Pietro Aradori (born 9 December 1988) is an Italian professional

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appro ...

player for

Fortitudo Bologna Fortitudo Pallacanestro Bologna 103, commonly known as Fortitudo Bologna and currently known as Fortitudo Flats Service Bologna for sponsorship reasons, is a basketball club based in Bologna, Italy and currently plays in the second division. H ...

of the

Lega Basket Serie A The Lega Basket Serie A (LBA) is a professional men's club (sport), club basketball list of basketball leagues, league that has been organised in Italy since 1920. Serie A is organised by Lega Basket, which is regulated by the Italian Basketball ...

(LBA). Standing at , he plays at the

shooting guard The shooting guard (SG), also known as the two, two guard or off guard,Shooting guards are 6'3"–6'7"BBC Sports academy URL last accessed 2006-09-09. is one of the five traditional basketball positions, positions in a regulation basketball game ...

and

small forward The small forward (SF), also known as the three, is one of the five Basketball position, positions in a regulation basketball game. Small forwards are typically shorter, quicker, and leaner than Power forward (basketball), power forwards and Cent ...

positions.

Professional career

The

Brescia Brescia (, ; ; or ; ) is a city and (municipality) in the region of Lombardy, in Italy. It is situated at the foot of the Alps, a few kilometers from the lakes Lake Garda, Garda and Lake Iseo, Iseo. With a population of 199,949, it is the se ...

native played for the youth side of U.C. Casalpusterlengo from 2003, he was a teammate of

Danilo Gallinari Danilo Gallinari (; born 8 August 1988) is an Italian professional basketball player for the Vaqueros de Bayamón of the Baloncesto Superior Nacional (BSN). After spending his first four years as a professional in his native Italy, Gallinari was ...

there. He debuted in the third division during the 2005–06 season. The next year he joined

Andrea Costa Imola Andrea Costa Imola is an Italian professional basketball team based in Imola, Emilia-Romagna. The side is playing in the second division Serie A2 as of the 2015-16 season. History Andrea Costa Basket was founded on 4 October 1967, with the name a ...

, of the second division. He averaged 12.8 points (team-best), 3.1 rebounds and 2.2 steals in 30 games for a side fighting relegation. In June 2007, Aradori signed a three-year contract with Armani Jeans Milano. He made his

Serie A The Serie A (), officially known as Serie A Enilive in Italy and Serie A Made in Italy abroad for sponsorship reasons, is a professional association football league in Italy and the highest tier of the Italian football league system. Establish ...

(first division) debut that season, also playing in Europe's best competition, the

EuroLeague The EuroLeague is a European men's professional basketball club competition. The league is widely recognised as the top-tier and the most prestigious men's basketball league in Europe. The league consists of 20 teams, of which 16 are given lon ...

. Though he played regularly for the side, he did not manage to establish himself and finished the season with

Lottomatica Roma Virtus Roma 1960, commonly known as Virtus Roma, is an Italian professional basketball club based in Rome, Lazio. The club, named Pallacanestro Virtus Roma competed in the first division of Italian basketball, the LBA, for decades until 2020, whe ...

, who he reached the 2008 Serie A finals with. Aradori then moved to

Pallacanestro Biella Pallacanestro Biella, known as Angelico Biella for sponsorship reasons, is an Italian professional basketball club based in Biella, Piedmont. It plays in the second division Serie A2 Basket, Serie A2 as of the 2015–16 season. For past club spons ...

, he also struggled with form there before a March performance against

Montegranaro Montegranaro is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Fermo in the Italian region of Marche, located about south of Ancona and about north of Ascoli Piceno. It is one of the main centres for shoe production in Italy. Main sights Churche ...

, contributing 23 points on 7-for-8 three-point shooting, restored his confidence. He then became one of the main protagonists of Biella's Serie A semifinals run, their best ever finish. For his part in that success, he was awarded the Premio Reverberi , an award given by a number of organisation, as the Best Italian player of 2008–09. The next year, he had an excellent season in both the European second tier Eurocup and the league. In the latter, he posted 16.8 points (3rd best in Serie A), 5 rebounds and 2.1 steals, earning the Best Player Under 22 award. A move to league champions

Montepaschi Siena Mens Sana Basketball Siena, also known as simply Mens Sana, is an Italian professional basketball club based in Siena. It is a section of the sports club Polisportiva Mens Sana, founded in 1871. Under the name Montepaschi Siena, derived from spon ...

followed in July 2010. In a team that won every domestic trophy (

Cup A cup is an open-top vessel (container) used to hold liquids for drinking, typically with a flattened hemispherical shape, and often with a capacity of about . Cups may be made of pottery (including porcelain), glass, metal, wood, stone, pol ...

, Supercup) whilst also reaching the 2011 Euroleague Final Four Aradori took time to find his place, playing limited minutes. The situation was repeating itself the next year (with Aradori a subsistute as Siena again won the Supercup and Cup) but an injury to starter

Rimantas Kaukėnas Rimantas "Rimas" Kaukėnas (born 11 April 1977) is a Lithuanian professional basketball executive and former player who is the president of Wolves Twinsbet of the Lithuanian Basketball League (LKL) and the EuroCup. His long career has taken hi ...

gave him more playing time. Aradori grabbed his chance, with good performances against

Barcelona Barcelona ( ; ; ) is a city on the northeastern coast of Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second-most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within c ...

