Gianmarco Pozzecco

Gianmarco Pozzecco (born 15 September 1972) is an Italian professional basketball coach who coaches Dinamo Sassari and former player.

Gianmarco Pozzecco
Pozzecco coaching Orlandina Basket in 2013
Dinamo Sassari
PositionHead coach
Personal information
Born (1972-09-15) 15 September 1972
Gorizia, Italy
NationalityItalian
Listed height1.81 m (5 ft 11 in)
Career information
NBA draft1994 / Undrafted
Playing career1991–2010
PositionPoint guard
Coaching career2012–present
Career history
As player:
1991–1993A.P.U. Udine
1993–1994Libertas Livorno
1994–2002Pallacanestro Varese
2002–2005Fortitudo Bologna
2005CAI Zaragoza
2005–2007BC Khimki
2007–2008Orlandina Basket
2009Servolana Trieste
2010Orlandina Basket
As coach:
2012–2014Orlandina Basket
2014–2015Pallacanestro Varese
2015–2017Cedevita (assistant)
2018Fortitudo Bologna
2019–presentDinamo Sassari
Medals
Representing  Italy
Men's basketball
Olympic Games
2004 AthensTeam Competition

Professional career

In 1999 he won the Italian League and the Italian Supercup with Varese. In 2004 he lost the EuroLeague Final Four against Maccabi Tel Aviv. He played from 1999 to 2001 in the Italian All Star Game and in the 1999 McDonald's Open 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.

Coaching career

After his retirement as a player, he spent 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.[1]

Day later, on 4 July 2015, he signed with the Croatian team Cedevita Zagreb to be the team's assistant coach.[2] 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).[3]

International career

He 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.

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 roster that won the silver medal at the Olympic Games in 2004. The following year he was part of the Italian squad at the EuroBasket 2005.

Player profile

Standing at 1.81 m (5 ft 11 1⁄2 in), 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 from Trieste.

NBA star Tim Duncan once said that he was impressed by the Italian player.[4]

References
  1. "Gianmarco Pozzecco, Pallacanestro Varese part ways". sportando.com. 3 July 2015. Retrieved 30 September 2015.
  2. "Cedevita Zagreb officially alnds Gianmarco Pozzecco as assistant coach". sportando.com. 4 July 2015. Retrieved 30 September 2015.
  3. "Ufficiale: sarà Gianmarco Pozzecco il nuovo allenatore della Dinamo Sassari" [Official: Gianmarco Pozzecco is new head-coach of Dinamo Sassari]. basketuniverso.it (in Italian). 11 February 2019.
  4. Cimini, Biagio (15 November 2013). "Pozzecco rubò palla a Jordan! Gli dissero"Taci"..e lui mise la tripla!". basketlive.it (in Italian). Archived from the original on 1 October 2015. Retrieved 30 September 2015.
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