Sardinian basketball mourns the passing of Piero Rigucci , a former player and coach of great depth, protagonist of the Brill Cagliari epic in the 70s. Born in Rome on February 4, 1943, but a Cagliari native by adoption, he passed away in the early afternoon of Thursday, at the age of 82, leaving an indelible legacy in the world of Sardinian basketball.
Raised in the youth teams of Lazio Pallacanestro, Rigucci moved to Sardinia in 1963 to wear the jersey of Olimpia Cagliari . He was the first player from the continent to wear the colors of a Sardinian team and, with the Cagliari team branded Brill , he managed to write memorable pages of history, achieving promotion to Serie A.
A whimsical and intelligent player, as a coach he managed to leave a mark that was perhaps even deeper. Over the years, by choice, he always and only dedicated himself to training young people , transmitting to them not only technique and fundamentals – his true strength – but also values of dedication, passion and respect for the game. With his extraordinary humanity and meticulous attention to the technical and personal growth of the boys, he was an authentic basketball master.
With his passing, Sardinian basketball loses a unique figure.
