Milan party, thrilling victory over Turin

“A special appointment,” is how Giorgio Armani calls this evening. And that’s right, 80 years of Red and White legends at the center of the Forum’s parquet or with a message on the new electronic cube, like the touching one from Bill Bradley: “I can’t be present, but my spirit will never stop being with you.” It was a beautiful and well-executed celebration, opened by a series of memories projected on the cube for the various biancorosse eras: from the early days signed by Gamba and Pieri, the Meneghin-Kenney duels of the 1970s to the Bassotti Band, passing through McAdoo’s dive, Nando Gentile’s double-double, to the last tricolor signed by his son Alessandro.

Then coach Dan Peterson takes the floor with the classic “sports friends,” and the parquet of the Assago facility, packed with 12,331 spectators, becomes populated with history: Gamba, Pieri, Vianello, Vittori, Ongaro, Iellini, Cerioni, Bariviera, Bianchi, Ferracini, Gallinari, Boselli, Pittis, Riva, N.Gentile, Portaluppi, Fucka, Premier (king of the applauseometer), Rocca, Gabetti, up to the revered patron Armani, who is awarded by Petrucci and Malagò with the trophy for Olimpia’s induction into the Italian Hall of Fame. Lots of hugs and jokes, like Meneghin’s to Kenney: “Now we can challenge each other only over a glass of red wine.” And it’s jubilation among the Forum audience.

There is also a game, even if it seems only a sideline, and EA7-Emporio Armani has to sweat the so-called seven shirts to get the better of Manital Torino (94-90), in overtime, on the day of the return of captain Gentile. A game born under a bad star, with a distracted team and repeated lost balls, while on the other side White, Mancinelli and Ebi always kept the guests in touch. There are no big leads, at most 5 points on both sides, before the Piedmontese stretch in the middle of the fourth period, with an 11-0 partial, with which there is the breakaway on +9 (65-74 at 36′). Olimpia reacts and posts a 12-3 run, to tie the game at 77 with 47″ to go: air ball by Mancinelli, Sanders-Dyson back-and-forth, then McLean misses the basket at the buzzer and it’s overtime. Where Milan takes advantage of the different roster depth, opens with an 8-2 run signed by Lafayette and Sanders, closes it with Simon, taking home the game and the lone lead at least for one night. And the party is complete.

In collaboration with basketissimo.com