Gianluigi Iessi

Gianluigi Iessi (also widely known as Jessi) was an Italian basketball player, coach, and rally driver.

Born in Bergamo, Iessi played in the Petrarca Rugby youth team before joining the Pallacanestro Petrarca Padova basketball team. He also played for Gorizia, Napoli, and Ponte di Brenta in the province of Padova, where he ended his career. Iessi made his national team début in a friendly against Guinea (won 89-34) in 1966. He represented Italy at the 1966 European Championships in Helsinki (seventh place), the 1967 Mediterranean Games in Tunis (second place behind Yugoslavia), and, in the same year, finished ninth at the World Championships in Uruguay and Argentina. Iessi also competed in the 1968 Mexico Olympics, and was a member of the Italian military national team. In total, he won 63 Italy caps and scored 270 points.

After retiring from playing, Iessi embarked on a basketball coaching career and also tried his hand at car rallying and took part in a few races in an Opel Ascona.

A graduate in Economics and Business from the University of Napoli, Iessi became passionate about model-making and toys, and founded the Venetian Toy Museum in Padova, home to 400 items of ancient and modern toys.