Nico Mannion facts for kids
Mannion with Arizona in 2020
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| No. 2 – [[Olimpia Milano|Olimpia Milano]] | |
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| Point guard | |
| Personal information | |
| Born | March 14, 2001 Siena, Italy |
| Nationality | Italian / American |
| High school | Pinnacle (Phoenix, Arizona) |
| Listed height | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) |
| Listed weight | 190 lb (86 kg) |
| Career information | |
| College | Arizona (2019–2020) |
| NBA Draft | 2020 / Round: 2 / Pick: 48th overall |
| Selected by the Golden State Warriors | |
| Pro career | 2020–present |
| League | Lega Basket Serie A EuroLeague |
| Career history | |
| 2020–2021 | Golden State Warriors |
| 2020–2021 | → Santa Cruz Warriors |
| 2021–2023 | Virtus Bologna |
| 2023 | Baskonia |
| 2023–2024 | Varese |
| 2024–present | Olimpia Milano |
| Career highlights and awards | |
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Niccolò "Nico" Mannion (born March 14, 2001) is a professional basketball player. He plays as a point guard for Olimpia Milano in Italy. This team competes in the Lega Basket Serie A (LBA) and the EuroLeague. Nico also played college basketball for the Arizona Wildcats. He is known for being a top player from the 2019 class. Even though he grew up mostly in the United States, Nico plays for his birth country, Italy, in international games.
Contents
Nico Mannion's Early Life
Nico Mannion was born in Siena, Tuscany, Italy. His father, Pace Mannion, was a former NBA player. His mother, Gaia Bianchi, is Italian. Nico spent his early childhood in Italy. Later, his family moved to Salt Lake City, Utah, and then settled in Phoenix, Arizona.
Nico's High School Basketball Journey
Nico started playing basketball for Pinnacle High School in Phoenix, Arizona as a freshman. He quickly became a standout player. In his first year, he averaged over 20 points per game. He also helped his team achieve a great record. He was recognized as a first-team All-American by MaxPreps.
Sophomore Season Success
In his second year, Nico was named to the USA Today All-USA Arizona preseason team. He missed some early games due to a broken hand. Despite this, he led Pinnacle to win the Class 6A state championship. He averaged 23.4 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 5.8 assists per game. Nico also won the Arizona Gatorade Player of the Year award.
Junior and Senior Year Highlights
Nico took summer classes to finish high school early. In December, he scored 37 points, including a game-winning three-pointer. This helped his team beat Shadow Mountain High School, who had won 73 games in a row. Later, he scored 45 points in a single game. On February 2, 2019, Nico scored 57 points, making the winning shot at the buzzer. He led Pinnacle to another Class 6A state title. He averaged an amazing 43.4 points per game that season. Nico won the Arizona Gatorade Player of the Year award again. He also played in the McDonald's All-American Game.
Becoming a Top College Recruit
Nico was considered one of the top basketball players in the 2020 recruiting class. However, he decided to finish high school a year early. This meant he joined the 2019 class instead. He received his first college offer in eighth grade. Many major NCAA Division I teams wanted him. Nico was a five-star recruit, meaning he was highly rated. On September 14, 2018, he chose to play for Arizona.
| Name | Hometown | High school / college | Height | Weight | Commit date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nico Mannion PG |
Siena, Italy | Pinnacle (AZ) | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | 180 lb (82 kg) | Sep 14, 2018 | |
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 96 |
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| Overall recruiting rankings: Rivals: 14 247Sports: 8 ESPN: 9 | ||||||
Sources: |
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Nico's College Basketball Career
Nico Mannion quickly made an impact at Arizona. He was named to the preseason first-team All-Pac-12 Conference. In his second college game, he scored 23 points and had nine assists. He also made a game-winning layup in a close victory.
He led his team to win the Wooden Legacy tournament. Nico was named the tournament's most valuable player (MVP). He averaged 16.3 points and 7.3 assists per game there. At the end of the season, he was named to the All-Pac-12 second team. As a freshman, Nico averaged 14.0 points and 5.3 assists per game. After this successful season, he decided to enter the 2020 NBA draft.
Nico Mannion's Professional Career
Golden State Warriors (2020–2021)
Nico Mannion was chosen by the Golden State Warriors in the 2020 NBA draft. He was the 48th player picked overall. He played one season with the Warriors. After playing for the Italian national basketball team in the 2020 Summer Olympics, he decided to play in Italy.
