Crazy buzzer beater from almost a mid-court by teammate Claudio Capone to win 1999-2000 Italian A2 Championship after a truly unbelievable season of adjustments, hard work and remarkable team chemistry... The guy on the video who is screaming in the camera and about to completely loose control of himself is our General Manager Mr. Menotti. I wonder if NBA GM's would be celebrating the same way? :-)
My first Pro team Scandone Avellino was ranked at the bottom of the league in pre-season by many experts of Italian basketball. Coach Luca Dalmonte used that pre-season ranking page from "Superbasket" magazine as a constant motivational factor and attached it to the team's locker room door. Most importantly, we embraced the role of being an underdog and used it to our advantage.
That team holds a special place in my heart to this day. It is not that often in professional sports that you could honestly say that you felt like being an integral part of a unique group of individuals who where like brothers to you. We complemented each other like pieces of a puzzle, there was mutual trust and desire to compensate shortcomings of one another no matter
what difficulty we were facing.
The captain of the team - a veteran Italian player - Sergio Mastroianni was a character that looked like a British comedian Mr.Bean and he sure behaved accordingly. His constant jokes and pranks created an atmosphere of family fun and we had blossomed in it. Sure enough, the team never lack motivation that season as we became #1 surprise of the year by winning the Championship and a ticket to A1 Division!
Many years and basketball seasons had passed since that day in history of Avellino basketball, but I am proud to say that our 1999-2000 team made playing in A1 become a reality for many basketball fans in Avellino and Irpina province of Italy. The team had gone through some rough economic times recently (February 2011) but was able to find new sponsors and still finds itself in the top 5 of the Italian A1 league.
Check out Scandone Avellino homepage and Avellino Original Fans homepage - very special group of people who truly love their team and passionate about basketball.
Dear readers, please interact with a blogger and consider providing some feedback - your opinion matters to me, thank you for visiting my blog.
My first Pro team Scandone Avellino was ranked at the bottom of the league in pre-season by many experts of Italian basketball. Coach Luca Dalmonte used that pre-season ranking page from "Superbasket" magazine as a constant motivational factor and attached it to the team's locker room door. Most importantly, we embraced the role of being an underdog and used it to our advantage.
what difficulty we were facing.
The captain of the team - a veteran Italian player - Sergio Mastroianni was a character that looked like a British comedian Mr.Bean and he sure behaved accordingly. His constant jokes and pranks created an atmosphere of family fun and we had blossomed in it. Sure enough, the team never lack motivation that season as we became #1 surprise of the year by winning the Championship and a ticket to A1 Division!
Many years and basketball seasons had passed since that day in history of Avellino basketball, but I am proud to say that our 1999-2000 team made playing in A1 become a reality for many basketball fans in Avellino and Irpina province of Italy. The team had gone through some rough economic times recently (February 2011) but was able to find new sponsors and still finds itself in the top 5 of the Italian A1 league.
Check out Scandone Avellino homepage and Avellino Original Fans homepage - very special group of people who truly love their team and passionate about basketball.
This video was made during January 2011 - the times when fans of Avellino were on the verge of loosing its basketball team due to bankruptcy. The Video covers the most essential victories of Avellino basketball history such as winning Championships in B1 League and A2 League and eventually the triumph in 2008 Italian Cup.
Dear readers, please interact with a blogger and consider providing some feedback - your opinion matters to me, thank you for visiting my blog.
Ты - один из немногих кто относится к болельщикам как к одной из составных частей баскетбола. За это, и ещё за твой профессионализм, тебя очень ценят
ReplyDeleteneedless to say, I love this post. I was really looking forward for it to come out. You've been very good to convey the magic of that year and the fact that you still remember perfectly Sergio, Claudio, Menotti (very often wrongly mistreated and totally misunderstood by many) and coach Dalmonte (even though 11+ years have gone since)and the rest of us fans, it means a lot to me. And to this city, too. That team is one of the very few things we have over here and we often live thinking about just the next game. As if it was the most important thing in our lives. And people like you, that still remember and follow the team after years, are very much needed. Thanks :)
ReplyDeleteThank you guys for comments, appreciate your support. The fans and teammates are the two major things that remain in athletes' long term memory:-) After all, basketball is a spectator sport and players always perform better when passionate fans surround them!
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