Stefano Gentile
PositionPoint guard / shooting guard
LeagueLBA
TeamNapoli Basket
Number22
Height1.91 m
Weight kg94
NationalityItalian
Birth date20 September 1989 (age 37)
Birth placeMaddaloni, Italy
Draft year2011
Career start2005
Years 12005–2006
Team 1Juvecaserta
Years 22006–2007
Team 2Andrea Costa Imola
Years 32007–2008
Team 3Olimpia Milano
Years 42008–2009
Team 4Ostuni
Years 52009–2010
Team 5Trento
Years 62010–2012
Team 6Junior Casale
Years 72012–2013
Team 7Juvecaserta
Years 82013–2015
Team 8Cantù
Years 92015–2017
Team 9Reggiana
Years 102017–2018
Team 10Virtus Bologna
Years 112018–2024
Team 11Dinamo Sassari
Years 122024–2025
Team 12Trapani Shark
Years 132025–present
Team 13Napoli Basket
Highlights

Stefano Gentile (born 20 September 1989) is an Italian professional basketball player for Napoli Basket of the Italian Lega Basket Serie A (LBA). At a height of 1.91 m (6 ft 3 in) tall, he plays at the point guard position.

Professional career

Gentile started his club career at his father Nando's last team, Juvecaserta Basket, in the LegaDue (Italian 2nd Division). He then went to Andrea Costa Imola, of the same division, where his father was the head coach.[1] With Andrea Costa Imola, he caught the eye of Serie A (Italian first division) side Armani Jeans Milano, a club in which his father had previously been a star player.

With Milano, he played in the Italian first division, and also the European-wide top-tier level EuroLeague.[2] However, he struggled to get any meaningful playing time, and he then dropped down to the Italian fourth division level, first with Assi Ostuni, and then with Aquila Basket Trento. After a good season with Aquila Basket Trento, in which the club gained a league promotion to the LegaDue (Italian 2nd Division), he reentered the Italian top division, with Junior Casale, before later joining his former team, Juvecaserta Basket, also in the Italian first division.

With Caserta, he flourished under head coach Stefano Sacripanti, and earned a selection to the 2012–13 Italian All-Star Game, where he played alongside his brother, Alessandro, and he was awarded MVP.[3] When the club's head coach Sacripanti, moved to the ambitious club Pallacanestro Cantù, he quickly recruited Gentile to join him.[4] With Cantù, Gentile contributed to the team's good season, as they finished in 3rd place in the 2013–14 Italian League season, and reached the last 32 stage of Europe's second-tier level competition, the EuroCup.

In July 2015, he joined Pallacanestro Reggiana, signing a two-year contract with the club.[5] In April 2017, he became a player of Virtus Pallacanestro Bologna.[6]

On March 31, 2024, he signed with Trapani Shark of the Serie A2.[7]

On June 28, 2025, he signed with Napoli Basket of the Italian Lega Basket Serie A (LBA).[8]

National team career

After playing with the national youth age categories Italy, Gentile dropped off the Italian national team's radar until 2012, when he made his debut with the senior men's Italian national basketball team.[9] In 2014, he played at the FIBA EuroBasket 2015 qualification tournament, in which Italy qualified for the main EuroBasket 2015 tournament.[10]

Personal life

Gentile is the son of the Italian basketball icon Nando Gentile. Stefano moved around Italy and Europe, following his father during his playing career. Along with his younger brother Alessandro, he played with the youth teams of Panathinaikos in Greece, while his father played with the club's senior team.[11] His younger brother is Italian basketball player Alessandro Gentile. He has played with his brother in the senior Italian national team and Virtus Bologna.

References

  1. ^ "Basket, Legadue; Imola takes Stefano Gentile"la Repubblica, Imola, 16 September 2006. Retrieved on 27 February 2015.
  2. ^ "Milano adds Stefano Gentile for 2 years"EuroLeague, 20 August 2007. Retrieved on 27 February 2015.
  3. ^ Valenti, Stefano. "All Star Game, the stars are the two Gentile. Italy still doesn't lose."la Repubblica, Imola, 16 December 2012. Retrieved on 27 February 2015.
  4. ^ "Pallacanestro Cantù recruits Stefano Gentile"Pallacanestro Cantù, 8 July 2013. Retrieved on 27 February 2015.
  5. ^ "Reggio Emilia strengthens backcourt with Gentile". EuroCup. 14 July 2015. Archived from the original on July 14, 2015. Retrieved 14 July 2015.
  6. ^ Virtus, ufficializzato Stefano Gentile (in Italian).
  7. ^ "Trapani Shark firma l'esperto Stefano Gentile" (in Italian). trapanishark.it. March 31, 2024. Retrieved July 6, 2024.
  8. ^ "Official Arrival of Stefano Gentile". napolibasketball.com. June 28, 2025. Retrieved September 4, 2025.
  9. ^ "Stefano Gentile", Federazione Italiana Pallacanestro. Retrieved on 27 February 2015.
  10. ^ Stefano GENTILE (ITA).
  11. ^ Aita, Alessandro. "The Gentile family: Stefano catches up with Alessanro and won't let him go."Dailybasket, 17 December 2014. Retrieved on 27 February 2015.