Italians in the NBA
Italian players continue to leave their mark in the NBA, showcasing talent, growth, and resilience on basketball’s biggest stage.
Italy is a proud sporting nation. While many people will automatically associate the country with soccer for its success in the FIFA World Cup and elite top clubs like Juventus, AC Milan, and Inter Milan, Italians are also good at basketball. A few are playing at the sport’s top level in America with NBA teams.
Danilo Gallinari: From Italy to the US, then to Puerto Rico
The sporting pride of Lombardy is a title often debated amongst AC Milan superstars and heroic figures from Inter Milan. However, Danilo Gallinari has a right to argue for the same moniker. The forward player played for three clubs in Lombardy, winning the EuroLeague Rising Star award and the Italian League MVP in 2008.
These achievements took him to New York, like many other Italian immigrants before him. He was incredibly nomadic in the NBA, having transferred around the country. The New York Knicks, Denver Nuggets, Los Angeles Clippers, and the Milwaukee Bucks are just a small selection of the teams he played for. However, in 2025, he moved away from the Bucks as he joined Vaqueros de Bayamón, a team from Puerto Rico.
Simone Fontecchio: the Pescara Piston
Simone Fontecchio had to travel a long road to the NBA. He won multiple youth tournaments with Virtus Bologna but wasn’t selected by any NBA franchise in the 2017 draft – a massive confidence blow for the small forward. He’s then played for multiple European clubs, spanning his Italian homeland, Germany and Spain.
After successes in Europe, Fontecchio was scouted by the Utah Jazz and spent two seasons at the Delta Center before moving to the Detroit Pistons. The Italians have undoubtedly come out on top with that move, as the Jazz have slumped to last place since his departure, while his new team is fifth in the Eastern Conference, many fans are now watching VegasOdds.comclosely to see if Detroit’s upward trajectory will continue, with Fontecchio playing a key role in their success.
The Experimental Italian: Ryan Arcidiacono
With a surname like Arcidiacono, the point guard has most certainly Italian ancestry. Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Ryan has played his basketball career in America, most famously with the Chicago Bulls. However, his NBA career has been riddled with stints with franchises in the NBA G League (the development division), where he plays with the Windy City Bulls.
2015 He was invited to represent the Italian national team in various friendly and exhibition matches. However, before he could step onto the court, Italian officials stated that Arcidiacono would need to procure an Italian passport. While ancestry typically qualifies an individual for a national team, this privilege was taken away as one of his relatives had previously renounced Italian citizenship, thus taking away Ryan’s Italian rights. In the future, if he were to move to the Italian League for a few years, he may be granted the paperwork to play for the national team.
Marco Belinelli: An Italian NBA Champion
Who is Italy’s best-ever basketballer? Most fans will know Marco Belinelli as the answer. The shooting guard player started his career with Virtus Bologna before being selected in the very first round of the 2007 NBA draft. While he didn’t have the best start in the NBA with the Golden State Warriors, he became one of the few Italians to win the NBA Championship.
This accolade came in 2014 when the San Antonio Spurs were in a position to win the title. He played a significant part in the campaign, making 80 appearances throughout the title run and remarkably hitting .430% of all his three-point shots, his best-ever record for a season.
He left the NBA in 2020 and rejoined Virtus Bologna in the Italian league. At 39, he is still playing professionally with this team. In the 2023 season, he was named the best domestic player in the league!
Lorela Cubaj: The Female Italian in Atlanta
It’s also worth pointing out the current Italian in the female league, the WNBA. Lorela Cubaj. During her stint with the New York Liberty, the Perugian-born forward succeeded in both the Italian divisions and was recognised as one of the best defensive players in the Atlantic Coast Conference.
She had a breakout season in 2024, making 28 appearances for the Atlanta Dream. She made an array of field goals and had good success from the free-throw line, contributing to the team’s making the 2024 WNBA playoffs.
Cubaj is regarded as one of the best contemporary players for the Italian national team, backing it up with outstanding performances in Group I of the qualifying process of the 2025 EuroBasket.