(11 points in the last six minutes to earn a win) and even more so against Asseco Prokom (23 points - missing only 2 shots - 7 rebounds, 3 steals for 1 turnover, all career bests, for a performance index rating of 33), the second earning him Euroleague Week 10 MVP honours. Despite this, he remained a substitute at Siena, moving to rival Serie A side

Pallacanestro Cantù Pallacanestro Cantù, known for sponsorship reasons as Acqua S.Bernardo Cantù, is an Italian professional basketball club that is based in Cantù, Lombardy. On the European-wide club competition scene, Cantù is second to Real Madrid – agai ...

in July 2012 on a two-year deal. There he became a starter, helping Cantù progress from the qualifying rounds to the

2012–13 Euroleague The 2012–13 Euroleague was the 13th season of the modern era of Euroleague Basketball and the third under the title sponsorship of the Turkish Airlines. Including the competition's previous incarnation as the FIBA Europe Champions Cup, this was ...

group stage where he averaged 15 points, 4 rebounds and 1.5 steals in 30 minutes for a PIR of 15.4. In 2013–14, Aradori contributed 13.8 points, 4.5 rebounds and 2.9 assists in the Eurocup, including a Week 1 MVP's 28 points and 6 rebounds against

Artland Dragons QTSV Quakenbrück, widely known as Artland Dragons is a professional basketball club based in Quakenbrück, Germany. The club's home arena is the Artland Arena, which has a capacity of 3,000 spectators. From 2003 till 2015 the club played in the B ...

, as Cantù reached the last 32. At the expiry of his contract, amidst offers from Italian sides, Aradori moved to the

Turkish Basketball League Turkish may refer to: * Something related to Turkey ** Turkish language *** Turkish alphabet ** Turkish people, a Turkic ethnic group and nation *** Turkish citizen, a citizen of Turkey *** Turkish communities in the former Ottoman Empire * The ...

with Galatasaray Liv Hospital, declaredly in order to play at a more competitive level (in both the league and the Euroleague). The Italian averaged 7 points, 2.9 rebounds and 2 assists in around 21 minutes in the

Euroleague The EuroLeague is a European men's professional basketball club competition. The league is widely recognised as the top-tier and the most prestigious men's basketball league in Europe. The league consists of 20 teams, of which 16 are given lon ...

, with personal (and game) highs of 20 points, 8 rebounds and 6 assists against

Valencia Valencia ( , ), formally València (), is the capital of the Province of Valencia, province and Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Valencian Community, the same name in Spain. It is located on the banks of the Turia (r ...

in November, in the league he had 6.4 points, 3.3 rebounds and 1.9 assists in 20 minutes. However, unhappy with his playing time and above all salary arrears, Aradori left Galatasaray in December, signing with Spanish side Estudiantes. He posted averages of 13.1 points, 3.1 rebounds and 2 assists in the competitive

Liga ACB The Liga ACB, known as Liga Endesa for sponsorship reasons, is the top professional basketball division of the Spanish basketball league system. Administered by the Asociación de Clubs de Baloncesto (ACB), Liga ACB is contested by 18 teams, w ...

, becoming a fan-favourite at Estudiantes. In May 2015, with the side assured of safety, he returned to Italy with

Reyer Venezia Mestre S.S.P. Reyer Venezia Mestre, commonly known as Reyer Venezia or simply Reyer, is an Italian professional basketball club that is based in Venice, Veneto. The club currently plays in the Lega Basket Serie A (LBA), the highest tier of basketball i ...

in order to play in the 2015 Serie A playoffs. On 16 July 2015 Aradori signed a two-year contract with

Grissin Bon Reggio Emilia Pallacanestro Reggiana, also simply known as Reggiana or Reggio Emilia, currently known for sponsorship reasons as Unahotels Reggio Emilia, is an Italian professional basketball team based in Reggio Emilia, Emilia-Romagna. It plays in the LBA as ...

. On 14 July 2017 Aradori signed with

Virtus Bologna Virtus Pallacanestro Bologna, known for sponsorship reasons as Virtus Segafredo Bologna, is an Italian professional basketball club based in Bologna, Emilia-Romagna. The club was founded in 1929, which makes it the oldest club in Italy and one ...

for the 2017–18 season.

