Those who love basketball in Messina have never forgotten it. Because some of the pages written by Leo Busca on the banks of the Strait, together with the group of magnificent players of Pallacanestro Messina between 2002 and 2004, remain among the highest peaks reached by the sport of this city. Dynamic play, extraordinary vision, great leadership, Busca signed two years in Messina as an absolute protagonist: first leading the Giallorossi coached by Perdichizzi (in that team also Brian Oliver, Marques Bragg, Ago Li Vecchi, Herman Smith) to the final promotion, lost against Mario Boni’s Teramo, and then leading Messina – which in the meantime had been brought back from the squad – to the first and only season in Serie A, opened with the historic success over Benetton Treviso, champions of Italy, in a challenge which saw Busca scored 13 points and dished out 11 assists. That year also at his side were three phenomenal Americans such as Marlon Garnett, Matt Bonner and Vincent Yarbrough.
A bond between Leo and Messina that has never been interrupted because in those years he met what is now his wife, Adriana De Pasquale from Messina. Who from Padua – where they live – brings him back to the shores of the Strait as soon as possible. Always in summer, sometimes in the cold season. Like these days, when taking advantage of the carnival weekend he decided to spend a few days in our latitudes. Currently sports director and head of the youth sector of Cus Padova, after a life spent on the parquet with the wonderful seasons in Roseto (author of a double leap from Serie B to Serie A), in Messina, and again in Ferrara, Capo d’Orlando, Scafati, Rieti.
Today accompanied by Dani Baldaro, assistant coach at the time of Pallacanestro Messina, he visited the Under 13 team of Life Basket, led by Guido Restanti. A few words in the center of the pitch, the story of a career and the encouragement to always give your best. With him also his 12-year-old son Alessandro, who plays for Cus Padova, who trained with his peers from Messina. On Sunday, however, Busca was a guest of the Basket School during the match won by the Peloritani against Catanzaro.