Achille Polonara

Achille Polonara (born 23 November 1991) is an Italian former professional basketball player who primarily played at the power forward position.

Professional career Teramo Basket (2009–2012) After progressing through the youth ranks of Banca Tercas Teramo, Polonara debuted in the first division, the Serie A, in the first game of 2009-10 though he rarely featured that season and played sparingly the next.

He played more regularly during the 2011-12 season with 8.2 points and 4.5 rebounds in 15.6 minutes on average, some coming from a stellar performance against Fabi Shoes Montegranaro in April with 34 points (13/14 from the field) and 9 rebounds for a valuation of 46. This helped the youngster win the Best Player Under 22 award for the season. He was also selected (as a replacement) for the Serie A All Star Game.

Cimberio Varese (2012–2014) Teramo was struggling financially and filed for bankruptcy during the summer of 2012, forcing Polonara to find a new club, which he did in July, signing a 3-year contract containing various escape clauses with Cimberio Varese. Both parties profited from the deal as Polonara contributed 9.5 points, 5.4 rebounds and 1.6 steals in 23 minutes per game to help the side finish first in the 2012-13 regular season. He posted 5.8 points, 3.4 rebounds and 0.8 steals in 15 minutes per game in the playoffs as Varese took eventual champions Montepaschi Siena to a seventh game in the semifinals. Polonara was named as the Best Player Under 22 for the second successive season.

The next season saw major players such as Bryant Dunston leave the side, which meant Polonara accrued more playing time. However, Varese had an anonymous season, losing to Oldenburg in the Euroleague qualifying rounds despite Polonara's team high 18 points to exit Europe's premier competition. Demoted to the European second tier EuroCup, Varese finished last in group C to also exit the competition, with Polonara posting 7.2 points and 3.6 rebounds per game. The team also finished out of playoff contention in the league, though he had figures of 10.5 points and 4.8 rebounds per game. The Anconan received a third successive call up to the All Star Game, played in his hometown, winning the Slam Dunk contest.

Varese lost its main sponsor during the off-season, meaning that Polonara's reported €180,000 final contract year was too costly, he wasn't prepared to take a pay cut and wanted to play in a European competition to keep progressing so left the side.

Pallacanestro Reggiana (2014–2017)

Polonara joined Grissin Bon Reggio Emilia in July 2014, signing a three-year contract (with a mutual escape clause after the second year) with the EuroCup playing side.

Though Reggio were eliminated in the Eurocup group stage, Polonara started all games, ending as the team's second best scorer (11ppg) and best rebounder (6.4rpg) for a team second 14.3 valuation. He even picked up a (shared) Round 7 MVP award after a determinant contribution to the November 2014 win over Paris-Levallois.

Polonara had his breakout year in the Serie A, playing more minutes (31.1) than any other teammate, he also finished as second best scorer and best rebounder to earn the highest valuation of the team. His figures of 8.4 rebounds and 18.1 in valuation per game also ranked him 5th in the league for each, with Gazzetta choosing him as their second most improved player for 2014–15.

Dinamo Basket Sassari (2017–2019) In 2017, he signed for Dinamo Basket Sassari, where he will play for two more seasons in the Italian Basketball League. Dinamo Basket Sassari finished second in the 2018-2019 Italian Basketball League, losing to Reyer Venezia in the finals. An important part of Sassari, who won the FIBA Europe Cup that season, Polonara supported his team with an average of 12.5 points, 6 rebounds, and 2 assists in FIBA Europe Cup.

Baskonia (2019–2021) On 28 August 2019, Polonara signed a two-year deal with Spanish EuroLeague club Kirolbet Baskonia. He won the Spanish league with Baskonia in the 2019–2020 season. On 3 July 2020, Polonara renewed his contract with the Basques.

Fenerbahçe (2021–2022) On 29 June 2021, Polonara signed with Fenerbahçe of the Turkish Basketball Super League (BSL) and the EuroLeague. During the 2021-2022 BSL campaign, he averaged 10 points, 5.7 rebounds and 2 assists per game, helping the team to win the domestic championship. Additionally, he posted 7.3 points, 4.3 rebounds and 1.1 assists in 30 EuroLeague appearances. On 20 July 2022, Polonara parted ways with the Turkish powerhouse.

