Federico Pagliara, One of Us Breaking into the NBA: “I’m a Sports Industry Nerd”

Throughout the history of the NBA, several Italian players, coaches, and executives have left their mark on American hardwood. From Marco Belinelli—the only Italian to win an NBA championship—to Andrea Bargnani, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2006 Draft; from Danilo Gallinari to Simone Fontecchio, Luigi Datome, Vincenzo Esposito (the first Italian to score in the league), and Stefano Rusconi (the first Italian to play in the NBA), Italy has long had a presence on basketball’s biggest stage.
On the management side, figures such as Maurizio Gherardini, who held key roles with the Toronto Raptors; Gianluca Pascucci at the Houston Rockets; and Matteo Zuretti in the front office of the NBA champion Denver Nuggets have represented Italian excellence behind the scenes.

Among coaches, Ettore Messina made history as the first Italian coach in the NBA, winning a title as an assistant with the San Antonio Spurs; Sergio Scariolo claimed an NBA championship as assistant coach of the Toronto Raptors; while Italian-American Mike D’Antoni—twice NBA Coach of the Year with the Phoenix Suns and Los Angeles Lakers—remains one of the league’s most influential tactical minds.

Breaking into the NBA has never been easy. Yet since last June, a new and remarkably young Italian executive has joined the world’s most prestigious men’s professional basketball league: Federico Pagliara, born in 1994 in Catania.

The son of Fabio Pagliara—a former volleyball player and a senior sports executive who has held leadership roles with the Italian Hockey Federation and the Italian Athletics Federation, and who now serves as president of the Sportcity Foundation—Federico has carved out his own path. In June, he became Vice President of Global Partnership Sales for the Milwaukee Bucks, one of the NBA’s most storied franchises, winners of two championships and home to Giannis Antetokounmpo, multiple-time MVP and NBA champion.

From Catania to the NBA at 31: how did you reach this milestone at the top of U.S. sports business?

“Thirteen years ago, when I decided to go to college in the United States and play volleyball, many people thought I was crazy,” Pagliara says. “But that experience marked the beginning of my professional journey in the U.S. A whole new world opened up, and step by step the path toward my career goals became clearer.”

A passion for sports that runs in the family

“It all started with volleyball in Catania, always with my father nearby. The same thing happened when I moved into sports management—again, initially in my father’s shadow. But as an athlete, I’ve always felt a healthy sense of competition with him. I kept asking myself: can I be better? Can I become a better manager? Today, I can say I’ve done it. I now live my career in the U.S. on my own terms, no longer just as ‘someone’s son.’ Knowing I’ve made him proud is one of my greatest satisfactions.”

When did you realize that elite sport would be your professional future?

“When I understood I wouldn’t become a professional athlete, I had one clear goal: to work in the sports industry. And I made it happen.”

The NBA is one of the most competitive ecosystems in global sports and entertainment. How did you break in?

“I consider myself fortunate to have been in the right place at the right time,” he says. “But I’m also a true ‘sports industry nerd.’ I’m passionate about data, analytics, and technology—tools that help optimize athletic performance, game strategy, scouting, and business operations. My constant desire to learn played a huge role in getting here. And I see this not as an endpoint, but as the beginning of a journey that I hope will bring even more challenges.”

You hold a prestigious role with the Milwaukee Bucks, one of the NBA’s most respected franchises.

“I’m incredibly lucky. Working for an organization that treats its team like a family is truly special.”

What goals have you set in such a strategic role?

“Our objective is clear: to continue growing the Milwaukee Bucks brand globally. The challenge ahead of us is extremely exciting.”

Few Italians have reached senior management roles in the NBA. Do you feel the responsibility?

“Responsibility is a privilege, just like working under pressure. Sport teaches you from a young age to embrace challenges as opportunities for growth. I approach every new challenge with the desire to prove that the trust placed in me is well deserved.”

What have you carried with you from your previous experiences?

“A lot—perhaps more than I initially realized. I often reflect on what I’ve learned throughout my career, and being able to integrate those lessons into my current role is incredibly motivating.”

Your earliest sporting memories?

“I remember winning a provincial table tennis title while attending the Leonardo da Vinci school in Catania—my grandmother was in the stands. Much of my childhood is tied to sports: football, volleyball, handball. I could never sit still. That competitive drive, the desire to excel, is still what pushes me forward today.”

You’re now married to an American and have chosen to live and work in the U.S.

“I have a wonderful family, made in Italy and made in the U.S. Together with my wife Kayla, we’re building our life in Chicago, but Catania and Italy are always in our hearts. Going back home to see lifelong friends and family is always something special.”