| Intro | Basketball player |
| Is |
Athlete Football player Association football player Basketball player |
| From | Italy |
| Type | Sports |
| Gender | male |
| Birth | 15 September 1972, Gorizia |
| Age: | 47 years |
Gianmarco Pozzecco (born September 15, 1972) is an Italian professional basketball coach and a former player. He currently serves as an assistant coach of Cedevita Zagreb.
Professional career
In 1999 he won the Italian League and the Italian Supercup with Varese. In 2004 he lost the Euroleague Final Four against Maccabi Tel Aviv. He played from 1999 to 2001 in the Italian All Star Game and in the 1999 McDonald’s Open Championship.
In 2001 he tried to join the NBA franchise attending the Summer League with the Toronto Raptors, but the attempt was unsuccessful. He had the most assists per game in seven seasons of the Italian League.
Coaching career
After his retirement as a player, he spent few years as a broadcaster for Sky Sport and Sportitalia.On November 13, 2012 he was hired as the head coach of Orlandina Basket, the team which he ended his playing career with. In 2014 he went back to Varese as a head coach. On July 3, 2015, he parted ways with Varese.
Day later, on July 4, 2015, he signed with the Croatian team Cedevita Zagreb to be the team’s assistant coach.
International career
He joined the Italian national basketball team in 1997 and the following year participated in the World Championship; however, he had some arguments with coach Bogdan Tanjević who left him out of the talented roster at the Eurobasket 1999.
New Italian coach Carlo Recalcati let him return to the team, and although he lost the calling for the Eurobasket 2003, Pozzecco was part of the roster that won the silver medal at the Olympic Games in 2004. The following year he was part of the Italian squad at the Eurobasket 2005.
Player profile
Standing at 1.81 m (5 ft 11 1⁄2 in), he played at the point guard position. He had great technical skills, court-vision, and shooting ability. He was a player full of fantasy, but weak on defense. He was dubbed as an all-around offensive talent.
He is famous for his eccentric character, and, although it has caused problems for him with coaches through the years, it made him one of the most valued players in Italy. His nicknames are “Poz”, and “La Mosca Atomica” (The Atomic Fly). Although he was born in Gorizia and he grew up as a basketball player in Udine, he is from Trieste.
NBA star Tim Duncan once said that he was impressed by the Italian player.