Dino Meneghin
Italian basketball player
 Meneghin in 2010 | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1950-01-18) 18 January 1950 (age 74) Alano di Piave, Italy |
| Listed height | 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) |
| Listed weight | 243 lb (110 kg) |
| Career information | |
| NBA draft | 1970: 11th round, 182nd overall pick |
| Selected by the Atlanta Hawks | |
| Playing career | 1966–1994 |
| Position | Center |
| Career history | |
| 1966–1980 | Pallacanestro Varese |
| 1980–1990 | Olimpia Milano |
| 1990–1993 | Pallacanestro Trieste |
| 1993–1994 | Olimpia Milano |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
Stats  at Basketball-Reference.com | |
| Basketball Hall of Fame as player | |
| FIBA Hall of Fame as player | |
Dino Meneghin (Italian pronunciation: [ˈdiːno meneˈɡin], Venetian: [meneˈɡiŋ]; born 18 January 1950) is an Italian former professional basketball player. He is widely considered to be the best Italian player ever, as well as one of Europe's all-time greats. A 2.06 m (6 ft 9 in) tall center, Meneghin was born in Alano di Piave, Veneto (northeast Italy). On 20 November 1966, when he was 16 years old, he played in his first game in the Italian League, with Ignis Varese. He played the last game of his career at the age of 45.
He holds the record for the most EuroLeague championships won by a player, with seven, when counting all formats of the competition's history, dating back to the inaugural 1958 season. In 2003, Meneghin became a Basketball Hall of Fame player. In 2006, he became a member of the Italian Basketball Hall of Fame. In 2010, he became a FIBA Hall of Fame player.[1]
Professional career
In total, Meneghin played in 836 games and scored 8,560 points in the Italian League championship. Meneghin became the second player from a European league to be drafted by an NBA team, when the Atlanta Hawks manager Marty Blake selected him with a late-round pick in the 1970 NBA draft. He never played in the USA, however.
In 1980 and 1983, he was elected European Player of the Year: Mr. Europa, and he also won the Euroscar European Player of the Year award in 1983. In 1991, he was named the greatest FIBA European Champions' Cup (EuroLeague) basketball player of all time, by the Italian basketball magazine Giganti del Basket.[2]
One of the greatest records of his career is his number of Finals appearances in the FIBA European Champions Cup (EuroLeague). He played in 10 consecutive finals with Pallacanestro Varese, winning 5; and later in 2 more consecutive finals with Olimpia Milano, winning both. Finally, before his playing career ended, Meneghin played in the Italian League against his son, Andrea, who was also a great international player.
On 28 October 2019, 25 years after he last played professionally, Olimpia Milano retired the number 11 in honor of Meneghin. The number 11 matched the number of seasons that he had played with the Italian club.[3][4]
National team career
With the senior Italian national basketball team, Meneghin played in 271 games, and totaled 2,847 points scored. With Italy, he won the bronze medal at both the 1971 EuroBasket and the 1975 EuroBasket. He also won the silver medal at the 1980 Summer Olympics, and the gold medal at the 1983 EuroBasket.
Post-playing career
On 5 September 2003 Meneghin became the second Italian player to enter into the Basketball Hall of Fame, after Cesare Rubini, who served Olimpia Milano, both as player and coach between the 1940s and the 1970s. After his playing career ended, Meneghin has since worked for the Italian Basketball Federation and for Olimpia Milano.
Personal life
Dino Meneghin is the father of Andrea Meneghin, who also played professional basketball. Andrea played against his father, during the latter's last season as a pro.
Honours and awards
Clubs
- 4× FIBA World Cup for Clubs champion: (1967, 1970, 1973, 1987)
- 7× FIBA European Champions Cup (EuroLeague) champion: (1970, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1976, 1987, 1988)
- 2× FIBA European Cup Winners Cup (Saporta Cup) champion: (1967, 1980)
- FIBA Korać Cup champion: (1985)
- 12× Italian League champion: (1969–1971, 1973, 1974, 1977, 1978, 1982, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1989)
- 6× Italian Cup winner: (1969, 1970, 1971, 1973, 1986, 1987)
Italian senior national team
- EuroBasket 1971:
Bronze - EuroBasket 1975: Bronze
- 1980 Summer Olympic Games:
Silver - EuroBasket 1983:
Gold
Individual
- EuroLeague Finals Top Scorer: (1974)
- FIBA European Selection: (1975)
- 2× Mister Europa European Player of the Year: 1980, 1983
- Euroscar European Player of the Year: 1983
- FIBA's 50 Greatest Players: 1991
- Italian Basketball Hall of Fame: 2006
- 50 Greatest EuroLeague Contributors: 2008
- FIBA Hall of Fame: 2010
- Number 11 jersey retired by retired by Olimpia Milano: 2019
References
- ^ "FIBA announces 2010 Hall of Fame Class". FIBA. 20 August 2010. Archived from the original on 19 October 2010.
- ^ Interbasket.net InterBasket > profiles > Meneghin.
- ^ "Eleven Forever: Dino Meneghin's number 11 will be retired by Olimpia". olimpiamilano.com. 28 October 2019.
- ^ Dino Meneghin jersey retired and the legend lives on.
External links
- Dino Meneghin at FIBA
- Dino Meneghin at Basketball-Reference.com
- Dino Meneghin at Eurobasket.com
- Dino Meneghin at RealGM
- Dino Meneghin at Proballers
- Dino Meneghin at Olympics.com
- Dino Meneghin at Olympedia
- Dino Meneghin at the Comitato Olimpico Nazionale Italiano (in Italian)
- Italian League Profile (in Italian)
- Euroleague.net 50 Greatest Contributors
- Fibaeurope.com Profile
- Dino Meneghin Player Profile (InterBasket)
Italy men's basketball squad – 1980 Summer Olympics – Silver medal | ||
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