Giusto Pellanera

Giusto Pellanera was a guard, and made his début for his home-town team D’Alessandro Teramo in the Second League in the 1950s. He moved to the First League with Virtus Bologna in the 1958/59 season, and played 10 consecutive years, making 245 appearances for them. In 1968/69 he joined Snaidero Udine, before joining Bologna’s other team, Fortitudo, with whom he ended his career in 1973.

After making his official international début against the Asociaciòn de Bàsquetbol Valparaiso (Chile) in 1960, Pellanera went on to win 106 international caps and score 587 points in an eight-year international career. He was a member of the Italian side that beat Spain 97-91 to win the 1963 Mediterranean Games at Napoli. At the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, Italy finished fifth, and suffered a shock defeat by the hosts, in a match played at nine o’clock in the morning. He made his second Olympic appearance at Mexico City in 1968. Pellanera also competed at two European Championships (1963 and 1965, when Italy finished fourth) and two World Championships (1963 and 1967).