Dino Meneghin (Italian pronunciation: [ˈdiːno meneˈɡin], Venetian: [meneˈɡiŋ]; born 18 January 1950) is an Italian former professional basketball player. He is widely considered to be the best Italian player ever, as well as one of Europe's all-time greats. A 2.06 m (6 ft 9 in) tall center, Meneghin was born in Alano di Piave, Veneto (northeast Italy). On 20 November 1966, when he was 16 years old, he played in his first game in the Italian League, with Ignis Varese. He played the last game of his career at the age of 45.
Quick Facts Personal information, Born ...
Dino Meneghin Meneghin in 2010 |
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| Born | (1950-01-18) 18 January 1950 (age 74)
Alano di Piave, Italy |
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| Listed height | 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) |
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| Listed weight | 243 lb (110 kg) |
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| NBA draft | 1970: 11th round, 182nd overall pick |
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| Selected by the Atlanta Hawks |
| Playing career | 1966–1994 |
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| Position | Center |
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| 1966–1980 | Pallacanestro Varese |
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| 1980–1990 | Olimpia Milano |
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| 1990–1993 | Pallacanestro Trieste |
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| 1993–1994 | Olimpia Milano |
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- 4× FIBA Intercontinental Cup champion (1967, 1970, 1973, 1987)
- 7× EuroLeague champion (1970, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1976, 1987, 1988)
- EuroLeague Finals Top Scorer (1974)
- 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)
- FIBA's 50 Greatest Players (1991)
- Italian Basketball Hall of Fame (2006)
- 50 Greatest EuroLeague Contributors (2008)
- No. 11 retired by Olimpia Milano (2019)
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Stats  at Basketball-Reference.com |
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| Basketball Hall of Fame as player |
| FIBA Hall of Fame as player |
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He holds the record for the most EuroLeague championships won by a player, with seven, when counting all formats of the competition's history, dating back to the inaugural 1958 season. In 2003, Meneghin became a Basketball Hall of Fame player. In 2006, he became a member of the Italian Basketball Hall of Fame. In 2010, he became a FIBA Hall of Fame player.[1]
In total, Meneghin played in 836 games and scored 8,560 points in the Italian League championship. Meneghin became the second player from a European league to be drafted by an NBA team, when the Atlanta Hawks manager Marty Blake selected him with a late-round pick in the 1970 NBA draft. He never played in the USA, however.
In 1980 and 1983, he was elected European Player of the Year: Mr. Europa, and he also won the Euroscar European Player of the Year award in 1983. In 1991, he was named the greatest FIBA European Champions' Cup (EuroLeague) basketball player of all time, by the Italian basketball magazine Giganti del Basket.[2]
One of the greatest records of his career is his number of Finals appearances in the FIBA European Champions Cup (EuroLeague). He played in 10 consecutive finals with Pallacanestro Varese, winning 5; and later in 2 more consecutive finals with Olimpia Milano, winning both. Finally, before his playing career ended, Meneghin played in the Italian League against his son, Andrea, who was also a great international player.
On 28 October 2019, 25 years after he last played professionally, Olimpia Milano retired the number 11 in honor of Meneghin. The number 11 matched the number of seasons that he had played with the Italian club.[3][4]
