The owner of the Little Red Shoes sadly passed away on Thursday
The man who brought Milan back to glory: Honoring Giorgio Armani
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August 4, 2008, will be a day that lives long in the memory for fans of EA7 Emporio Armani Milan.
After years of frustration at Milan, Giorgio Armani purchased the Little Red Shoes from Giorgio Corbelli and set about recovering the club’s former glories. Despite dominating in the mid-to-late 1930s, the 1950s, the 1960s, and then the 1980s, Milan had failed to lift the Italian championship or Italian Cup since 1996, while its last EuroLeague title – the third in club history – came in 1988. It was time to make Milan great again.
Success wasn’t instant, but the stability brought by Armani’s ownership laid the foundations for what was to come. Starting in 2013-14, Milan was able to reestablish itself as a force in Italian basketball, claiming six league titles (2013-14, 2015-16, 2017-18, 2021-22, 2022-23, 2023-24), lifting the Italian Cup on four occasions (2015-16, 2016-17, 2020-21, 2021-22), and winning the Italian Super Cup five times (2016, 2017, 2018, 2020, 2024). Milan was well and truly back.
“It took years of interventions, strategies, and trust to bring back success to the most followed, most loved, and most successful team in Italian basketball,” he told La Gazzetta dello Sport in 2024.
In particular, that 2014 league triumph over Siena – capped by Curtis Jerrells's famous shot at the buzzer – stood out for the fashion mogul, having ended Milan’s 18-year wait to become Italian champion once more.
“One of the strongest emotions of my life,” he said, reflecting on that day. “The fans invaded the court laughing, crying, and singing.”
“[The titles we have won] are the culmination of work carried out day after day. I am very proud of the team that has worked hard consistently. I like to think that we win in the right way, all together, as the players shout before going onto the court.”
Armani helped amplify Milan on a global scale, too. Back in 2015, the Italian side made history by becoming the first European club to play in an NBA arena against another European team when it took on Maccabi Tel Aviv at Madison Square Garden, the famous home of the New York Knicks. With Armani sitting courtside, European basketball was getting some much deserved (and long-awaited) attention in the United States but also on the old continent.
“There's not enough talk about basketball,” Armani once said. “I have always loved sport, so much so that I have made it an integral part of my work. I believe in the positive power of competitive sport.”
But what was Milan missing? A fourth EuroLeague championship, having previously worn Europe’s crown in 1965-66 before back-to-back triumphs in 1986-87 and 1987-88. In the 2020-21 season, in Ettore Messina’s second year as head coach, a flurry of top-level signings were made including Gigi Datome, Kyle Hines, Shavon Shields, Zach LeDay, Kevin Punter and Malcolm Delaney. Together with star guard Sergio Rodriguez, they set about taking the EuroLeague by storm.
It looked like there would be an immediate return on investment as Milan finished fourth in the regular-season standings with a 21-13 record and then beat FC Bayern Munich to make its long-awaited return to the EuroLeague Final Four, the first time it had reached European basketball’s showpiece event since 1992. But the fairy-tale ending didn’t come as Punter’s missed shot at the buzzer in the semifinal against FC Barcelona allowed the Spaniards to advance to the title decider with an 84-82 victory.
Despite some notable additions over the last few years, namely Nikola Mirotic and the return of Nicolo Melli, Milan has not been back since. Coach Messina has retooled his arsenal this summer, but the sudden passing of Mr. Armani on September 4, 2025 – in the club’s 90th anniversary season – has cast a large shadow over the campaign ahead.
“I'm attached to many players and I don't like to single out some over others,” Armani told La Gazzetta dello Sport one year ago. “But among those who no longer play for us, I think of Sergio Rodriguez, who expresses joy, and I'm happy that he won again, and Gigi Datome, whom I admired for the strength with which he decided to retire after winning last year's championship as the best player in the playoffs. I can't fail to mention Nicolo Melli, who arrived when he was very young and has been with us for eight years now [before leaving for Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul]. He is the soul of the group.”
During his 17-year ownership of Milan, which saw the team lift 15 trophies, La Gazzetta dello Sport estimates that Armani spent around €200 million on the club, a sign of the economic stability he was able to offer. But for Armani, basketball offered him a chance to disconnect from his business ventures and immerse himself in the world of sport.
“I got into basketball because I loved the team, a sport that both my brother Sergio and my sister Rosanna were involved in, and the city of Milan," he said during an interview with the Italian newspaper. “I've never regretted it. Even at the beginning, when we weren't winning. I have always felt the gratitude of the people, especially at games, and I am happy to have a team and a club that reflect our values.”
Just like August 4, 2008, will be fondly remembered by Milan supporters, September 4, 2025, is a day that will carry a heavy heart for everyone associated with the club.
There may be a vacant courtside seat at the Forum this season where Mr. Armani used to sit, but his legacy will live on as the Little Red Shoes carry his spirit across courts in Italy and beyond.