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MAURIZIO GHERARDINI<br />
Senior Vice-President of Basketball Operations<br />
Maurizio Gherardini was promoted July 22, 2008 to Senior Vice-President of Basketball<br />
Operations. Since joining the Raptors in June 2006, Gherardini’s knowledge and vast<br />
international experience have been instrumental in helping facilitate a multitude of<br />
transactions involving both domestic and international players.<br />
Gherardini originally joined the Raptors as the club’s vice president and assistant general manager. He became the<br />
first European to hold a senior management position with an <strong>NBA</strong> franchise.<br />
Gherardini was the general manager of Italy’s Benetton Treviso, where he established himself as one of the brightest<br />
minds and administrators in the history of European basketball. During his tenure, he built Benetton into one of the<br />
most recognizable basketball organizations outside the <strong>NBA</strong>.<br />
In his 14 years with Benetton, his teams captured four League championships (1997, 2002, 2003 and 2006), seven<br />
Italian Cups (1993-95, 2000, 2003-05), three Italian Supercups (1997, 2001 and 2002), two Eurocups (1995 and<br />
1999) and made four appearances in the Euroleague’s Final Four (1993, 1998, 2002, and 2003).<br />
Under Gherardini’s guidance, Benetton became a training ground in Europe and a destination for <strong>NBA</strong> personnel to<br />
scout players. He organized basketball camps and clinics, including the first <strong>NBA</strong> coaches clinic in Europe. He also<br />
oversaw the Reebok Big Man camp and Reebok Eurocamp, where top European young players learned and<br />
<strong>com</strong>peted, as well as the Treviso Summer League, which is the only event of its kind in Europe.<br />
Gherardini’s influence gained him positions on the FIBA Sports Commission (1998-2000) and the Euroleague Board<br />
(2001-06). He also oversaw four editions of the <strong>NBA</strong>’s Basketball Without Borders in Treviso.<br />
Gherardini has been honoured as the La Gazzetta dello Sport Executive of the Year (2001) and the Legabasket<br />
Executive of the Year (2006), and won the FIBA Oscar Basketball Award “Pietro Reverberi” (2003) and GIBA Players<br />
Association Oscar Award (2004).<br />
Gherardini started his basketball career playing in the youth leagues in Forli, Italy. He held the positions of assistant<br />
coach and director of youth teams for the Forli club from 1975-82. In 1982, he was promoted to general manager of<br />
the Forli entry that played in the top league (serie A). He remained in that capacity until 1992 when he joined<br />
Benetton.<br />
In addition to his role with the Raptors, Gherardini has brought his experience and expertise in international <strong>com</strong>petition<br />
to Canada Basketball where he serves as Managing Director of the Senior Men’s National Team and member of the<br />
Council of Excellence.<br />
Gherardini was born in Forli, Italy on September 22, 1955. He attended McCluer High School in Florissant, Missouri,<br />
a suburb of St. Louis, as a foreign exchange student and graduated in 1973.<br />
Gherardini and his wife, Luana, have two children: Michele and Valentina.<br />
TORONTO RAPTORS 2009-10 PRESEASON