Ettore Messina joins elite club as 2nd coach to reach 300 EuroLeague wins / News - Basketnews.com

Milan celebrated a triumphant EuroLeague home opener on Tuesday, with a record-breaking performance by Kyle Hines, a victory over Olympiacos Piraeus, and head coach Ettore Messina achieving his 300th career win.

Credit: ZUMAPRESS.com - Scanpix Credit ZUMAPRESS.com - Scanpix

EA7 Emporio Armani Milan entered celebration mode right from the outset of its 2023-24 EuroLeague home opener on Tuesday night.

Free throws this season

76%11,0Points made:11,0Accuracy:75,9%Place in standings:12Record max:13Record min:9Most made FTs:Nikola MiroticTeamEuroLeagueStatisticsSchedule

The pre-game festivities paid tribute to the retired legend Luigi Datome, and the night held special significance as center Kyle Hines, stepping onto the court late in the first quarter, broke the EuroLeague record for career games played.

But Milan's cause for celebration grew with a 65-53 victory over visiting Olympiacos Piraeus that allowed head coach Ettore Messina to celebrate a rare milestone, his 300th EuroLeague win since the competition was created 23 years ago, in October 2000.

In the annals of EuroLeague history, Messina stands as the second coach to reach the coveted 300-win mark, trailing only behind his long-time friend and sports rival Zeljko Obradovic, who leads with 336 wins.

The coaching elite in EuroLeague victories includes Xavi Pascual in third place with 241 wins, followed by Pablo Laso at 238, and Dimitris Itoudis at fifth with 212 wins. The list extends to Dusko Ivanovic, the last coach with over 200 victories at 202, with Ergin Ataman closely behind at 196.

Messina's coaching journey has spanned five different teams in the competition: Virtus Bologna, Benetton Treviso, CSKA Moscow, Real Madrid, and Milan. A four-time EuroLeague champion, Messina's influence is not only marked by his victory count but also by his enduring success.

When it comes to winning percentages in EuroLeague history for coaches with 100 games or more, Messina holds the fourth-best record at 68.3%. Only Itoudis (72.1%), Laso (69.2%), and Pini Gershon (68.6%) surpass him in this category.

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