On November 7, during the half-time of the EuroLeague game between Olimpia Milano and Real Madrid, Sergio Rodriguez will formally become the 44th member of the club’s Hall of Fame. Rodriguez arrived in Milan during the summer of 2019 and stayed there for three seasons. In those three seasons, Olimpia won the 2022 Italian league championship, the Italian Cup in 2021 and 2022, the Super Cup in 2020. With Rodriguez, Olimpia qualified for the EuroLeague Final Four in 2021 and the playoffs of the same competition in 2022. Rodriguez played 99 EuroLeague games with Olimpia. Again, in the EuroLeague, with 468 assists he is first ever in the club’s history; and with 169, he is second for three-point field goals made. In the Italian league, he scored 860 points, with 166 threes and 163 assists. In the 2021/22 season, he was co-captain of Olimpia.
Beyond the numbers and wins, Sergio Rodriguez was one of the most loved players in the club’s history, for his enthusiasm, leadership and ability to create empathy between the court and the stands. Coming to Olimpia after winning his second EuroLeague in Moscow, Rodriguez literally changed the modern Olimpia’s culture. There was an Olimpia before Rodriguez and one after Rodriguez. His arrival in Milan made possible the signing of other legendary players, starting with his former teammates Kyle Hines and Nikola Mirotic, Malcolm Delaney and Gigi Datome.
After leaving Olimpia in 2022 to return home, Rodriguez won his third EuroLeague in Madrid as a great clutch player. He finished his EuroLeague career third in games played (405), seventh in points scored (3,772), second in assists (1,874), third in threes (609). During the course of his career, he was the EuroLeague MVP in 2014; first EuroLeague team in 2014, second team in 2018; World Champion with Spain in 2006; European champion in 2015; Olympic silver medalist in 2012; Olympic bronze medalist in 2016; won four Spanish titles with Real Madrid; twice he won the VTB League with CSKA Moscow; won the Copa del Rey five times with Real Madrid; the Spanish Super Cup five more times; he played in the NBA in Portland, Sacramento, New York and Philadelphia. In 2019 with Olimpia, he was named player of the month in the EuroLeague for the first time in his career.
The Olimpia Hall of Fame has 43 members so far: executives/owners Adolfo Bogoncelli, Gianmario Gabetti and Raffaele Morbelli; coaches Cesare Rubini, Dan Peterson, Franco Casalini and Bogdan Tanjevic; Italian players Enrico Pagani, Sergio Stefanini, Romeo Romanutti, Sandro Gamba (inducted as a coach as well), Gianfranco Pieri, Sandro Riminucci, Paolo Vittori, Gabriele Vianello, Massimo Masini, Giulio Iellini, Pino Brumatti, Vittorio Ferracini, Renzo Bariviera, Franco Boselli, Vittorio Gallinari, Mike D’Antoni, Dino Meneghin, Roberto Premier, Riccardo Pittis, Flavio Portaluppi, Nando Gentile, Mason Rocca, Gigi Datome; foreigner players Bill Bradley, Skip Thoren, Arthur Kenney, John Gianelli, Russ Schoene, Joe Barry Carroll, Bob McAdoo, Kenny Barlow, Rolando Blackman, Keith Langford, Kruno Simon, Rakim Sanders, Curtis Jerrells. Potential Hall of Fame members are eligible only after retirement per club policy.
