«In seven months we will play 40 times! Like in the NBA and 12 matches will be midweek. It’s crazy.” So does the president Marco Tajana commented on the new formula made official in DOA for the 2024-2025 National Serie B championship. A reflection made on the evening of Wednesday 22 May during the presentation of the new Knights season. A moment held in the presence of managers and fans, designed to put a “point” to the “negative” championship left behind and talk about the future. Among the new features is the renewal of the agreement for the management of PalaBorsani of Castellanza which will be 8 years old and the need to create a “deep and flexible” team to face what promises to be a championship complex and exhausting in many ways.
The championship formula
The championship will start in the last week of September and end on April 27th with one match during the Christmas holidays and one on January 5th. «They assured me that there would be six midweek shifts, however, this is not the case – says Tajana -. I am very angry with the president of the League and I expressed my dissent: it could have ended in mid-May. It is therefore not a favorable calendar for our public which is unpleasant.” Two groups of 21 teams that will face each other with home and away matches for a total of 42 matches. The two play-in teams and the teams classified from 1st to 6th place at the end of the qualifying phase will enter the play-offs, and will meet in crossed groups (sequence home; home; away; away; home). The two finalists will be promoted to Serie A2. «In short, there will be play-offs for eight teams. The top six in the rankings will go direct, from seventh to 12th they will play -in: exactly like in the NBA. From here the two teams that will compete in the eight-man playoffs will emerge.” The third promotion will be determined by a play-off on a neutral pitch between the two losers of the play off finals. The two teams ranked in 21st place will be directly relegated to the interregional Serie B as of 2025/2026. The teams ranked from 17th to 20th will enter the play outs and will face each other in crossed groups (17th against 20th and 18th against 19th). The losers will be relegated.
The new Knights team
«The new season will be a great marathon». It was also confirmed Maurizio Basilico intervened to tell the story the first moves Knights for the new year which will begin after mid-August 2024 «With the classic summer gathering». The manager expressed his dismay at the new formula of the national B and words of praise to the Knights and ABA youth sector which has achieved excellent results this season. With coach Paolo Piazza the company is working towards a long and dynamic team built around Nik Raivio. «The characteristics of the new team must be athleticism and physicality – states coach Piazza with GM Basilico
We need players who want to emerge and intend to be part of this great family with conviction. Flexible and motivated players.” For the moment the only purchase was that of Oboe, the position of Scali and Sipala is still to be understood. «The market is currently untouchable as the play-offs are still underway – says GM Basilico -. It’s still too early. I won’t deny that it is a difficult championship also from an economic point of view, but we are already working to achieve the goal.”
Marino and Gerosa
Another novelty of the new Knights season is Thomas Marino who, having taken off his red-white-red clothes, becomes part of the communications staff where he will help the creative part of the Knights, also taking an active part in some initiatives such as team building, summer camps and the contents of the Knights’ social networks. Emanuele Gerosa described the new Knights commercial part which will take on a structure of several divisions, with the participation of several advisors, who will have some commercial and organizational tasks. The company’s app is new, available within a few weeks, which will represent the communication method with which the Knights will “speak” with their fans.
Next appointments
Meanwhile, the dates of some appointments have already been set, such as #TB4SlumsDunk, the final event to celebrate the career of Bruno Cerella and Tommaso Marino, founders of the Slums Dunk OdV, will be held on June 27th at the PalaBorsani in Castellanza. The final party for the entire Knights world is on June 7th from little ones to adults. The event has reached its second edition this year and will see the participation of around 600 guests this year. In August the classic gathering whose date has yet to be set. While in September the Contrada Tournament dedicated to Mini Basketball will return: «An event that has become important at a national level and beyond. We are happy with this objective achieved.” But there will be many other surprises and innovations that will be announced soon.
At the Pala Borsani in Castellanza #TB4SlumsDunk, the last challenge between Cerella and Marino
