Serie A 2023: Olimpia Milano reigns again

The recently concluded Serie A season highlighted a significant aspect of the league: Olimpia Milano and Virtus Bologna remain the top contenders for the Scudetto. In the championship that ended just over a month ago, Milano triumphed in four matches against Virtus. Ettore Messina's squad dominated the series, never giving the impression that they might lose three games.

This victory marks the 31st title in Olimpia's history and their third consecutive championship, underscoring their dominance in Italy's top basketball league. Despite their efforts, Virtus Bologna faced their third straight playoff final loss. Notably, the regular season saw Bologna finish at the top of the standings, tied with their rivals.

Virtus Bologna also secured the Italian Supercup at the start of the season, dominating Brescia at the PalaLeonessa and claiming their third title in the competition's history. Toko Shengelia was named MVP of the tournament. The Italian Cup, however, saw a surprising victory from Napoli. The Azzurri had an incredible run, eliminating Brescia, Reggio Emilia, and finally, Olimpia Milano in the final. This historic win marked Napoli's first-ever basketball title, with Polish forward Michal Sokolowski, now with Dinamo Sassari, named MVP of the tournament.

The LBA's verdicts also included the unfortunate relegations of two prestigious teams: VL Pesaro and Happy Casa Brindisi. For the historic club from Marche, winners of two Scudetti, this return to Serie A2 was a bitter one, coming fifteen seasons after their last stint. Brindisi, in Serie A since 2011, had come close to the Scudetto finals in 2020.

Individual accolades were handed out, with Marco Belinelli of Virtus Bologna winning the regular season MVP. Niccolò Mannion was named the best Italian player, while Mouhamed Faye was recognized as the standout Under-22 player. Brescia took home the defensive player, sixth man, and most improved player awards, given to John Petrucelli and CJ Massinburg. Charlie Moore of Pistoia was the top scorer, and Nicola Brienza, also from Pistoia, was named Coach of the Year.

Despite winning the Scudetto, no player from Olimpia Milano was included in the best five of the 2023-2024 season. The players selected were Payton Willis (Pistoia), Rayjon Tucker (Venezia), Marco Belinelli (V. Bologna), Toko Shengelia (V. Bologna), and Miro Bilan (Brescia).