From the prefaces of Erving, Messina and Scariolo to the anecdotes of the famous journalist and writer, a volume for all NBA fans. With the entire proceeds of the sale donated to Baskin
Julius Erving signs the preface. And he writes: “Giorgio is a real ambassador of basketball. He is a special friend ”. Then there are the dedications of Ettore Messina: “I owe my passion for the stories of US coaches to Giorgio” and Sergio Scariolo: “Giorgio? A visionary “. The business card of the book is not bad: 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 wedges.
Journey through history
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A photojournalist on the NBA parquet in his youth, from 1987 to 1993 he was head of marketing for Converse in Europe (with Doc J testimonial). Back in Italy, he directed the magazine I Giganti del Basket (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 “The book is a mix of memories, interviews and unpublished stories collected in over 40 years of work” says Gandolfi, 71.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 the new career NBA points record (at the time 31,420). It was 1984: Lakers against Utah. Gandolfi was the only accredited European photographer: “I took my picture from the opposite corner. Magic assist, Kareem feinted right, evading the double and sky hook on Eaton’s head. The game was interrupted for celebrations. ”
The Colombo of basketball
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Giorgio’s passion has left an indelible mark. If the NBA is one of the most popular sports in Italy, it is due 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 the following week with Bruno Bogarelli and we found an agreement ”. A year ago, precisely on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of the NBA broadcast on Italian TV, the Times of Los Angeles dedicated a large portrait to Gandolfi entitled “The Christopher Columbus of basketball!”. Finally, there are many interviews with the greats of the past present in the book. “The first was John Havlicek, in Boston. Then Erving at Madison, and also in his house in Villanova, I remember the top floor full of pinball machines, billiards and videogames. But there are also Magic, Bird… The list is long ”. Giorgio will not pocket a euro from sales. The proceeds will go to Baskin, the first inclusive sport in the world in which able-bodied and disabled play together, born in 2003 in Cremona, Gandolfi’s hometown, but also very widespread in Europe, especially in recent years: “After having received so much, I wanted giving something back to basketball: I believe that donating the proceeds of the book to this discipline is the best possible way “.
29 March – 18:00
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