Claudio Coldebella

Claudio Coldebella (born 25 June 1968) is an Italian former professional basketball player, coach and executive.

Claudio Coldebella
Personal information
Born (1968-06-25) 25 June 1968
Castelfranco Veneto, Italy
NationalityItalian
Listed height198 cm (6 ft 6 in)
Listed weight90 kg (198 lb)
Career information
NBA draft1990: undrafted
Playing career1986–2006
PositionPoint guard
Coaching career2006–2008
Career history
As player:
1986–1988Mestre
1988–1989Aurora Desio
1989–1996Virtus Bologna
1996–1998AEK
1998–2002PAOK
2002–2006Olimpia Milano
As coach:
2006–2008Olimpia Milano (assistant)
Career highlights and awards
As a player:
Medals
Men's Basketball
Representing  Italy
EuroBasket
Silver medal – second place 1997 Spain

Playing as point guard, he had a successful club career in Italy, where he won three Italian LBA titles, and Greece, where he reached a EuroLeague Final, and won a Greek Cup.

He also played internationally for Italy, most notably earning a silver medal at the EuroBasket 1997.

Professional career

The Veneto born Coldebella started his career with local side Basket Mestre of the second division Serie A2, staying two years. Moving to another A2 side, Aurora Desio, he posted 11.8 points and 2.3 steals in 1988–1989.

He caught the eye of top tier LBA side Virtus Bologna, who signed him in 1989. Coldebella stayed 7 years with Virtus, winning three consecutive Serie A titles between 1993 and 1995.[1] The Italian moved to the Greek Basket League in 1996, joining AEK.

With the Athens side, he reached the 1998 EuroLeague Final, losing the European elite competition match up to former club Virtus.[2] He changed teams in 1998, but stayed in Greece, joining PAOK. He helped the Thessaloniki team win the Greek Cup in 1999, also playing in the league All Star Game the same season.[1] Coldebella stayed in Greece until 2002, and he is still highly regarded in the country.[3]

He then returned to Italy, joining Olimpia Milano,[4] he captained the side from 2003 to 2006, the year he ended his career.

National team career

Coldebella made his debut with the senior Italian national team in 1989.[5] After playing in the EuroBasket 1993 and EuroBasket 1995 without much collective success, he was nearly third time lucky in EuroBasket 1997, after reaching the final, but losing to Yugoslavia.[6] He earned a silver medal after the game, which proved to be his last for Italy.[5]

During that time, he also played for Italy in the 1993 Mediterranean Games (winning gold) and the 1994 Goodwill Games, where Italy beat the United States (composed of college players available to play, including Damon Stoudamire) in the semifinal,[7] later earning silver.[5]

Honours and awards

Club

Italian national team

References
  1. "L'Olimpia ufficializza i primi due arrivi" [Olimpia officialises the first two arrivals]. Lega Basket Serie A (in Italian). 11 July 2002. Retrieved 18 June 2015.
  2. "Claudio Coldebella". FIBA Europe. Retrieved 18 June 2015.
  3. Focarelli, Silvano (6 December 2012). "Coldebella "il greco" Partita patriottica con il Paok Salonicco" [Coldebella "the Greek". Patriotic game with PAOK Thessaloniki]. La Tribuna di Treviso (in Italian). Rome. Retrieved 16 June 2015.
  4. Pedrazzi, Werther (28 September 2002). "Coldebella il guerriero di Milano: "Abbiamo una missione speciale"" [Coldebella, Milan's warrior: "We have a special mission"]. Corriere della Sera (in Italian). Rome. Retrieved 18 June 2015.
  5. "Claudio Coldebella". Federazione Italiana Pallacanestro (in Italian). Retrieved 18 June 2015.
  6. "Italy: 4 – Claudio Coldebella". FIBA. Retrieved 18 June 2015.
  7. Harvey, Randy (28 July 1994). "This one is not a surprise: basketball: Italy defeats United States, 81-72, proving yet again the world is catching up to Americans". Los Angeles Times. St. Petersburg (Russia). Retrieved 18 June 2015.
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