Pallacanestro Treviso

History

Founded in 1954 as Duomo Folgore, it remained in obscurity for the first few decades of its existence though it did reach the first division Lega Basket Serie A in 1962. However the club only stayed there one season, finishing the league in last place, after which it was hampered by financial problems.

Duomo Folgore was renamed Associazione Pallacanestro Treviso sometime during the 1970s, with new ownership. It then moved up the divisions, reaching the national Serie A2 in 1979. In 1980-81 the team finished third in the league, earning a return to the Serie A.

The Benetton Group started sponsoring the club during the 1981-82 season, which ended with a relegation to the A2. The following year, Benetton would become the majority owners of Pallacanestro Treviso, moving into the newly constructed PalaVerde, owned and financed by the family. Promoted in 1985, it stayed in Serie A one-season before going back down. Another promotion followed in 1987, this one would see the club start a permanent stay in the elite.

In 1991, the club legally became Pallacanestro Treviso (it was commonly called Benetton Treviso at the time), with its status changing from an association to a limited liability company (s.r.l.). That year would spark a new era for Benetton Basket, with the arrival of the legendary Toni Kukoč from the three-peat European Champions of POP 84, but also of Stefano Rusconi from Cagiva Varese and Nino Pellacani, the team would beat Scavolini Pesaro to win their first Serie A title in 1992.

The next season, Benetton won the Italian Cup and reached the Final Four of the FIBA European League (Europe's elite continental competition) that take place in Peace and Friendship Stadium, Piraeus, and in the semifinal defeated PAOK 79–77. In the final, Benetton although it was the favorite of the match, lost to Limoges CSP 55–59.

Though Kukoč left for the NBA in the summer, Riccardo Pittis joined the club that won another Italian Cup that year. They would win their first European title, the FIBA European Cup against Taugrés, in 1995, thanks to players such as Orlando Woolridge and Petar Naumoski, and also became third successive Italian Cup that garnished the trophy cabinet.

Benetton added another Serie A title in 1997, a second FIBA Saporta Cup in 1999 against Pamesa Valencia, and an Italian cup in 2000. During the 2001–02 season they won the Italian Supercup and the league. The next year they did even better with a treble, winning the Supercup, Cup and league but they didn't manage to won the Euroleague title defeated in the final by FC Barcelona.

Adding more league titles after that, Benetton Basket reached the Euroleague Final Four on a few occasions but never managed to win the title.

Struggles

In February 2011, the Benetton family announced they would be withdrawing their support for professional basketball, effectively calling time on Treviso's top flight status if no other backer could be found.

Well-wishers such as former players Paolo Vazzoler and Pittis tried to rouse support for a new club, Treviso Basket 2012. However their application to take Benetton Basket's place in the Serie A was rejected.

Since then Benetton Basket has focused only on youth development, with the Under 17 squad their most senior. Treviso is represented in professional basket by Universo Treviso Basket—the renamed Treviso Basket 2012—who, as of April 2022, play in the Lega Basket Serie A.

Honours

Total titles: (15)

Domestic competitions

• Italian League : Winners (5): 1991–92, 1996–97, 2001–02, 2002–03, 2005–06 : Runners-up (4): 1992–93, 1994–95, 1998–99, 1999–00
• Italian Cup : Winners (8): 1992–93, 1993–94, 1994–95, 1999–00, 2002–03, 2003–04, 2004–05, 2006–07 : Runners-up (2): 1991–92, 1997–98
• Italian Supercup : Winners (4): 1997, 2001, 2002, 2006 : Runners-up (5): 1995, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2007

European competitions

• EuroLeague : Runners-up (2): 1992–93, 2002–03 : 3rd place (2): 1997–98, 2001–02 : Final Four (4): 1993, 1998, 2002, 2003
• FIBA Saporta Cup (defunct) : Winners (2): 1994–95, 1998–99
• FIBA Korać Cup (defunct) : Semifinalists (1): 1996–97
• EuroCup Basketball : 4th place (1): 2010–11

