Giuseppe "Peppe" Poeta (born September 12, 1985) is an Italian former professional basketball player and current head coach of Germani Brescia of the Italian Lega Basket Serie A (LBA). During his professional career, he played the point guard position.

Giuseppe Poeta
Poeta as Olimpia Milano's assistant coach in 2023
Pallacanestro Brescia
PositionHead coach
LeagueLega Basket Serie A
Personal information
Born (1985-09-12) September 12, 1985 (age 39)
Battipaglia, Italy
Listed height1.90 m (6 ft 3 in)
Listed weight82 kg (181 lb)
Career information
NBA draft2007: undrafted
Playing career2000–2022
PositionPoint guard
Career history
As player:
2000–2005Pallacanestro Salerno
2005–2006Prima Veroli
2006–2010Teramo Basket
2010–2013Virtus Bologna
2014Laboral Kutxa Vitoria
2014–2015La Bruixa d'Or Manresa
2015–2016Dolomiti Energia Trento
2016–2019Auxilium Torino
2019–2020Reggio Emilia
2020–2022Vanoli Cremona
As coach:
2022–2024Olimpia Milano (assistant)
2022–presentItaly (assistant)
2024–presentGermani Brescia
Career highlights and awards

Professional career

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Poeta joined local club Pallacanestro Salerno in the lower divisions, playing 5 seasons before joining Prima Veroli of the third division. With Veroli he scored 51 points in a 7 November 2005 114–105 victory against Forlì.

He moved to first division Serie A club Teramo Basket in 2006. During the 2008-09 season he led the team, coached by former Salerno coach Andrea Capobianco (in Italian), to the league play-offs.

He then joined Virtus Bologna where he had two successful seasons, reaching the play-offs twice and being appointed captain. However, after a difficult 2012-13 season where the team finished two places above last place the management decided to change the side, appointing young Matteo Imbrò (in Italian) as the starting point guard. Poeta found himself frozen out of the team, rescinding his contract in November 2013.[1]

It was to prove a blessing in disguise as it allowed him to join Laboral Kutxa Vitoria, a team playing in the competitive Liga ACB and Europe's elite EuroLeague, as Thomas Heurtel's substitute.[2]

His debut for the side on 12 January 2014 saw him score 13 points in the last quarter against Gipuzkoa to earn a victory.[3]

He joined another Liga ACB side for the 2014–15 season, signing with La Bruixa d'Or Manresa. However, an injury that kept him sidelined for most of the season would see him play only six games.[4]

In July 2015, Poeta returned to Italy, signing a one-year deal with Dolomiti Energia Trento.[4]

On 29 June 2016, Poeta signed with Auxilium Torino for the 2016–17 season.[5]

On February 18, 2018, Poeta went to win the 2018 edition of the Italian Basketball Cup with Fiat Torino by beating Germani Basket Brescia 69–67 in the Finals.[6]

On June 24, 2019, he has signed with Reggio Emilia of the Italian Lega Basket Serie A (LBA).[7]

However, at the end of the season Reggio Emilia and Poeta parted ways,[8] and on August 5, 2020, he signed a 1 1 contract with Vanoli Cremona.[9]

International career

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After being called up for the first time in 2007, Poeta established himself in the Italian national team fold.[10]

He was part of the Italy squad for EuroBasket 2013 though he had a limited impact, with 4 points in less than 6 minutes on average.[11]

Poeta was called up to the preliminary Italy squad for EuroBasket 2015,[12] but he did not make the final cut.

Coaching career

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From the summer of 2022 he joined Coach Ettore Messina's staff at Olimpia Milano with whom he won the scudetto in 2023 and 2024. As a coach, he is also assistant to the Italy with which he participated in the 2022 European Championships , at the 2023 World Cup and currently together with CT Pozzecco he is preparing the expedition that will take part in the Pre-Olympic which will be held in Puerto Rico from 2 to 7 July.

On June 17, 2024, he started his head coaching career by signing Germani Brescia of the Italian Lega Basket Serie A (LBA).[13]

Personal

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His first participation in basketball was as a scorekeeper for home town club Polisportiva Battipagliese where his father Franco was a press officer. He later played for the team at youth level.[14]

References

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  1. ^ Labanti, Daniele (29 November 2013). "Poeta-Virtus, c'è l'addio. Firmata la rescissione" [Poeta-Virtus, it's goodye. The termitation is signed]. Corriere di Bologna (in Italian). Bologna: RCS MediaGroup. Retrieved 22 July 2015.
  2. ^ "El base italiano Giuseppe Poeta desvela su fichaje por Laboral Kutxa" [Italian point guard Giuseppe Poeta reveals his signing for Laboral Kutxa]. Marca.com (in Spanish). EFE. 1 January 2014. Retrieved 22 July 2015.
  3. ^ "Poeta, héroe desde el primer día" [Poeta, hero from the first day]. ACB.com (in Spanish). 12 January 2014. Retrieved 22 July 2015.
  4. ^ a b "Trento puts Poeta at point". EuroCupBasketball.com. 20 July 2015. Archived from the original on July 22, 2015. Retrieved 22 July 2015.
  5. ^ "LA NUOVA SFIDA DEL PLAY GIUSEPPE POETA". auxiliumcustorino.com (in Italian). 29 June 2016. Retrieved 29 June 2016.[permanent dead link]
  6. ^ "Basket, Final Eight: Torino-Brescia 69-67. Storica prima dell'Auxilium" [Basketball, Final Eight: Torino-Brescia 69-67. Historical first time for Auxilium]. gazzetta.it (in Italian). 18 February 2018. Retrieved 18 February 2018.
  7. ^ "Pallacanestro Reggiana signs Peppe Poeta". Sportando. June 24, 2019. Retrieved September 20, 2019.
  8. ^ "Risolto il contratto con Giuseppe Poeta" (in Italian). pallacanestroreggiana.it. 5 August 2020.[permanent dead link]
  9. ^ "Giuseppe Poeta è un giocatore della Vanoli Cremona" (in Italian). vanolibasket.com. 5 August 2020. Archived from the original on 15 September 2020. Retrieved 5 August 2020.
  10. ^ "Giuseppe Poeta". Federazione Italiana Pallacanestro (in Italian). Retrieved 22 July 2015.
  11. ^ "Giuseppe Poeta (Italy)". FIBA Europe. Retrieved 22 July 2015.
  12. ^ "NBA quartet to lead Italy at EuroBasket". FIBA Europe. 29 June 2015. Retrieved 22 July 2015.
  13. ^ "Giuseppe Poeta è il nuovo allenatore della Germani Brescia - Pallacanestro Brescia". pallacanestrobrescia.it (in Italian). June 17, 2024. Retrieved June 19, 2024.
  14. ^ Melloni, Mirco (7 January 2014). "Peppe Poeta, cuando las apariencias engañan" [Peppe Poeta, when looks deceive]. Liga ACB (in Spanish). Retrieved 22 July 2015.
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