Cesare Rubini has the distinction of being a top international player in two very different team sports. Rubini was capped 84 times with the Italian national water-polo team, captaining the squad 42 times. He won the Olympic gold in 1948, Olympic bronze in 1952, and a European Championships title in 1947 and bronze in 1954. As a basketball player, Rubini was capped 39 times with the national team and won a European Championships silver in 1946. At the club level, Rubini played water polo with Canottieri Olona until 1948 winning the Italian title in 1947, with Rari Nantes Napoli from 1949-51, winning Italian titles in 1949 and 1950, and with Rari Nantes Camogli 1952-56, winning Italian titles in 1952-53 and 1955. As a basketball player, he played his entire career with Olimpia Milano, winning five Italian titles in a row from 1950-54.
Rubini retired from competition in 1957 and devoted himself solely to coaching Olimpia Milano. As head coach from 1957-73, he coached the team to 11 Italian titles (1957-60, 1962-67, 1972), to Euroleague champions in 1966, and to European Cup Winner’s Cup titles in 1971-72. Rubini was the manager of Italian national basketball team from 1975-91, winning Olympic silver in 1980, a European title in 1983, and a European Championships silver in 1991 and bronze in 1985. In later years, he promoted water polo as a sport for young athletes, and was honorary president of the Olimpia Milano basketball club. Rubini was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1994, the International Swimming Hall of Fame in 2000, the Italian Basketball Hall of Fame in 2006, and the FIBA Hall of Fame in 2013.
Italy