasons: '83-'87- George BucciGeorge P. "The King" Bucci Jr. is a retired American basketball player.He played collegiately for the Manhattan College....
5 seasons: '85-'90 Andrea Dallamora 8 seasons: '86-'94- Wallace BryantWallace Gordon Bryant Jr. is a retired American professional basketball player in the NBA. A 7’0”, 245 pound center, Bryant attended Emerson High School in Gary, Indiana before playing at the University of San Francisco. He was than drafted by the Chicago Bulls in 1982...
1 season: '87-'88 Daniele Albertazzi 6 seasons: '87-'93 Moris Masetti 2 seasons: '87-'89 Bill GarnettWilliam Patrick Garnett is a retired American professional basketball player who was selected by the Dallas Mavericks in the 1st round of the 1982 NBA Draft. A 6'9" small forward from the University of Wyoming, Garnett played in 4 NBA seasons from 1982 to 1986 for the Mavericks and Indiana Pacers...
1 season: '87-'88 Artis GilmoreArtis Gilmore is a retired American Hall of Fame basketball player who played in the American Basketball Association and National Basketball Association...
1 season: '88-'89 Vincent AskewVincent Jerome Askew is a retired American professional basketball player who was selected by the Philadelphia 76ers in the second round of the 1987 NBA Draft...
1 season: '88-'89 Gene BanksEugene Lavon "Gene" Banks is a retired American professional basketball player. He is one of a handful of players to make high school All-America three times.-College & NBA Years:...
1 season: '88-'89 Chris McNealy 1 season: '89-'90 Dave FeitlDave Scott Feitl is a retired American professional basketball player who was selected by the Houston Rockets in the 2nd round of the 1986 NBA Draft. A 6'11" center from the University of Texas at El Paso, Feitl played in 5 NBA seasons for 4 teams...
1 season: '89-'90 Pete MyersPeter E. Myers is an American former professional basketball player and an assistant coach with the Golden State Warriors.-NBA career:Myers played in the NBA from 1986 to 1991 and also from 1994 to 1998...
2 seasons: '90-'92 Cedrick Hordges 1 season: '90-'91 Valdemaras ChomičiusValdemaras Chomičius is a retired Lithuanian professional basketball player for the Soviet and Lithuanian national basketball team. Assistant coach on the Lithuanian national team...
1 season: '90-'91 Teoman Alibegović 2 seasons: '91-'93 Shaun VandiverShaun Vandiver is a retired American college and professional basketball player. Born in Chicago, the Bolingbrook, Illinois native was selected 25th overall in the 1991 NBA Draft, from Hutchinson Community College and the University of Colorado...
1 season: '91-'92 Dallas ComegysDallas Alonzo Comegys is an American former professional basketball player.- Professional career :Comegys was selected by the Atlanta Hawks with the 21st overall pick of the 1987 NBA Draft...
2 seasons: '92-'94 Corrado Fumagalli 2 seasons: '92-'94 Dan Gay 8 seasons: '93-'00, '06-'07 Vincenzo EspositoVincenzo Esposito is an Italian former professional basketball player. He is 1.94 m tall and played as a shooting guard...
2 seasons: '93-'95 Aleksandar Đorđević 2 seasons: '94-'96 Carlton MyersCarlton Ettore Francesco Myers is a retired Italian basketball player that played in the Italian league and the Euroleague...
6 seasons: '95-'01 Alessandro FrosiniAlessandro Frosini is an Italian basketball player with Juvecaserta Basket. He is also a member of the Italian national basketball team. He has won the Euroleague twice in 1997-98 and 2000-01, along with Virtus Bologna....
3 seasons: '94-'97 Mike BrownMichael "Mike" Brown is a retired American professional basketball player. A durable 6'9" power forward/center, he played at George Washington University in the early 1980s, where he received the nickname "The New Washington Monument." After four years of college ball, Brown was selected by the...
1 season: '95-'96 Conrad McRaeConrad Bastien McRae was an American professional basketball player who was selected by the Washington Bullets in the 2nd round of the 1993 NBA Draft. McRae's professional career flourished overseas in Europe for teams in France, Italy, Greece and Turkey...
1 season: '96-'97 Eric MurdockEric Lloyd Murdock is a retired American professional basketball player who was selected by the Utah Jazz in the 1st round of the 1991 NBA Draft....
1 season: '96-'97 Gregor FučkaGregor Fučka is a retired Italian basketball player of Slovenian origin. A 215 cm forward-center, he was a European Player of the Year Mister Europa and Euroscar laureate in 2000.- Pro career :...
