Dino Meneghin…he’s the only Italian basketball player in the Basketball Hall of Fame

Highlights:

4× FIBA Intercontinental Cup champion (1967, 1970, 1973, 1987)
7× EuroLeague champion (1970, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1976, 1987, 1988)
3× FIBA European Selection (1975, 1978, 1980)
2× Mister Europa (1980, 1983)
Euroscar (1983)
2× FIBA Saporta Cup champion (1967, 1980)
FIBA Korać Cup champion (1985)
12× Italian League champion (1969–1971, 1973, 1974, 1977, 1978, 1982, 1985–1987, 1989)
6× Italian Cup winner (1969–1971, 1973, 1986, 1987)

Miami heat legend Simone fontecchio. Him and bam are the highest scoring duo in a game in nba history 🔥

I nominate OG Anunoby for best British player fwiw

In the title you write ”greatest Italian basketball player”, but later on ”Italian NBA player”.

For the former, Dino Meneghin.

Besides Kobe, you mean?

I think a lot of people will say Dino Meneghin probably (never played in America), if it’s just NBA players then it has to be Gallinari

Greatest Italian NBA Player: Danilo Gallinari (but Belinelli had the best career)

Greatest Italian Basketball Player: Dino Meneghin or Carlton Myers

Special Mention: Antonello Riva

Yeah, “best” was probably Gallinari

E: Though apparently Paolo is Italian?

Dominic Decocco

Bobby Baccala

Primo Pasta 

He wasn’t physical enough in his day. But if Bargs played in today’s era, i honestly believe he would feast offensively. Defensive liability still. But i don’t believe he was as bad as everyone makes him out to be.

If he was drafted 10th instead of 1st, i think the narrative around him would be different

Lebrario Giacomo

Luol Deng for England. Prime Gallinari or prime Belinelli definitely deserve a mention.

For England it’s obvious Sir Alex English.

Marco Belinelli

Ralph Cifaretto

Im giving it to Gallinari for the song alone. https://youtu.be/lCg6v23buLU?si=qqVZIi6cm2MUnc7v

Cartlon Myers

Luigi Datome is the answer

Fun fact: Italy’s top level league is the oldest in the world (it’s 30 years older than the NBA). The winningest team is Olimpia Milano with 32 titles. They have four retired numbers, two of which are Americans you’ve never heard of, one is Mike D’Antoni (who might be a dual citizen, I’m but grew up in America at least). The other is Dino Meneghin and he’s almost certainly the answer. The basic gist of his career is 12 Italian rings and an Olympic silver medal

Pablo Prigioni (im biased)

But why would you limit it to those countries? Whatever happened to Serbia, Greece, Lithuania that completely erases them from this conversation?

I like Germany, France and Spain. But it would be very strange to look at England before any of the Eastern European countries I mentioned

danilo galinari was tough

I think Andrea Bargnani is one of those guys who would have had a way better career had be been drafted like 20th instead of 1st overall.

gotta look at the national teams over the years, cant call someone who never brought wins to the country the greatest

for this summer though its Nico Mannion, that guy ruined my summer.

I would say Meneghin. I think he won 7 Euroleague titles, multiple national championships and cups and Euro Cup and Olympic Silver with Italy

The Netherlands : Rik Smits

In my opinion is:

England: OG Anunoby

Spain: Juan Carlos Navarro

France: Tony Parker

Italy: Danilo Gallinari

Germany: Dirk Nowitzki

Ralphie Ciffareto

Mike D’Antoni or Vince D’Amata. They’re both 1A.

If you want to count Manu as italian because his grandparents were italian, instead of “which national team he played for”, then Tony Parker was born in Belgium, his father was african-american and his mother dutch, but he is french and played for the national team… Are we removing him from the list?

Even under those conditions why not count Kobe who spoke fluent italian and spent his childhood (age 6 to 13) there? 

gianluca basile 🐐

Sorry to be this guy but you know England is a country, not a town right?
Also, probably Gallinari

Danilo

Idk but Marco Belinelli was a sniper during his best years

Tony Soprano

If Ginobili Is Italian, Messi is too… So he is not. Gallo is the best

Luol Deng is English. Had a pretty damn good career in the NBA. Anunoby too

Kobe Bryant is the best Italian basketball player

OG Anunoby is english.

Marco Belinelli for smoking cigs and having a glass of wine or 2 with brunch before Raptor Sunday afternoon games

Kobe Bryant grew up in Italy for like 7 years. Does that count?

Gallinari for NBA players

Meneghin in general, the man won everything he could and played for 28 years straight without skipping a beat (even played vs his son later on)

Other mentions: Myers, Riva, Magnifico, Melli, Gentile, Esposito. If you want to stretch it, Ginobili since he’s an italian citizen.

Ernie DiGregorio or Marc Iavaroni, perhaps Mario Elie

Danilo was awesome. Used to love watching him play.

The disrespect towards the two-time and current NBA champion OG Anunoby will not be tolerated!

Joel Freeland is a English and Portland Trail Blazer legend.

Regarding your comment about England, OG Anunoby is british.

Bargnani busted? I mean I guess for a 1st overall pick but he was in the league for a decade and started 377 games. At the very least he’s in the conversation..

If Banchero ever gets it all to click he has the talent to win this race if you’re counting Italian citizenship. He’s also played for Italian national teams.

England

town

???

Primo pasta bargnani

Banchero

Paolo probably

My goat Nico Mannion

Gallinari 🐓

Big 5 is France, Spain, Germany, Serbia and Lithuania

Per me sicuramente Gallinari! Ha avuto stagioni NBA di un livello pazzesco con giocate fuori dal comune. Belinelli merita perché è stato sicuramente il miglior tiratore italiano in assoluto. Sono convinto che Saliou Niang possa arrivare in NBA presto e poter dire la sua o almeno essere un giocatore a livello di Bargnani.

Marco Bellinelli was probably the most solid NBA player. Andrea Bargnani was drafted an era too early. As a stretch big he would have thrived now. No one knew what to do with him then.

Ah yes, the town of England

England isn’t a basketball town? I’d agree. It’s not a town.

Present tense when talking about Pope Francis, uuuh did you just get out of a coma, OP?

Gus Binelli

England have OG and Luol Deng!

Mike Tirico

You ever heard of “Spaghetti” legs Johnson? Me neither but I bet he was terror in the mean streets of Lake Como

Kobe!

Primo pasta aka Andrea Bargnani

/s

VINCE TUTTI LE PARTITE

GRANDE CAPO DEL ITALIA

Gigi Datome

I know he identifies and plays for Argentina, but doesn’t Ginobili also have Italian citizenship/ancestry?

I think Wendy already passed Tony tbh

OG Anunoby is from London.

Andrew Bargani from a counting stats standpoint.

If we’re going to say Deng is better than OG due to timeline he came into the league, then Andrea was 10 years too early.

Kobe Bryant…

Idk id say current wemby is better than tony parker

Primo Pasta Bargnani