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PALLA AL CESTO (BALL TO THE BASKET) CARDS UNKNOWN PUBLISHER/UNCLASSIFIED (ITALY)
Basketball was introduced to Italy in 1915 by Guido Graziani who had graduated in the U.S. where he had learned the game at the YMCA. It was initially named "Palla Al Cesto" (Ball to the Basket) before being changed to "Pallacanestro" (Basketball) in the late 1920s. Squadra (Squad) ASSI, featured on card #34, was one of the founding members/teams of The Italian Basketball Federation which formed in 1921. Between 1921-1927, ASSI dominated the sport, only losing the title in 1923. There is a picture of the ASSI team from the La Tribuna Illustrata Magazine in December of 1927 where they are pictured wearing darker uniforms with an "A" on their chest. The photos on these cards are prior to lettered uniforms. With this information I'm guessing that this card set was produced sometime between 1922 and 1926, the publisher remains unknown.
Measurements: 2" x 1.25"
circa 1922-1926
