Stefano Gentile

Stefano Gentile (born 20 September 1989) is an Italian professional basketball player for Dinamo Sassari, of the Italian Lega Basket Serie A (LBA). At a height of 1.91 m (6'3") tall, he plays at the point guard position.

Stefano Gentile
Gentile with Sassari in 2019
No. 22 – Dinamo Sassari
PositionPoint guard / Shooting guard
LeagueLBA
FIBA Europe Cup
Personal information
Born (1989-09-20) 20 September 1989
Maddaloni, Italy
NationalityItalian
Listed height1.91 m (6 ft 3 in)
Listed weight94 kg (207 lb)
Career information
NBA draft2011 / Undrafted
Playing career2005–present
Career history
2005–2006Juvecaserta
2006–2007Andrea Costa Imola
2007–2008Olimpia Milano
2008–2009Assi Ostuni
2009–2010Bitumcalor Trento
2010–2012Junior Casale
2012–2013Juvecaserta
2013–2015Cantù
2015–2017Grissin Bon Reggio Emilia
2017–2018Virtus Bologna
2018–presentDinamo Sassari
Career highlights and awards

Professional career

Gentile started his club career at his father Nando's last team, Juvecaserta Basket, in the LegaDue (Italian 2nd Division). He then went to Andrea Costa Imola, of the same division, where his father was the head coach.[1] With Andrea Costa Imola, he caught the eye of Serie A (Italian first division) side Armani Jeans Milano, a club in which his father had previously been a star player.

With Milano, he played in the Italian first division, and also the European-wide top-tier level EuroLeague.[2] However, he struggled to get any meaningful playing time, and he then dropped down to the Italian fourth division level, first with Assi Ostuni, and then with Aquila Basket Trento. After a good season with Aquila Basket Trento, in which the club gained a league promotion to the LegaDue (Italian 2nd Division), he reentered the Italian top division, with Junior Casale, before later joining his former team, Juvecaserta Basket, also in the Italian first division.

With Caserta, he flourished under head coach Stefano Sacripanti, and earned a selection to the 2012–13 Italian All-Star Game, where he played alongside his brother, Alessandro, and he was awarded MVP.[3] When the club's head coach Sacripanti, moved to the ambitious club Pallacanestro Cantù, he quickly recruited Gentile to join him.[4] With Cantù, Gentile contributed to the team's good season, as they finished in 3rd place in the 2013–14 Italian League season, and reached the last 32 stage of Europe's second-tier level competition, the EuroCup.

In July 2015, he joined Pallacanestro Reggiana, signing a two-year contract with the club.[5] In April 2017, he became a player of Virtus Pallacanestro Bologna.[6]

National team career

After playing with the national youth age categories Italy, Gentile dropped off the Italian national team's radar until 2012, when he made his debut with the senior men's Italian national basketball team.[7] In 2014, he played at the FIBA EuroBasket 2015 qualification tournament, in which Italy qualified for the main EuroBasket 2015 tournament.[8]

Personal life

Gentile is the son of the Italian basketball icon Nando Gentile. Stefano moved around Italy and Europe, following his father during his playing career. Along with his younger brother Alessandro, he played with the youth teams of Panathinaikos in Greece, while his father played with the club's senior team.[9] His younger brother is Italian basketball player Alessandro Gentile. He has played with his brother in the senior Italian national team and Virtus Bologna.

References
  1. "Basket, Legadue; Imola takes Stefano Gentile"la Repubblica, Imola, 16 September 2006. Retrieved on 27 February 2015.
  2. "Milano adds Stefano Gentile for 2 years"EuroLeague, 20 August 2007. Retrieved on 27 February 2015.
  3. Valenti, Stefano. "All Star Game, the stars are the two Gentile. Italy still doesn't lose."la Repubblica, Imola, 16 December 2012. Retrieved on 27 February 2015.
  4. "Pallacanestro Cantù recruits Stefano Gentile"Pallacanestro Cantù, 8 July 2013. Retrieved on 27 February 2015.
  5. "Reggio Emilia strengthens backcourt with Gentile". EuroCup. 14 July 2015. Retrieved 14 July 2015.
  6. Virtus, ufficializzato Stefano Gentile (in Italian).
  7. "Stefano Gentile", Federazione Italiana Pallacanestro. Retrieved on 27 February 2015.
  8. Stefano GENTILE (ITA).
  9. Aita, Alessandro. "The Gentile family: Stefano catches up with Alessanro and won't let him go."Dailybasket, 17 December 2014. Retrieved on 27 February 2015.
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