Italian basketball player and coach
Gianmarco Pozzecco (born 15 September 1972) is an Italian professional basketball coach and former player who is currently the head coach of Italy men's national basketball team.
Pozzecco is one of the best known figures in the Italian basketball world. As a player, he had a prominent role in Italy's win of the silver medal at the men's basketball tournament at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens. He won the and the with Varese, and in 2004 he reached the EuroLeague Final Four with Bologna, eventually lost to Maccabi Tel Aviv. He played in the two 1997, the 1998, the 2001, and the 2004 Italian All Star Games, and in the 1999 McDonald's Open Championship. As a coach, Pozzecco won the 2018–19 FIBA Europe Cup and the 2019 Italian Basketball Supercup with Dinamo Sassari.
Professional career.
Raised in Trieste, in 1991 he made his debut in A2 with Udine . He stayed at the club the following season, playing in the "". In 1993 he moved to where he played for one season. He was then traded to Pallacanestro Varese. With Varese he won the "Scudetto" in 1999—Varese's 10th title, coming over two decades after the last one—and immediately afterwards the Italian Super Cup. In the 2000–01 season, Pozzecco averaged 27 points in the Lega Basket Serie A.
From 2002 to 2005 he played in Fortitudo Bologna. In 2005, due to conflicts with coach Repeša, he was taken out of the squad, eventually ending the season in Spain, at Basket Zaragoza
In 1997 he was selected for the first time by the Italian national team, during the 1998–99 and 2000–01 seasons he participated in the Italian All Star Game and in 1999 in the McDonald's Championship.
In 2001 he tried to join the NBA franchise attending the Summer League with the Toronto Raptors, but the attempt was unsuccessful. He had the most assists per game in seven seasons of the Italian League.
In the 2000-01 television season he hosted, together with , the "" on Italia 1.
2004 Summer Olympics.
Pozzecco joined the Italian national basketball team in 1997 and the following year participated in the World Championship; however, he had some arguments with coach Bogdan Tanjević who left him out of the talented roster at the EuroBasket 1999. The new Italian coach Carlo Recalcati let him return to the team, and although he lost the calling for the EuroBasket 2003, Pozzecco was part of the Italian expedition to the Athens Olympics.
Italy won the silver medal, after they defeated Spain, Argentina, Puerto Rico and Lithuania but lost to Argentina in the final. Pozzecco was the assists leader against New Zealand and Serbia and Montenegro. He posted a double-double of 12 assists, the tournament's game high, 10 points, 4 steals and 4 rebounds against Yao Ming's China, in the penultimate game of the group stage. Pozzecco was the scoring leader in the last and most difficult game of the preliminary round, an eventual 76–75 win over Argentina. He was the assists leader against Puerto Rico in quarterfinals, and against Lithuania in semifinals. Pozzecco also scored 17 points against Lithuania, including 4 three pointers, and was one of the best players of the game. He tied with Soragna for scoring leader in the gold medal game, a rematch against Argentina lost 69–84.
Final years (2005–2008).
In the 2005–06 season he moved in Russia, in Moscow, signing an annual contract with Khimki. The contract was then renewed also for the following season, in which the Russian team played in the ULEB Cup.
He returned to Italy for the 2007-08 season. Initially it seemed he would join Virtus Bologna, but eventually, on 25 July 2007, he signed an annual contract with Orlandina Basket. Pozzecco suddenly renounced to join Virtus Bologna, shortly before signing, because he didn't want to enter in Varese with the Virtus' jersey.
After playing a high-level regular season, averaging almost 18 points and 8 assists per game, Pozzecco stated he wanted to retire from basketball after playing the playoffs.
On 15 May 2008 at the Palasport Giacomo Del Mauro in Avellino he bid farewell to basketball three minutes from the conclusion of the play-off match between Avellino and Capo d'Orlando, when the game had been already decided, with the elimination of the team of Pozzecco. The match was interrupted to allow the athlete the applause of the audience and the players.
Deeply loving basketball and always nurturing the will to play with his brother, in the 2008–09 season, beside collaborating with Gazzetta dello Sport and Sky, Gianmarco Pozzecco wore the jersey of Servolana Trieste, a team playing in the (formerly C2).
In 2009 he joined the Olimpia Milano staff and returned to play in Serie C Dilettanti with the "new" Orlandina Basket playing a championship game against Amatori Basket Messina, scoring 10 points.
He continued his collaboration with Sky, sometimes commenting on NBA games, and co-presenting the "Rhythm and Basket" in-depth program. He has also collaborated as a regular commentator with La7 and with Sportitalia in some basketball programs, such as "NBA News" and a program of in-depth study on the Euroleague and in 2012-2013 he hosted "Sotto Canestro" together with Italian sports conductor and basketball player and model , a program dedicated to basketball.
Coaching career.
After his retirement as a player, having spent a few years as a broadcaster for Sky Sport and Sportitalia, on 13 November 2012 he was hired as the head coach of Orlandina Basket, the team which he ended his playing career with. In 2014, he went back to Varese as a head coach. On 3 July 2015 he parted ways with Varese.
Day later, on 4 July 2015, he signed with the Croatian team Cedevita Zagreb to be the team's assistant coach.
On 27 March 2018 he signed a two-year contract to become the head coach of his former club Fortitudo Bologna.
On 11 February 2019 Pozzecco signed with Dinamo Sassari of the Italian Lega Basket Serie A (LBA). In his last season in Sassari, Pozzecco went through some difficulties with the management of the team that resulted in his suspension for 10 days right before the beginning of the playoffs. At the end of the season he prematurely parted ways with Sassari.
On 30 June 2021, Pozzecco joined the Olimpia Milano staff as assistant coach of Ettore Messina. At the end of the season he parted ways with Milano.
On 2 June 2022, he was named as the new head coach of the senior men's Italy national team as replace to Meo Sacchetti.
Player profile.
Standing at , he played at the point guard position. He had great technical skills, court-vision, and shooting ability. He was a player full of fantasy, but weak on defense. He was dubbed as an all-around offensive talent.
He is famous for his eccentric character, and, although it has caused problems for him with coaches through the years, it made him one of the most valued players in Italy. His nicknames are “Poz”, and “La Mosca Atomica” (The Atomic Fly). Although he was born in Gorizia and he grew up as a basketball player in Udine, he is originally from Trieste, and considers himself a "triestino".
NBA star Tim Duncan once said that he was impressed by the Italian player.
References.
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