 |
Andres NocioniArgentine basketball player
Date of Birth: 30.11.1979
Country:  Argentina |
Content:
Biography of Andres Nocioni
Andres Marcelo Nocioni was born on November 30, 1979, in the Argentine city of Santa Fe. He is a professional basketball player for the NBA team 'Sacramento Kings' and the Argentine national team. As a part of the national team, Nocioni won a gold medal at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens and helped the Argentine team win a bronze medal at the 2008 Summer Olympics.
Early Life and Career
Andres is the second son of Pedro Jose and Angela Palmira, who were also born in Santa Fe. However, the basketball player and his older brother Pablo actually lived with their parents in Galvez, 80 km away from Santa Fe, where Andres received his education.
Nocioni and his spouse, Paula Raquel Aimone, have two sons, Laureano and Benisio.
Andres Nocioni's professional career began in the Argentine basketball league in the 1995-96 season, and in 1998-99, he was already named the 'Best Sixth Man'. In 2001, Nocioni moved to Vitoria-Gasteiz, where he spent three seasons as a 'refuerzo' (reinforcing player) for the Spanish professional league team. In 2004, the athlete was awarded the title of 'Most Valuable Player' for the regular season.
NBA Career and Achievements
After winning the gold medal at the 2004 Olympic Games, Nocioni signed a contract with the 'Bulls', along with two of his fellow countrymen, Manu Ginobili and Carlos Delfino. Nocioni's style of play in defense led to a temporary suspension for a hard foul on Tayshaun Prince of the 'Detroit Pistons'. He had previously committed a similar foul against Dwyane Wade from the 'Miami Heat', which resulted in Udonis Haslem pushing him into the first row of spectators.
In the first NBA playoff game, Nocioni scored 25 points and 18 rebounds, playing all 48 minutes. This performance solidified his status as a true favorite of the 'Chicago Bulls'. Later, Andres would become the 'Player of the Year' for his team in the 2005-06 season, although he would have to miss the 2006-07 NBA season due to a plantar fasciitis.
Nocioni returned to the basketball court on April 8, 2007, in a game against the 'Toronto Raptors'. However, while preparing for the 2008-09 NBA season, he suffered a knee tendinitis which hindered his performance at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. Despite the injury, the Argentine team reached the quarterfinals, defeating Russia, but Nocioni could only play for 18 minutes in the game against Greece. However, in the fight for the bronze medal against Lithuania, the Argentinians won with a score of 87-75, with Nocioni contributing 14 points.
In February 2009, Nocioni was traded to the 'Sacramento Kings' team. Throughout his career, he has been a key figure in the Argentine national team, helping them become the first team in the country's history to defeat the United States team at the 2002 FIBA World Championship in Indianapolis, USA. Additionally, Nocioni won a silver medal as a part of the national team, losing to Yugoslavia in the finals.
