Quick Facts
GeminiBiography
Alessandro "Sandro" Gamba (born 3 June 1932) is an Italian former professional basketball player and coach. Gamba was a finalist for induction into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2005, and was elected as a member in 2006. He is also a member of the Italian Basketball Hall of Fame, inducted in 2006.
Playing career
Clubs career
During his club career, Gamba spent most of his career with Olimpia Milano, winning ten Italian League championships with them (1951–1954, 1957–1960, 1962, and 1963). He finished his career with Milano 1958.
Italian national team
Gamba captained the senior Italian national team (for which he had debuted in 1952) at the 1960 Summer Olympic Games.
Coaching career
Gamba retired from playing competitions in 1965, and became a coach in the top-tier level Italian professional league, LBA, where he coached teams like Olimpia Milano, as an assistant (1965–1973), Varese (1973–1977), Auxilium Torino (1977–1980), and Virtus Bologna (1985–1987). He led Varese to two Italian League championships (1974, 1977), and two FIBA European Champions Cup (EuroLeague) titles, in 1975 and 1976.
From 1979 to 1992, except for a break in 1985–1987, Gamba was the head coach of the senior Italian national team, and led them at the Summer Olympic Games in 1980 (where they won a silver medal), in 1984, in 1988, and in 1992. He also coached Italy's senior national team at the EuroBasket seven times, winning a gold in 1983, a bronze in 1985, and a silver in 1991.
He was selected as a coach of the FIBA European Selection teams in 1991. He also worked as the coach of the "Rest of the World" team, at the Nike Hoop Summit.