5 seasons: '97-'02 Giacomo GalandaGiacomo Galanda is an Italian professional basketball player. He is a forward-center of and .-Career:...
5 seasons: '97-'98, '99-'03 Roberto ChiacigRoberto Chiacig is a basketball center from Italy, who won the silver medal with the Italian men's national team at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece...
2 seasons: '97-'99
David RiversDavid Lee Rivers is a retired American basketball player. An explosive point guard, he reached star status in the Euroleague, mostly playing for Olympiacos Piraeus under coach Dusan Ivkovic....
1 season: '97-'98 Dominique WilkinsJacques Dominique Wilkins is a retired American professional basketball player who primarily played for the Atlanta Hawks of the NBA...
1 season: '97-'98 Gianluca BasileGianluca Basile is an Italian professional basketball player. He is 192 cm tall and he weighs about 95 kg. He is considered to be one of the best 1990s and 2000s era Italian basketball players. He won the silver medal at the 2004 Olympics. He was also the captain of the Italian...
7 seasons: '98-'05 Marko JarićMarko Jarić is a Serbian professional basketball player. He is married to Brazilian model Adriana Lima.-Pro career:...
2 seasons: '98-'00 Artūras KarnišovasArtūras Karnišovas is a retired Lithuanian professional basketball player....
2 seasons: '98-'00 |
Damir Mulaomerović Damir Mulaomerovic is a Bosnian-born Croatian professional basketball player who currently plays for KK Zagreb....
1 season: '98-'99 Vinny Del NegroVincent Joseph "Vinny" Del Negro is a retired American basketball player. He is the current head coach of the NBA's Los Angeles Clippers, and was the head coach of the Chicago Bulls from 2008 until 2010.-Early life:...
1 season: '98-'99 Stojko VrankovićStojan "Stojko" Vranković is a retired Croatian basketball player who also represented Yugoslavia....
2 seasons: '99-'01 Anthony BowieAnthony Lee Bowie is an American basketball player. He is a former NBA shooting guard, most renowned for his stint with the Orlando Magic...
1 season: '00-'01 Eddie GillEddie Gill is an American professional basketball player. He is a 1.84 m point guard.Gill went undrafted after a college career at Salt Lake Community College and Weber State University...
1 season: '00-'01 Eurelijus ŽukauskasEurelijus Žukauskas is a Lithuanian professional basketball player. He played for the Lithuanian national basketball team from 1995 to 2004.In 1995 NBA Draft Žukauskas was drafted as a #54 by Seattle SuperSonics in the second round...
1 season: '00-'01 Vassil EvtimovVassil Iliev "Vasco" Evtimov is a French-Bulgarian professional basketball player. He is a 2.08 m power forward.He is the son of Ilia and Rosalina Evtimov, his father was also a legendary professional basketball player and his brother, Ilian Evtimov is also a professional basketball player...
2 seasons: '01-'02, '06-'07 Emilio KovačićEmilio Kovačić is a former Croatian professional basketball player. A 2.08 m center with great rebounding skills and decent defensive abilities, he played many years in the Euroleague for KK Zadar, Union Olimpija and KK Cibona.Kovačić was a regular member of the Croatian national team and won the...
2 seasons: '01-'03 John CelestandJohn Celestand is a retired American professional basketball player.A 6'4" shooting guard, Celestand attended Piscataway Township High School in Piscataway Township, New Jersey before playing collegiately at Villanova University. Celestand was selected by the Los Angeles Lakers with the No. 30...
1 season: '01-'02 Anthony GoldwireAnthony Goldwire is an American basketball player, formerly in the NBA. He played for the University of Houston and was drafted by the Phoenix Suns in the 2nd round in 1994.-Pro career:...
1 season: '01-'02 Dan McClintockDaniel Raymond McClintock is an American professional basketball player at the center position currently playing for MBС Mykolaiv from the Ukrainian Basketball Super League...
1 season: '01-'02 Marko MiličMarko Milič is a Slovenian professional basketball player. Milič's father, Vladimir, was a shot putting champion in the former Yugoslavia. His mother, Metka Papler, is a former successful sportswoman of the same origin...
1 season: '01-'02 Rumeal RobinsonRumeal James Robinson is a retired American professional basketball player. Growing up in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Robinson graduated from Cambridge Rindge and Latin School and went on to play guard for the University of Michigan...
