Art Kenney and Bogdan Tanjevic Honored for Olimpia Milan's 90th Anniversary

Olimpia Milan stands as one of Europe's most storied basketball clubs, boasting a rich history filled with legendary figures and unparalleled achievements. Its legacy began with pioneers like Enrico Castelli, the first captain, and Giannino Valli, the inaugural coach. Cesare Rubini led the team to an incredible 15 Scudettos (national championships) and secured their first European title in 1966. Dan Peterson guided them to a second European championship in 1987.

The club's illustrious roster also includes Dino Meneghin, who played his final season at 44 in 1994; Ron Clark, the first American and non-Italian to win the Italian championship (1956-1957); two Olympic gold medalists, American Bill Bradley and Argentine Luis Scola; NBA MVP Bob McAdoo; and two-time NBA Coach of the Year, Mike D'Antoni. Now, Olimpia Milan recognizes two more pivotal figures: Bogdan Tanjevic and Arthur Kenney. The club highlights their contributions as follows:

Bogdan Tanjevic, born February 13, 1947, in Bosnia, is celebrated as one of European basketball's greatest coaches. A visionary, and at times a dreamer, Tanjevic carved out an exceptionally long and successful career, achieving glory with national teams (Yugoslavia, Italian Golden Boot 1999, Turkey) and clubs, notably starting with Bosna Sarajevo. His tenure in Milan, following a successful period with Bepi Stefanel, was impactful despite its brevity. He led Olimpia to a Scudetto and an Italian Cup victory in 1996, and reached two consecutive Korać Cup finals.

Tanjevic's interests often transcended mere victories; he was deeply passionate about developing young talent, fostering emerging stars, and validating unconventional ideas. He consistently forged his own path, rather than following trends, exemplified by his recruitment of foreign players like Brazilian Oscar Schmidt from Caserta, Uruguayan guard Tato Lopez, and Bulgarian center Georgi Glouchkov. Indeed, at least three key Olimpia players—Nando Gentile, Dejan Bodiroga, and Gregor Fucka—were famously "discovered" or significantly developed by him.

Arthur Kenney – A true New Yorker, Arthur Kenney (born May 5, 1946) was a legend at Power Memorial Academy, where he played alongside Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and was part of a team that won 71 consecutive games. His impressive career continued at Fairfield University, close to home, before he ventured to Europe. He played first for Le Mans, then for Milan (and also Naples), where he secured a championship title and two Cup Winners' Cups. Notably, in the 1972 final against Red Star Belgrade, he scored 23 points.

However, it wasn't just his victories that led to his number 18 jersey being retired. It was his indomitable fighting spirit that perfectly embodied what Milan fans expected from their players. Kenney might have been fiery, but he never gave up, never backed down. Yet, remembering him solely for his physicality and courage would be an injustice to his multifaceted skills as a rebounder, defender, and even an offensive threat. On a team built around scorers, he consistently averaged over 14 points per game and was even named American Player of the Year. He accumulated a total of 1,055 championship points with Olimpia.

Art Kenney shared these reflections:

"Battling (Dino) Meneghin, those were epic, incredibly tough, and magnificent sporting duels. So challenging that some nights I'd kick my bed, and my wife would get scared, but it was just a nightmare – I was fighting Super Dino!"

He further added: "The 1972 Cup Winners' Cup in Thessaloniki, against Red Star Belgrade, you cannot imagine the satisfaction of that victory. Just a few months prior, in Belgrade, we had suffered a crushing 26-point defeat, and a general brawl had broken out on the court and in the stands (Kenney even got into a skirmish with the police while pursuing Yugoslav point guard Zoran Slavnic). A little over a month later, we met them again in the final, in an electric atmosphere. We had to win, and we did, 74-70. I scored 23 points, but it was the team that made the difference. Above all, it was the spirit of Olimpia. What pride!"