Born in 1932, he was Juventus' sports director during the time of lawyer Porelli. Basketball mourns Dino Costa. Driscoll: "A gentleman and a friend"

Farewell to Dino Costa (pictured), born in 1992, a life dedicated to the basketball. Dino has marked the history of basketball in a thousand ways: by coaching Gira, in the Sixties, when the team was in Serie B and played in Piazza Azzarita. As the right-hand man of the lawyer Porelli: he was the sports director of the Virtus of the Seventies. He was the one who maintained relations with the Americans when they landed in Italy. He was one of the first contacts of Dan Peterson and Terry Driscoll. Not by chance, Terry himself, who has lived in the States since 1980, made himself heard: "Dino Costa was a gentleman in the world of Italian basketball, as an administrator, coach. And above all as a man and dear friend".

Dan Peterson was also moved. Dino, continued to dispense advice and suggestions with generosity and passion.

He had been president of the national coaches committee, as well as director of Comtec, the technical control commission that keeps a check on the companies' accounts, to avoid dangerous problems.

He had contributed, among others, to the training of Stefano Dall'Ara, who later became a high-level manager. Even the president of the basketball federation, Giovanni Petrucci, joined the chorus of those who mourn an important figure for the growth of the basketball movement. Until the end he had continued to follow his world: distinguished air, curious eye, you could see him in the gyms of Bologna.

He leaves behind his wife Mirella, his son Michele and a great void, because managers like Dino have truly contributed to transforming what was once the basket ball, first into basketball, then into basketball.

Because among Costa's abilities was the undisputed ability to look to the future.

Filippo Mazzoni