Davide Ancilotto
Davide Ancilotto (3 January 1974 – 24 August 1997) was an Italian professional basketball player. Born in Mestre near Venice, he stood 2.03 meters tall (6 ft 8 in) and played as a shooting guard, a tall height for his position in Europe. He started his sports life playing football before turning to basketball, where he became one of the continent’s notable guards for his size.
Ancilotto played 178 games in Italy’s top league, Lega Basket Serie A. His club career included Caserta (1991–1995, with three seasons in A1 and the last in A2), Olimpia Basket Pistoia (1995–1996), and Virtus Roma (1996–1997). He scored 1,890 points in Serie A. In 1996 he nearly moved to the Spanish club Badalona but chose to stay in Italy with Virtus Roma.
He also represented Italy internationally. He made his national team debut on 12 November 1995 against Finland in Helsinki, earning 18 appearances and 102 points. He played for Italy at the FIBA U20 European Championship in Slovenia in 1994.
Tragically, during a pre-season game in Gubbio on 16 August 1997, Ancilotto collapsed from brain ischemia. He remained in a coma for eight days and died on 24 August 1997 at San Filippo Neri Hospital in Rome. His funeral was a major event for Italian basketball, held at the church of San Lorenzo in Mestre, and he is buried in the Favaro cemetery in Mestre. His memory is honored in several Italian cities.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 08:47 (CET).