Virtus Bologna (2021–2023)
In August 2021, Nico signed a two-year contract with Virtus Bologna, an Italian club. This team wanted to win the EuroCup and join the EuroLeague. In May 2022, Virtus Bologna won its first EuroCup title. This win also qualified them for the EuroLeague after 14 years. However, they lost in the Italian national finals to Olimpia Milano.
In September 2022, Virtus Bologna won their third Supercup. They beat Banco di Sardegna Sassari to win it two years in a row. Despite this, the team did not make the EuroLeague playoffs that season. They also lost in the Italian Basketball Cup final. In June, Virtus Bologna was again defeated by Olimpia Milano in the national finals.
Saski Baskonia (2023)
On June 26, 2023, Nico signed a two-year contract with Saski Baskonia, a Spanish team. They play in the Liga ACB and the Euroleague. Nico played in twelve league games for them. He averaged 2.0 points and 2.0 assists per game. In December, Nico and Baskonia agreed to end his contract.
Pallacanestro Varese (2023-2024)
On December 21, 2023, Nico Mannion signed a contract with Pallacanestro Varese. This is another Italian club that plays in the Lega Basket Serie A.
Olimpia Milano (2024-present)
On November 4, 2024, Nico signed with Olimpia Milano. This is his current team, and he joined them after a buyout from Pallacanestro Varese.
Nico's National Team Career
Nico Mannion has dual citizenship for both the United States and Italy. His father is American, and his mother is Italian. In 2017, he trained with the U.S. national under-16 team. He was a finalist for their roster but did not make the team.
Playing for Italy
Afterward, the Italian Basketball Federation contacted him. He joined the Italian national under-16 team for the 2017 FIBA Europe Under-16 Championship. Nico played his first game on August 11, 2017. He scored 15 points and had seven assists. Two days later, he scored an amazing 42 points in a win against Russia. Throughout the tournament, Nico averaged 19.9 points per game. He also had 5.7 rebounds, 4.0 assists, and 3.0 steals.
He later played for the senior Italian national team. This was during the European qualifiers for the 2019 FIBA World Cup. On July 1, 2018, Nico scored nine points in a game. He became the fourth-youngest player in the team's history at just 17 years old.
International statistics
| Year | Competition | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | FIBA U16 European Championship | 7 | 7 | 27.6 | .417 | .350 | .784 | 5.7 | 4.0 | 3.0 | .0 | 19.9 |
| 2019 | FIBA Basketball World Cup qualification | 1 | 1 | 30.0 | .300 | .333 | 1.000 | 2.0 | .0 | 1.0 | .0 | 9.0 |
Nico Mannion's Career Statistics
| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
| FG% | Field-goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field-goal percentage | FT% | Free-throw percentage |
| RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
| BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | PIR | Performance Index Rating |
| Bold | Career high |
NBA
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020–21 | Golden State | 30 | 1 | 12.1 | .342 | .367 | .821 | 1.5 | 2.3 | .5 | .0 | 4.1 |
| Career | 30 | 1 | 12.1 | .342 | .367 | .821 | 1.5 | 2.3 | .5 | .0 | 4.1 | |
EuroLeague
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG | PIR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022–23 | Bologna | 19 | 3 | 13.4 | .379 | .382 | .864 | 1.4 | 2.6 | .4 | — | 5.9 | 5.3 |
| 2023–24 | Baskonia | 8 | 0 | 13.8 | .386 | .350 | .700 | 1.3 | 2.3 | .1 | — | 6.0 | 4.3 |
| Career | 27 | 3 | 13.5 | .381 | .373 | .813 | 1.4 | 2.5 | .3 | — | 5.9 | 5.0 | |
College
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019–20 | Arizona | 32 | 32 | 32.3 | .392 | .327 | .797 | 2.5 | 5.3 | 1.2 | .0 | 14.0 |
Nico Mannion's Personal Life
Nico's father, Pace Mannion, was a professional basketball player. He played for several NBA teams in the 1980s. He also played professionally in Italy until 2002. Nico's mother, Gaia Bianchi, was a volleyball player. She played for the Italian national volleyball team. In high school, Nico played with Spencer Rattler, who is now a quarterback for the New Orleans Saints. They helped Pinnacle High School win a state championship together.
See also
In Spanish: Nico Mannion para niños
