These are two enthusiasts who took up the pen to tell the century-old story of basketball in the Azure region. Driven by the desire, or rather a moral duty, to pass on this history, they take us back to the arrival of this game, born and played in the United States, to this corner of the Mediterranean.
It was in Antibes, after the First World War. So many memories… but also a forward-looking gaze.
It was in 1920, after the end of the First World War, that the French Riviera discovered basketball. This marked the beginning of the pioneer era, with lace-up balls and makeshift courts. From these early enthusiasts, the 12,000 licensed players today in the Alpes-Maritimes and Var are their distant heirs.
Over the years, national titles have accumulated, including among young players, and several great players grew up under the Azure hoops. The names Antibes, three-time French champion, but also Monaco and Hyères for the men, Toulon and Nice for the women, have left their mark on French and sometimes European basketball.
This is the story told in this richly documented and illustrated work. It covers the journey of the clubs, the impact left by iconic players, as well as legendary matches, not forgetting the men and women who, through their personal commitment, contributed to establishing Azure basketball as a true heritage.
The authors:
Pierre Collomb, born in Antibes, naturally ended up at Olympique. A national prospect, he played for four years in the main team before moving to Golfe-Juan. As a player, then coach, he began a managerial career there. In 1992, he was elected president of the League and to the board of the FFBB, where he served as vice-president for twenty years; he is now the president of the Ethics Committee. A member of FIBA since 1994, his legal expertise has led him to significant roles and to join the Supervision Panel in 2019.
Bernard Maccario has published several works on the history of physical education and sport. A former basketball player, he notably played for CS Toulon and the Côte d’Azur youth team. He was also a board member of this same League from 2016 to 2019 and served as an expert for the FFBB. An honorary academy inspector, he currently presides over the board of directors at CREPS Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur.