Anadolu Efes (2022–2023) On 20 July 2022, Polonara signed with Anadolu Efes of the Turkish Basketball Super League (BSL) and the EuroLeague. On 7 January 2023, Polonara parted ways with the Turkish powerhouse.

Žalgiris Kaunas (2023) On 7 January 2023, Polonara signed with Žalgiris Kaunas of the Lithuanian Basketball League (LKL) and the EuroLeague for the rest of the season. On June 15 of the same year, he parted ways with the Lithuanian club.

Virtus Bologna (2023–2025)

In July 2023, Polonara signed a two-year deal with Virtus Bologna of the Italian Lega Basket Serie A (LBA)) and the EuroLeague. On 24 September 2023, after having ousted Olimpia Milano in the semifinals, Virtus won its fourth Supercup, and the third in a row, defeating 97–60 Germani Brescia. Despite an impressive first half of the season, Virtus ended the EuroLeague regular season at the 10th place, qualifying only for the play-in, where after having defeated 67–64 Anadolu Efes, it lost against Baskonia 89–77, not qualifying for the playoffs. Moreover, the Black V placed first during the Italian regular season but, after having knocked out Tortona by 3–2 and Reyer Venezia by 3–1, it lost the third consecutive final against Milan by 3–1.

In the following season Virtus ended the EuroLeague at the 17th place, after a disappointing regular season. After arriving first in the national championship season, Virtus eliminated Venezia 3–2 and their arch-rival Milan 3–1, reaching their fifth finals in a row. They then defeated Brescia 3–0, claiming the Italian championship title for the 17th time.

Dinamo Sassari (2025–2026) On 22 August 2025, he signed with Dinamo Sassari of the Lega Basket Serie A (LBA).

On 4 May 2026, he announced his retirement from competitive basketball.

National team career Polonara started playing for the youth squads of the Italian national team, first with the Under-18's at the 2009 European Championship. He notably won the silver medal with the U20's at the 2011 European Championship where he was an important contributor, including being the best performer in the semifinal against France.

Polonara was called up to the preliminary squad of the senior team as a temporary replacement for the injured Nicolò Melli as they prepared for EuroBasket 2013. However he himself later picked an ankle injury and was dropped from the squad. He would rejoin the senior side in 2014, scoring 20 points on his genuine (discounting the All Star Game) debut against German, he then became a regular in Italy squads.

Participating in the successful EuroBasket 2015 qualification, he played in all 4 games with an average of 3.8 points and 1.3 rebounds in 8.5 minutes. He was called up to the squad that would take part in EuroBasket 2015 to start on 5 September.

International statistics Year Competition GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG 2015 EuroBasket 5 0 4.4 .400 .000 - .1 .1 .1 .1 .6 Career 5 0 4.4 .400 .000 - .1 .1 .1 .1 .6

Player profile Rebounding is his statistical strength on both ends of the court, using his instincts and speed to surprise opponents.

In attack, he is capable of operating on the perimeter, where his speed allows him to beat larger defenders or score from mid-range. His wingspan contributes to his offensive effectiveness, and he is also mobile on the floor. Defensively, he is an active rebounder and shot blocker, with good timing. His lateral speed and wingspan allow him to defend pick and roll situations and switch onto guards.

Personal life Achille credits his older brother Valerio, who has had a career in the Italian lower leagues, as inspiring him to become a basketball player, the brothers (separated in age by 7 years) are very close.

His nephew, Michele Serpilli, also plays basketball, with the Pesaro youth teams, he reportedly is an admirer of Polonara. In June 2025, he was diagnosed with myeloid leukemia.

Career statistics

EuroLeague

EuroCup

Domestic leagues

Honours Individual Serie A Best Player Under 22: 2012, 2013 Lega Basket All Star Game Participant: 2012–2015 Slam dunk contest winner: 2014 Premio Reverberi: 2015 (best player)

Team International European Under-20 Championship 2011 Bilbao