 Ossola, weraing the #10 jersey ofVarese | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1945-03-13)13 March 1945 (age 80) Varese, Italy |
| Nationality | Italian |
| Listed height | 6 ft 3.75 in (1.92 m) |
| Listed weight | 203 lb (92 kg) |
| Career information | |
| Playing career | 1962–1980 |
| Position | Point guard |
| Number | 10 |
| Career history | |
| 1962–1964 | Robur Varese |
| 1964–1965 | Varese |
| 1965–1968 | Milano 1958 |
| 1968–1980 | Varese |
| Career highlights | |
| |
Aldo Ossola (born 13 March 1945) is an Italian formerbasketball player. During his playing career, at a height of 1.92 m (6'33⁄4"), he was nicknamed "Von Karajan", due to being apoint guard with a great ability to direct the offensive rhythm and game tempo for his teams.[1] On 3 February 2008, Ossola was chosen as one of the50 Greatest EuroLeague Contributors, over the previous half-century, by theEuroLeague Basketball Experts Committee.[2] In 2008, he was also inducted into theItalian Basketball Hall of Fame. In 2018, he was named one of the 101 Greats of European Basketball.[3]
Ossola began his club playing career with theItalian League club Robur Varese, in 1962. He spent the 1964–65 season with the Italian League clubVarese. He then played with the Italian League clubMilano 1958, from 1965 to 1968. He returned Varese for the 1968–69 season, and he would go on to become a part of the club's legendary 1970s Ignis Varese era teams.
With Varese, Ossola won sevenItalian League championships, in the years 1969, 1970, 1971, 1973, 1974, 1977, and 1978. He also won fourItalian Cup titles with the club, in the years 1969, 1970, 1971, and 1973. He was also a four-time Italian League finalist, in the years 1965, 1972, 1975, and 1976, and an Italian Cup finalist in 1972 with the same club.
While with Varese, Ossola also won five European-wide top-tier levelFIBA European Champions Cup (EuroLeague) championships, in the years1970,1972,1973,1975, and1976. With Varese, he played in a total of ten consecutiveEuroLeague Finals, in the years1970,1971,1972,1973,1974,1975,1976,1977,1978, and1979, a record that is in all likelihood, almost impossible to be broken.
As a member of Varese, Ossola also won twoFIBA Intercontinental Cup championships, as he won both the1970 FIBA Intercontinental Cup and the1973 FIBA Intercontinental Cup. In addition to that, he was also a three-time FIBA Intercontinental Cup finalist (1974,1976, and1977). Ossola finished his career with Varese, by winning the European-wide second tier levelFIBA European Cup Winners' Cup championship in the1979–80 season.
Ossola was a member of the junior national teams of Italy. WithItaly's junior national team, he won a bronze medal at the1964 FIBA European Championship for Juniors.
Ossola was also a member of the senior men'sItalian national team. With Italy's senior national team, he won a silver medal at the1967 Mediterranean Games. He also played with Italy at the1969 FIBA EuroBasket.[4]
Ossola's older brother,Luigi Ossola, playedfootball professionally, in Italy'stop-tier levelSerie A. While another older half-brother of his,Franco Ossola, was one of the leading scorers of all-time with the Italian clubTorino FC.
