From the forewords of Erving, Messina and Scariolo to the anecdotes of the famous journalist and writer, a volume for all NBA fans. With all proceeds from the sale donated to Baskin
Julius Erving signs the preface. And he writes: “Giorgio is a true basketball ambassador. And a special friend. Then there are dedications from Ettore Messina: “I owe my passion for American coaching stories to Giorgio” and Sergio Scariolo: “Giorgio? A visionary”. The business card of the book is not bad at all: Once upon a time there was basketball… And not only that, a declaration of love that Giorgio Gandolfi, journalist and writer, wanted to dedicate to the ball in the cellar.
Journey through history
,
Photojournalist on the NBA court in his youth, he was marketing manager for Converse in Europe from 1987 to 1993 (with the testimony of Doc J). Back in Italy, he ran I Giganti del Basket magazine (a bible for fans for decades) and organized hundreds of events and clinics for the Euroleague and around the world (China, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman, Russia). “The book is a mix of memories, interviews and untold stories collected in more than 40 years of work,” says Gandolfi, 71. The photographic section is extensive: the shots, of course, are all by Giorgio. He was there, in Las Vegas, the day Kareem Abdul Jabbar made history by setting his new NBA career scoring record (at the time 31). It was 420: Lakers vs. Utah. Gandolfi was the only accredited European photographer: “I took my photo from the opposite corner. Assisted, Kareem faked a right, parrying the double and the sky hook to the head from Eaton. Play was stopped for celebrations.
The Columbus of basketball
,
Giorgio’s passion left an indelible mark. If the NBA is one of the most followed sports in Italy, it is thanks to him. His idea of asking for an audience at the CBS headquarters in New York in 1981 to talk about television rights: “I didn’t make any appointments. I just introduced myself. They replied: let’s talk about it. I went back there the following week with Bruno Bogarelli and we reached an agreement”. A year ago, precisely on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of the NBA broadcast on Italian television, the Los Angeles Times dedicated a large portrait of Gandolfi entitled “The Christopher Columbus of basketball!” “. Finally, many interviews with the greats of the past are present in the book. “The first was John Havlicek, in Boston. Then Erving in Madison, and also in his house in Villanova, I remember the top floor full of pinball, pool and video games. But there is also Magic, Bird… The list is long”. in Cremona, Gandolfi’s hometown, but also very widespread in Europe, especially in recent years: ” After having received so many, I wanted to give something back to basketball: I think that donating the proceeds from the book to this discipline is the best possible way ”.