International career

Aradori played for the under-age Italy squads, first with the Under-16's before playing in the 2006

FIBA Europe Under-18 Championship The FIBA U18 EuroBasket is the new name for the FIBA U18 European Championship, originally known as the FIBA European Championship for Juniors. It is a men's youth basketball competition that was inaugurated with the 1964 edition. It was held bi ...

where he posted 22.1 points, 6 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 1 steal per game. With the Under-18's, he won a bronze medal at the 2007 European Championship, contributing 11 points in the third place game. He also participated in the 2008 edition. After playing in the

2009 Mediterranean Games The 2009 Mediterranean Games, officially the XVI Mediterranean Games () and commonly known as Pescara 2009, was a multi-sport event held in Pescara, Italy, from 26 June to 5 July 2009. It was governed by the International Committee of Mediterran ...

with the Italy B squad, scoring 29 points in the semifinal and 21 in the bronze medal game (both defeats), he was called up with the senior Italian national team that was preparing for FIBA EuroBasket 2009 qualification, though he did not play. He stayed in the national fold from then on, he had a marginal participation in FIBA EuroBasket 2011 qualification but was cut from the squad for the tournament proper due to Italy's overabundance of players in his position. Aradori became a regular for Italy in 2012, contributing 12.4 points and 2.5 rebounds in around 22 minutes per game as the side qualified for

EuroBasket 2013 EuroBasket 2013 was the 38th edition of the EuroBasket championship that was organized by FIBA Europe. It took place from 4 September until 22 September 2013 in Slovenia. The number of participating teams was 24. France men's national basketball ...

. He was in good form at the tournament, averaging 11.9 points, 3.9 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game. He was called up to the squad that would take part in

EuroBasket 2015 EuroBasket 2015 was the 39th edition of the EuroBasket championship that was organized by FIBA Europe. It was co-hosted by Croatia, France, Germany, and Latvia, making it the first EuroBasket held in more than one country. It started on 5 Sept ...

to start on 5 September.

Honours and titles

Individual

* Serie A Best Player Under 22: 2010 *Premio Reverberi (Oscar del basket) Best Player: 2009

Team

champion (2):

2011 The year marked the start of a Arab Spring, series of protests and revolutions throughout the Arab world advocating for democracy, reform, and economic recovery, later leading to the depositions of world leaders in Tunisia, Egypt, and Yemen ...

2012 2012 was designated as: *International Year of Cooperatives *International Year of Sustainable Energy for All Events January *January 4 – The Cicada 3301 internet hunt begins. * January 12 – Peaceful protests begin in the R ...

Italian Cup Coppa Italia () is the annual domestic cup of Italian football. The knockout competition was organized by the DDS and the Lega Calcio until the 2009–10 season and by Lega Serie A ever since. Juventus is the competition's most successf ...

winner (2): 2011, 2012 *

Italian Supercup The Supercoppa Italiana, also known as the Italian Super Cup, is an annual super cup tournament in Italian football. Founded in 1988 as a two-team competition, it has featured four teams since 2023 (the winners and runners-up of the previous sea ...

winner (4): 2011, 2012, 2013,

2015 2015 was designated by the United Nations as: * International Year of Light * International Year of Soil __TOC__ Events January * January 1 – Lithuania officially adopts the euro as its currency, replacing the litas, and becomes ...

Basketball Champions League The Basketball Champions League (BCL), also commonly known as the FIBA Champions League, is an annual professional basketball competition for European sports club, clubs, organised by FIBA. It is the European professional club basketball system ...

: 2018–19

Youth

* European U20 Championship: 2007 Italy/Slovenia

Career statistics

Euroleague

, - , style="text-align:left;", 2007–08 , style="text-align:left;", AJ Milano , 11 , , 3 , , 13.7 , , .366 , , .077 , , .833 , , 1.4 , , .5 , , .4 , , .0 , , 3.3 , , 1.1 , - , style="text-align:left;",

2010–11 1 (one, unit, unity) is a number, numeral, and glyph. It is the first and smallest positive integer of the infinite sequence of natural numbers. This fundamental property has led to its unique uses in other fields, ranging from science to sp ...

, style="text-align:left;" rowspan=2,

, 14 , , 1 , , 10.8 , , .435 , , .500 , , .760 , , 1.6 , , .7 , , .4 , , .0 , , 4.9 , , 5.1 , - , style="text-align:left;", 2011–12 , 17 , , 1 , , 10.4 , , .455 , , .313 , , .813 , , 2.0 , , .6 , , .1 , , .1 , , 4.8 , , 5.5 , - , style="text-align:left;",

2012–13 1 (one, unit, unity) is a number, numeral, and glyph. It is the first and smallest positive integer of the infinite sequence of natural numbers. This fundamental property has led to its unique uses in other fields, ranging from science to sp ...

, style="text-align:left;", Mapooro Cantù , 8 , , 7 , , 30.0 , , .513 , , .565 , , .781 , , 4.0 , , 1.5 , , .1 , , .0 , , 15.0 , , 15.4 , - , style="text-align:left;", 2014–15 , style="text-align:left;",

Galatasaray Galatasaray Spor Kulübü (, ''Galatasaray Sports Club''), more commonly referred to as simply Galatasaray and familiarly as Cimbom, is a Turkish sports club based on the European side of the city of Istanbul including basketball, wheelchair ...

, 8 , , 3 , , 21.2 , , .472 , , .400 , , .800 , , 2.9 , , 2.0 , , .8 , , .0 , , 7.0 , , 10.5 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 58 , , 15 , , 15.3 , , .457 , , .400 , , .791 , , 2.2 , , .9 , , 0.3 , , .0 , , 6.2 , , 6.6