Other competitions

• FIBA International Christmas Tournament (defunct) : 4th place (1): 1991

Top performances in European & worldwide competitions

Main article: Pallacanestro Treviso in international competitions

Players

FIBA Hall of Famers

Notable players

2010's

• USA Brian Scalabrine 1/2 season: '11
• USA E'Twaun Moore 1/2 season: '11
• USA Jeff Adrien 1/2 season: '11
• ISR Gal Mekel 2000's
• LTU Donatas Motiejūnas 2 seasons: '09-'11
• USA Bobby Dixon 1&1/2 seasons: '08-'09, '10
• GBR Pops Mensah-Bonsu 1 season: '07-'08
• TUR Engin Atsür 1 season:'07-'08
• GRE Nikos Zisis 2 seasons: '05-'07
• USA Drew Nicholas 1 season: '05-'06
• ITA Marco Mordente 4 seasons:'04-'08
• USA Marcus Goree 3 seasons: '04-'07
• LTU Ramūnas Šiškauskas 2 seasons: '04-06
• ITA Andrea Bargnani 3 seasons: '03-'06
• SVN Uroš Slokar 3 seasons: '03-'06
• USA Maurice Evans 1 season: '03-'04
• USA Jermaine Jackson 1 season: '03-'04
• GEO Manuchar Markoishvili 2 season: '02-'04
• USA Trajan Langdon 1 season: '02-'03
• RUS Sergei Chikalkin 1 season: '01-'02
• USA Charlie Bell 1 season: '01-'02
• GEO Nikoloz Tskitishvili 1 season: '01-'02
• CUB Andrés Guibert 1/2 season: '01
• ESP Jorge Garbajosa 4 seasons: '00-'04
• SVN Boštjan Nachbar 2 seasons: '00-'02
• IRL Alan Tomidy 2 seasons: '00-'02
• USA Marcus Brown 1 season: '00-'01 1990's
• USA Tyus Edney 4 seasons: '99-'00, '01-'04
• USA Jeff Sheppard 1 season: '99-'00
• ARG Marcelo Nicola 6 seasons: '98-'04
• USA Henry Williams 4 seasons: '95-'99
• FR Yugoslavia Željko Rebrača 4 seasons: '95-'99
• ITA Davide Bonora 4 seasons: '95-'99
• MKD Petar Naumoski 2 seasons: '94-'95, '00-'01
• USA Orlando Woolridge 1 season: '94-'95
• ITA Riccardo Pittis 11 seasons: '93-'04
• USA Winston Garland 1 season: '93-'94
• USA Rafael Addison 1 season: '93-'94
• ITA Denis Marconato 12 seasons: '92-'95, '96-'05
• USA Terry Teagle 1 season: '92-'93
• ITA Stefano Rusconi 7 seasons: '91-'98
• CRO Toni Kukoč 2 seasons: '91-'93
• USAITA Vinny Del Negro 2 seasons: '90-'92 1980's
• USA Dan Gay 3 seasons: '88-'90
• USA Kyle Macy 2 seasons: '88-'89
• USA Mike Davis 1 season: '87-'88
• USA Mark Olberding 1 season: '87-'88
• ITA Massimo Iacopini 10 seasons: '85-'95
• ITA Massimo Minto 8 seasons: '82-'84, '85-'90

Head coaches

• ITA Mario De Sisti (2 seasons: 1979–81)
• ITA Piero Pasini (1 season: 1981-82)
• ITA Gianmaria Conte (incomplete 1 season: 1982–83)
• ITA Gianfranco Lombardi (incomplete 1 season: 1982–83)
• ITA Mauro Di Vincenzo (1 season: 1983–84)
• ITA Massimo Mangano (incomplete 2 seasons: 1984–86)
• HUN Lajos Toth (incomplete 1 season: 1985–86)
• ITA Riccardo Sales (incomplete 4 seasons: 1986–90)
• ITA Emanuele Molin (incomplete 1 season: 1989–90)
• YUG HRV Petar Skansi (3 seasons: 1990-93)
• ITA Fabrizio Frates (1 season: 1993–94)
• USA ITA Mike D'Antoni (4 seasons: 1994–97, 2001–02)
• FRY Željko Obradović (2 seasons: 1997–99)
• ITA Piero Bucchi (2 seasons: 1999-01)
• ITA Ettore Messina (3 seasons: 2002–05)
• ISR David Blatt (2 seasons: 2005-07)
• ITA Alessandro Ramagli (Sep.-Nov. 2007)
• TUR Oktay Mahmuti (seasons: 2007-09)
• HRV Jasmin Repeša (seasons: 2010-11)
• SRB Aleksandar Đorđević (1 season: 2011–12)

Sponsorship names

Throughout the years, due to sponsorship, the club has been known as:

• Faram Treviso (1977–1979)
• Liberti Treviso (1979–1981)
• Benetton Basket (1981–2012)

References

References

1. Sachs, Frankie. (23 February 2012). "The club scene: Benetton Basket".
2. . ["La storia / 70 anni di basket a Treviso"](http://www.benettonbasket.it/societa/la-storia/).
3. . ["Pall. Treviso - storia"](http://web.legabasket.it/team/10184/pall__treviso/storia).
4. . (16 February 2011). ["Benetton fa un passo indietro. Dal 2012 basta basket e volley"](http://www.gazzetta.it/Sport_Vari/Basket/Italia/16-02-2011/benetton-fa-passo-indietro-80178559439.shtml?refresh_ce-cp).
5. . ["Basket, Treviso: Societa' pronta a ricorso per eclusione da A"](http://www.repubblica.it/ultimora/sport/BASKET-TREVISO-SOCIETA-PRONTA-A-RICORSO-PER-ESCLUSIONE-DA-A/news-dettaglio/4196909).
6. . ["Playoff Finale Gara 3 - La decide David Logan, Treviso vince con fatica e ritorna in serie A!"](https://www.pianetabasket.com/primo-piano/live-a2-playoff-finale-gara-3-la-decide-david-logan-treviso-vince-con-fatica-e-ritorna-in-serie-a-183232).
7. "FIBA.basketball".