1 season: '01-'02 Zoran SavićZoran Savić is a retired Serbian professional basketball player. The 208 cm forward played in various European nations.-Career:...
1 season: '01-'02 Stefano MancinelliStefano Mancinelli is an Italian professional basketball player. He is 203 cm tall and he can play both the small forward and power forward positions and he can also play as a point forward.-Pro career:...
9 seasons: '01-'09 Gianmarco PozzeccoGianmarco Pozzecco is a retired Italian basketball player, an all-around offensive talent. He won, for seven years, the ranking for the top assistmen in Italian League.- Career :...
3 seasons: '02-'05 Carlos DelfinoCarlos Francisco Delfino is an Argentine professional basketball player. He also has Italian citizenship. Delfino plays at the small forward and shooting guard positions. He stands tall and weighs . He is also noted for his defensive skills...
2 seasons: '02-'04 A. J. GuytonArthur James Guyton is an American former professional basketball player. He was selected by the Chicago Bulls in the 2nd round in the 2000 NBA Draft, and played collegiately at Indiana University, where he was named Big Ten Co-MVP and first team all-American during his senior year, averaging...
2 seasons: '02-'04 Luboš BartoňLuboš Bartoň is a Czech professional basketball player. He is a 2.02 m tall small forward.-College career:Bartoň played college basketball at Valparaiso University with the Valparaiso Crusaders from 1998-02....
1 season: '02-'03 Vlado ŠćepanovićVlado Šćepanović is a Montenegrin professional basketball player.-Pro career:...
1 season: '02-'03 Mate SkelinMate Skelin is a retired Croatian basketball player. Currently he is a General manager in KK Cedevita.-References:*...
1 season: '02-'03 Marco BelinelliMarco Stefano Belinelli is an Italian professional basketball player currently with the New Orleans Hornets of the NBA. He is tall and plays as a shooting guard...
4 seasons: '03-'07 Erazem LorbekErazem Lorbek is a Slovenian professional basketball player. He is a forward-center who currently plays with the Liga ACB club FC Barcelona.-Pro career:...
3 seasons: '03-'06 Matjaž SmodišMatjaž Smodiš is a Slovenian professional basketball player. He is currently playing for KK Cedevita in Croatia.-Pro career:...
2 seasons: '03-'05 Miloš VujanićMiloš Vujanić is a Serbian professional basketball player. He is a 1.90 m tall point guard.-Pro career:Vujanić started his professional career with KK Crvena zvezda in 1999. After two seasons at the club, he signed for KK Partizan in summer 2001...
2 seasons: '03-'05 Hanno MöttöläHanno Aleksanteri Möttölä is a Finnish professional basketball player. Möttölä previously played for the Atlanta Hawks in the National Basketball Association , in the power forward position, where he became the first player from Finland to play in the NBA.Möttölä attended the University of Utah in...
1 season: '03-'04 Dalibor BagarićDalibor Bagarić is a Croatian professional basketball player who formerly played for the NBA's Chicago Bulls from 2000 to 2003...
4 seasons: '04-'06, '07-'09 Amal McCaskillAmal Omari McCaskill is an American professional basketball player, at the center position. He currently plays for the KTP-Basket in the Finnish Basketball League....
1 season: '04-'05 Ruben DouglasRuben Enrique Douglas is a Panamanian-American professional basketball player. He is a 1.96 m 210 lb point guard-shooting guard.-Amateur career:...
1 season: '04-'05 Sani BečirovičSani Bečirović is a Slovenian 1.96 m professional basketball player currently plays for the Benetton Treviso, that plays at both point guard and shooting guard positions...
1 season: '05-'06 Yakhouba DiawaraYakhouba Diawara is a French professional basketball player.He is a 6 ft 7 in and 225 lb shooting guard/small forward. He started his career with French team JDA Dijon, and after his first season in the European League, Diawara decided to attend college in the United States...
1 season: '05-'06 Kiwane GarrisKiwane Garris is an American former professional basketball player. He was listed as a 6'2" , 183 lb point guard....
1 season: '05-'06 Travis WatsonTravis Watson is an American professional basketball player. A 2.03 m power forward, he led the 2007-08 Euroleague in rebounds with 9.7 per game playing for Armani Jeans Milano.- Amateur career :...
1 season: '05-'06  David BluthenthalDavid Blu is a 6' 7" American-Israeli professional basketball player who plays for the Maccabi Tel Aviv basketball club.He was born as David Bluthenthal. In 2010 he changed his name to David Blu .-Early life:...
