The 2023 'Nico Messina' Award was delivered yesterday to Ettore Messina
It took place yesterday, in the splendid setting of Civic Theater of Tortona, the delivery ceremony of the fifth edition of 'Nico Messina' Award, which wants to remember the unforgettable Professor and celebrate a great coach of Italian basketball. Tortona was the city where coach Messina began a career that saw him reach the top of Italian basketball. A path similar to that of Derthona Basket, the team where he took his first steps as coach.
And on such a special and meaningful evening, he entered the award's roll of honour Ettore Messina, head coach of EA7 Emporio Armani Milano and one of the most successful coaches in our basketball.
After the institutional greeting from the Mayor Federico Chiodi and the opening of the event by the President of Derthona Basket Marco Picchi, on stage – in a prestigious lounge moderated by Benedetta Abbruzzese, Communications Director of Derthona Basket – went up Giovanni Lamorte e Gianfranco Pace, respectively Presidents of the FIP and of the National Coaching Committee of Basilicata, two icons of Italian basketball as Dino Meneghin e Carlo Caglieris, and Andrea Capobianco, coach of the women's national team. There were several anecdotes and memories linked to coach Nico Messina that emerged in this first part of the evening.
In the second part, the winner of the 2023 edition took to the stage, Ettore Messina, who talked about his memory of the Professor, some anecdotes from his beginnings on the bench and some important moments of his career. The event concluded with the awards ceremony.
In the presence of institutions, representatives of Derthona Basket and BCC Derthona Basket and basketball enthusiasts, the fifth edition of the 'Nico Messina' Award was the opportunity to experience an evening of memories and great basketball.
