Panathinaikos signs Alessandro Gentile

One of the best young wingmen in European basketball switched Turkish Airlines EuroLeague teams on Monday when Panathinaikos Superfoods Athens announced the arrival of Alessandro Gentile for the remainder of the season. Gentile (2.01 meters, 24 years old) was averaging 10.8 points as an almost full-time starter for Milan through the first nine games of the Euroleague season. He returns to the Greek capital where Gentile spent part of his childhood when his father, Nando Gentile, suited up for Panathinaikos from 1998 through 2001 and helped the Greens win the EuroLeague title in 2000.

Gentile helped Milan win Italian League titles in 2014 and 2016 and lift the Italian Cup trophy last season. He started his professional basketball career with Benetton Treviso and joined Milan midway through the 2011-12 season. Gentile helped Benetton reach the EuroCup semifinals in 2011. He is also a regular member of the Italian national team and helped it win a silver medal at the 2011 U20 European Championships. Despite his young age, Gentile brings plenty of EuroLeague experience; he has amassed 825 points (11.6 ppg.) and 161 assists (2.3 apg.) in 71 career games after debuting in the EuroLeague in December 2011, shortly after his 19th birthday. For having played for one EuroLeague team already this season, Gentile will not be eligible to play in the competition until Round 16, which starts on January 5, 2017.