Basketball in mourning, Marco Bonamico died: he was 68 years old

The basketball world mourns Marco Bonamico: the ‘Marine’, as he was nicknamed, passed away at the age of 68, after several weeks of hospitalization at the Bellaria Hospital in Bologna, the city where he had spent the best years of his basketball career playing for Virtus (in four different periods) and Fortitudo.

Immediate was the reaction of those who knew him over the years: “I lose not only a friend, but also a brother” said to ‘Resto del Carlino’ the captain of Virtus, champion of Italy for the tenth time in 1984, Renato Villalta. Another Bonamico teammate at Virtus, Mario Martini, wrote on Facebook: “Hi Marco, you left us too soon but you will always be with us”.

Born in Genoa on Jan. 18, 1957, Bonamico began his senior career at Virtus Bologna in 1975-1976, winning the championship immediately. In the following year he switched to Fortitudo, then returned to wear the Vu Nere jersey in 1977-1978. After two more transfers, first to Siena and then to Olimpia Milano, he returned again to Virtus in 1980, staying this time until 1986.

In 1984 he was among the protagonists of both the star scudetto and the Italian Cup success in the final against Caserta. In 1986 he began another interlude outside Emilia, this time in Naples, before returning to Virtus in 1988-1989, putting another Coppa Italia in his trophy cabinet. From 1989 to 1993 he then played in Forlì, before ending his career in Udine at the end of the two-year period 1993-1995.

With the national team he won Olympic silver in Moscow 1980 and European gold in 1983. After retiring Bonamico became an executive as well as the face of television for RAI, where he often worked alongside another basketball-related personality who died too soon, journalist and TV host Franco Lauro.