1 season: '06-'07 Alain DigbeuAlain Digbeu is a French professional basketball player. He was drafted by the NBA pro club the Atlanta Hawks with the 49th pick in the 1997 NBA Draft. He is 6'6" in height and 220 lbs. in weight...
1 season: '06-'07 |
Tyus Edney Tyus Dwayne Edney is an American professional basketball player. A point guard for UCLA from 1991–1995, Edney led the Bruins to the 1995 NCAA National Championship. He also led Žalgiris Kaunas to the 1999 Euroleague title...
1 season: '06-'07 Goran Jurak Goran Jurak is a Slovenian professional basketball player currently playing for Pallacanestro Biella in Italy....
1 season: '06-'07 Jérôme MoïsoJérôme Moïso is a French professional basketball player.-College career:He played college basketball at UCLA with the UCLA Bruins.-Pro career:...
1 season: '06-'07 Moochie NorrisMartyn "Moochie" Norris is an American former professional basketball player.Norris, a journeyman, played collegiately at Odessa College , at Auburn University and at the University of West Florida . He was drafted with 33rd overall pick of the 1996 NBA draft by Milwaukee Bucks...
1 season: '06-'07 Preston ShumpertMert Shumpert or Preston Anthony Shumpert is an American-Turkish professional basketball player currently playing for Turkish club Galatasaray....
1 season: '06-'07 Marcelinho HuertasMarcelo Tieppo Huertas is a Brazilian professional basketball player. He also has Italian citizenship. He is a point guard, but he can also play as a shooting guard if needed. He is 1.91 m tall...
1 season: '08-'09 Kieron AcharaKieron Achara is a professional basketball player, who has representes the Great Britain team. He is a 6-10 forward who played collegiately at Duquesne University...
1 season: '08-'09 Jamont GordonJamont Gordon is an American basketball player who played for the Mississippi State Bulldogs. At Glencliff Complex High School, Gordon was named 2004 TSSAA class 3A Mr. Basketball...
1 season: '08-'09 Uroš SlokarUroš Slokar is a Slovenian professional basketball player, formerly of the NBA's Toronto Raptors.-Pro career:After playing two seasons in the Slovenian basketball league, Slokar moved to Italy's Serie A in 2003, where he represented Benneton Treviso and Pallalcesto Amatori Udine...
1 season: '08-'09 Joseph ForteJoseph Xavier "Joe" Forte is an American professional basketball player.-Beginnings:Forte got his start at DeMatha Catholic High School in Hyattsville, Maryland. There, Forte played under the instruction of legendary high school prep coach Morgan Wootten. Forte's teammate at DeMatha, Keith Bogans,...
1 season: '08-'09 James ThomasJames D. Thomas, Jr. is an American professional basketball player. A 6'8" forward from the University of Texas at Austin, Thomas was the recipient of the 2004-05 NBA Development League Rookie of the Year. He played in the NBA for the Portland Trail Blazers, Atlanta Hawks, Philadelphia 76ers, and...
3 seasons: '06-'09 Qyntel WoodsQyntel Deon Woods is an American professional basketball player who plays for Maccabi Haifa B.C. in Israel...
1 season: '08-'09 DJ Strawberry 1 season: '08-'09 Lazaros PapadopoulosLazaros Papadopoulos , is a Greek professional basketball player. He is 7 ft 280 lbs. and he plays at the center position.-Personal:...
1 season: '08-'09 |
Sponsorship names
Through the years, due to sponsorship deals, it has been also known as:
- Cassera (1966-68)
- Eldorado (1968-71)
- Alco (1971-78)
- Mercury (1978-80)
- I&B (1980-81)
- Lattesole (1981-83)
- Yoga (1983-88)
- Arimo (1988-90)
- Aprimatic (1990-91)
- Mangiaebevi (1991-93)
- Filodoro (1993-95)
- Teamsystem (1995-99)
- Paf Wennington (1999-01)
- Skipper (2001-04)
- Climamio (2004-07)
- UPIM (Italian League
Lega Basket Serie A is the highest level club competition in Italian professional basketball where play determines the national champion. The season consists of a home-and-away schedule of 30 games, followed by an eight-team playoff round. Quarterfinals and semifinals series are best-of-five, and...
), Beghelli (Eurocup) (2007-08)
- GMAC (Serie A), no name sponsorship (Eurocup) (2008-09)
- AMORI (2009-10)
- Conad (2011-present)
External links