50 Years Interview: Antonello Riva, Cantu
|
 As one of the continent's all-time best scorers, Antonello Riva found European club basketball success early in his career. Riva was in his teens when Cantu won the Saporta Cup title in 1978. By the time he lifted his third Saporta Cup trophy in 1981, Riva was already a superstar and one of the most important players in the team. Cantu also won the Italian League that season and Riva took his shooting skills to the Euroleague level in 1981-82. Success followed there, too. He helped Cantu win consecutive European Cup finals in 1982 and 1983, the year in which Riva also led Italy to win the EuroBasket gold medal. At age 21, Riva was a superstar whose duels against more established stars are still remembered by most veteran fans. Riva would go on to win the 1993 Korac Cup title with Milano and returned to Cantu to finish his legendary career. He scored 14,397 points in 797 Italian League games, averaging 18.3 points through his 25-year career. Riva keeps good memories from his Euroleague titles with Cantu. "When you're young, you are not conscious of much, so you are care-free on the court. During the 1982 final, I didn't feel any particular emotions, it was like a normal game," Riva told Euroleague.net "I remember perfectly that coach Valerio Bianchini ordered me to defend against Miki Berkowitz. It was an honor for me and I tried to do my best to stop a living legend."
Hello Antonello. You played your first Euroleague final in 1982 against Maccabi, when you were just 20. How did it feel to be in that situation and so young?
"When you're young, you are not conscious of much, so you are care-free on the court. During the 1982 final, I didn't feel any particular emotions, it was like a normal game. I remember perfectly that coach Valerio Bianchini ordered me to defend against Miki Berkowitz. It was an honor for me and I tried to do my best to stop a living legend."
You scored 16 points, a decisive contribution to Cantu's first victory. What are your other memories of that night?
"It was a unique situation because Cantu had been playing and winning all the other European cups for 10 seasons, but that season we started just thinking about winning the Champions Cup. It was quite impressive to enter the final game that year and see the arena completely yellow with Maccabi fans, and just few fans from Cantu there, but at the tip-off, everything beyond the playing court disappeared."
A year later, you won the Champions Cup again, this time against a team you knew very well, Olimpia Milano. Was it strange to play a European final against team from 30 kilometers away that you knew so well?
"It was a derby, a special match: Milano-Cantu. It was not important playing for the Champions Cup final. Rather, it was a challenge between the team from a big city and with a big budget against another from a little town with a little budget. We considered this a special chance and challenged ourselves to beat our historical rivals."
It was a game dominated by defense, but you were Cantu's main scorer, with 18 points. What are your memories of that night?
"I started the game with low percentages, but our coach, Giancarlo Primo, kept me on the court, and I found the tempo of the game and my confidence rose minute by minute. My fiance was in the stands and after the game we stayed together, because our wedding was so close, and she made a long trip to be there. We spend just a few minutes celebrating with the rest of the team."
Cantu is a very small town, 35,000 inhabitants in the middle of a region famous for its furniture... and for basketball. How is life in Cantu, on the roof of Europe?
"First of all, there was a great organization in the club, and second our success made Cantu well-known all over Italy. The club worked best in its youth programs and families from all over Italy called to send their boys to learn basketball at Cantu. This was the key. Despite a small budget, they created a lot a great players from their youth teams."
What was the secret of that team and that club?
"Pierluigi Marzorati was the secret. He kept everything together with his personality and professionalism. At the time, he was one of the best European players and to watch him work every day in practice with enthusiasm, desire to improve himself and total devotion to the team was an incredible example for all his teammates."
He was a legendary playmaker. How did Pierluigi Marzorati influence you?
"He was fundamental for my career. He helped me to grow up as a player and as a man. He allowed me to become a champion with his example. I found in him the same values my family taught to me, so Piero is an important part of my life as an athlete."
|
Monday, February 11, 2008
Euroleague.net
|