New York's Barclays Center was transformed into the heart of Italian-ness on Italian Heritage Night. During the Brooklyn Nets vs. Houston Rockets game, more than 400 Italians packed the stands, helping to create a unique atmosphere between sports passion and national pride.

The event organized by IBBL - Italian Basketball Brand League in collaboration with ilNewyorkese, the reference of the Italian community in New York, was held in the presence of Consul General of New York Fabrizio di Michele, who also participated in the morning tournament with the Consulate's team.

The event kicked off precisely with an exciting match between the various teams from the Italian community in New York, which featured prominent Nets realities on the Nba field, in addition to the Consulate of New York and ilNewyorkese were Figo Gelato, Columbus Citizen Foundation, Carini Group, AIRI (Association of Italian Researchers) and Bindi. In the end, it was the Columbus Foundation team that triumphed, in a competition that extolled the value of sports as a tool for gathering and networking.

Davide Ippolito, founder of ilNewyorkese and promoter of the initiative together with the IBBL - Italian Basketball Brand League, stressed the importance of the event, stating: “This event is constantly growing. We dream of the day when we can fill the entire Barclays Center with Italians to create a unique evening. New York is the center of Italian excellence, and this celebration of Italianness is also a great opportunity for brand visibility and networking, which more and more organizations are understanding and embracing.”

The evening was attended by a number of notables, including Ramones drummer and former Olimpia Milano player and current NBA coach Kyle Hines. Also from Italy was Maurizio Pimpinella, president of the Italian Electronic Payments Association, who was on the field in the ilNewyorkese shirt along with Emanuele Scamardella, Don Luigi Portarulo and Giovanni Fumu.

Simone Barazzotto, founder of IBBL, highlighted how this fifth edition of Italian Heritage Night marked a turning point: “This year the event was even bigger and more important. The partnership with theNew Yorker represents a fundamental building block for the future, and we are confident that this event will become one of the most significant events for the Italian community in the United States.”