Mario Boni facts for kids
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | June 30, 1963 Codogno, Lombardy, Italy |
| Nationality | Italian |
| Listed weight | 92 kg (203 lb) |
| Career information | |
| NBA Draft | 1986 / Undrafted |
| Pro career | 1984–2006 |
| Career history | |
| 1982–1983 | U. C. Piacentina |
| 1983–1985 | American Eagle Vigevano |
| 1985–1994 | Montecatini S.C. |
| 1994 | Memphis Fire |
| 1994 | Yakima Sun Kings |
| 1995–1996 | Montecatini S.C. |
| 1996–1998 | Aris |
| 1998–1999 | Calze Pompea Roma |
| 1999–2000 | Cantabria Lobos |
| 2000–2002 | Roseto Basket |
| 2002–2004 | Teramo Basket |
| 2004–2005 | Sicc Cucine Jesi |
| 2005 | Virtus Pallacanestro Bologna |
| 2005–2006 | Montecatini S.C. |
| Career highlights and awards | |
|
|
Mario Boni (born on June 30, 1963, in Codogno, Italy) is a former professional basketball player from Italy. He was known for his long career in Italian basketball leagues.
Mario Boni played as a shooting guard or small forward. He became the top scorer in Italy's top basketball league, Serie A, during the 1993–1994 season.
He also played basketball for clubs in other countries. A notable time was with the Greek team Aris, where he helped them win the 1996–97 FIBA Korać Cup.
Contents
Mario Boni's Basketball Journey
Starting His Career
Mario Boni began playing basketball in his hometown with Fulgor Codogno's youth teams. In 1982, he joined Unione Cestistica Piacentina, a team in the fifth division, Serie C2.
The next year, he moved to American Eagle Vigevano in the second division, Serie A2. However, they were moved down to Serie B a year later.
Time with Montecatini
Many people didn't think Mario Boni would succeed in high-level basketball. But Montecatini S.C., a Serie B club, believed in him. He joined them in 1985.
He stayed with the Tuscany-based club for nine years. During this time, he and Andrea Niccolai became a famous duo, nicknamed "i gemelli" (the twins).
They were both very important in helping Montecatini get promoted. First, they moved to Serie A2 after the 1986–87 season. Then, in 1989, they made history by reaching the top league, Serie A, for the first time.
Even though they were moved down after one season, Boni helped the team get promoted again in 1990–91, returning to Serie A. In the 1992–93 season, he scored 765 points, which was the most in the league.
In the 1993–94 season, he finished as the league's top scorer, averaging 30.5 points per game.
Playing Abroad
After his time with Montecatini, Boni went to the United States. He joined United States Basketball League team Memphis Fire in June 1994.
He only stayed with the Fire for about a week. Then, he played for the Yakima Sun Kings in the Continental Basketball Association. He found this period challenging and later said he lacked motivation.
After returning to Italy, Boni rejoined Montecatini, which was then in Serie A2, for the 1995–96 season. The team was not doing as well as expected, and the president told Boni that his contract might not be renewed.
In 1996, Mario Boni signed with the Greek team Aris B.C. He struggled to adjust to the Greek style of play at first. However, when coach Slobodan Subotić arrived, Boni became a key player.
He played a big part in Aris winning the 1997 Korać Cup against Turkish team Tofaş. He scored 20 points in the second game of the final. After winning the Greek Basketball Cup in February 1998, he left the club.
Boni then signed with Italian Serie A team Calze Pompea Roma in February 1998. He played for Rome for another year before joining Spanish Liga ACB team Cantabria Lobos in 1999. At 36, he found it hard to adapt to the Spanish league and left before the season ended.
Later Career in Italy
Mario Boni returned to Italy for good in 2000. He finished the season with Roseto Basket, helping them get promoted to Serie A, where he played for two seasons.
The next year, with Teramo Basket in Serie A2, he also helped that team move up to the first division. In the 2003-04 Serie A season, at 40 years old, he was the league's second-best scorer.
Boni stayed in Serie A, joining Sicc Cucine Jesi in 2004. He had a disagreement with some teammates and then moved to Virtus Pallacanestro Bologna.
He finished the season with Virtus in the second division. His team won the playoff final, marking his fifth career promotion.
In 2005, he returned to Montecatini in the second division. There, he played his final season alongside his old teammate Niccolai.
Boni then moved to Unione Cestistica Casalpusterlengo in Serie B1 in 2006. He played there for two years but didn't achieve another promotion.
Amateur Basketball Career
After his professional career, Boni returned to Piacentina, a team in the fourth division, Serie C Dilettanti. He played for them from 2008 to 2010, winning a league cup and helping them get promoted to Serie B Dilettanti.
He then played for Arese in 2010 and Monza in 2010–11.
In 2012, he joined Roveleto and reached the Serie C Dilettanti playoff final. He announced his retirement in June of that year.
However, he later returned to play for Meridien Monsummano in September 2013. He helped them earn a promotion to Serie B that same year. Before playing in the competition, he left the team in 2014, saying it was hard to balance training with his other activities, including being vice president of GIBA (the Italian players' union).
A month later, he joined Augies Montecatini, playing in a local amateur league. He was still with the team as of June 2015.
Playing for Italy
Even though Mario Boni was often a top scorer in the Italian league, he only played one game for the Italian national team. This was a friendly match against Czechoslovakia on February 11, 1992, where he scored 9 points.
In July 2013, Boni won the FIMBA Over 50 basketball World Cup with the Italian team. He scored 45 points in their 79–73 victory.
About Mario Boni
Mario Boni is known by the nicknames "Super Mario" or "Mitraglia" (which means "machine gun"). He got the "Mitraglia" nickname because of his amazing shooting skills.
See also
In Spanish: Mario Boni para niños
