History
The basketball club's parent multi-sports club, Polisportiva Mens Sana, founded in 1871, claims to have been the first sports club in Italy to play and organize basketball; asserting that it did so in 1907, just sixteen years after James Naismith invented the sport, in 1891. This began with the club's women's section, giving the first basketball demonstration in Italy, in 1907, led by Professor Ida Nomi Pesciolini. Nomi translated Naismith's basketball rules, but had not seen an actual demonstration of the sport before doing so. Nomi called the sport, Ball to the Rim.
The actual basketball department of the parent athletic club was founded in the year 1934. However, despite its long history, it was mostly a provincial side until the 1973-74 season, when it joined Italy's top division for the first time. The club moved into Palasport Mens Sana arena in 1976.
The club became increasingly competitive over the years, and started to play in European-wide competitions in the 1999-2000 season, when it competed in the Korać Cup. The team then played in the FIBA SuproLeague, in the 2000-01 season, before winning the Saporta Cup in the 2001-02 season. This was followed by their participation in the Euroleague, during the 2002-03 season.
They won their first Italian League championship and their first Italian Supercup title in 2004. They won their first Italian Cup title in the year 2009. Since the turn of the 21st century, Montepaschi has established itself as one of the strongest clubs in Europe, with a championship win in the Saporta Cup, seven Italian League championships, and regular Euroleague appearances, including four trips to the competition's Euroleague Final Four.
After winning a record 6th consecutive Italian League championship in 2012, the club went through a major rebuild. Out of the fifteen players that were on the team's roster in the 2011-12 season, only four of them returned for the 2012-13 season. Just three of the team's rotation players, and just one of the team's starters, remained with the team. In addition to that, the club's long-time head coach, Simone Pianigiani, also left the team.
Read more about this topic: Mens Sana Basket
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