Mirco Cussigh was born December 13, 1960 in Moutier, Switzerland.
Like most young boys, his first sports experience was with the local Reconvilier and Bévilard football clubs, following in the footsteps of his older brother Claudio.
Then, at 13, he saw his first basketball game on Ticino television, and particularly pictures of the NBA stars in action shown during the 20-minutes half-time segment of the game. He quickly became a fan of the likes of Dr. J (Julius Erving of the Philadelphia 76ers) and a proud wearer of his first pair of Converse Chuck Taylor high tops. The local courts soon became Mirco’s favorite hang-out, for practicing his dribbling and shooting baskets.
At 15, this native of Friuli, Italy began a 3-year apprenticeship as cook in Porrentruy. At the same time he joined a club of junior players who practiced during is work hours: 5 pm work, 6.30 basketball practice until 8.30 pm, then back to work until 11 pm or later…
At 17, the coach of Porrentruy’s sealing team, who had connections with the top national team, took notice of Mirco’s long and mid-distance shoots-and killer defense instinct. But alas, his work schedule interfered with the team’s practice sessions and Saturday games.
The best player, a Swiss juniors, told him « Pity you’re not Swiss. Otherwise you could play on the national junior team. »
Despite his disappointments Mirco played in the Swiss Junior Championship finals, against Federale Lugano, St. Paul Lausanne, and even scored a few great baskets.
In 1979, he took a job on the outskirts of London, in Harrow. One of is priorities was to find a basketball court, in this land where football and rugby are king. He got lucky when 15 minutes from his flat he found one…on a US Military Air Force base surrounded by barbed wire fences. Undaunted, Mirco asked the military police at the entrance to see the commander of the base who, impressed with Mirco’s enthusiasm for the american sport, welcomed him to come and practice with the American boys whenever he wanted. His only regret was a broken window pane, for which he was forgiven.
Monday and Saturday mornings he practiced with the London Hawks, north of London. And sometimes with the Crystal Palace Chevrons, two hours south by bus, metro and train.
Back in Switzerland in the early eighties, our cook-basketballer played the courts with Rapid Bienne Basket, Moutier Basket and finally with USAI Delémont, beating BC Boncourt 61-45, with 24 points made by number 7 for his last career game…
Eventually his love for basketball continued in the form of stamps collecting. At firts, there were all subjects. Then his girlfriend Nicole suggested he combine his two passions…
The results was a first exhibition in Moutier in 1990 at the Bernese Cantonal Bank, then in 1992 in Ticino, 1993 in Porrentruy followed by history’s first international meeting of collectors in Porto San Giorgio, Italy. The world’s number 1 was there (the « Michael Jordan » of the speciality) and prizes were awarted by the combined votes of visitors and the jury, including a trophy offered by the Italian National Olympic Committee. And the first prize went to…Mirco!
In 1994, in collaboration with the International Basketball Federation and its European marketing manager, an exhibition was held at the Lausanne Palace for the Men’s European Cup finals. Togheter with Claude, an old basketball colleague with whom he had shared the title of Jurassien vice-champion, Mirco organized the event at the Lausanne Palace.
The year was filled wich rich emotions, culminating in an exhibition in Reus, Spain by collectors from 11 countries, including 10’000 documents (stamps, letters, postcards), with Mirco winning the first prize for the originality of his presentation-a reputation he had already acquired in Porto San Giorgio as the « Harlem Globetrotters » of creativity and imagination.
After some time off, in 1999 the Ticino club asked him to come demonstrate his talents at an international tournament. then in 2004, there was another collector’s exhibition in Reus, Spain.
In September 2007, an exhibition was held in Abruzzes Italy for the Women’s European Basketball Championships.
Seventeen years of exhibitions, covered in such newspapers and magazines as Switzerland’s: Le Démocrate, La Région, La Journal du Jura, Journal Basket de la fédération suisse, Le Quotidien Jurassien, Le Courrier de la Vallée de Tavannes, 24 Heures, La Rivista di Lugano, La Regione Ticino et Il Corriere del Ticino. In France: Maxi-Basket and Timbroscopie who published the year’s most important article on a thematic collection. In Spain: Diari de Tarragona, Noudiari et El Punt. And in Italy, with SuperBasket, Giganti del Basket, Il Resto del Carlino, Philasport and Nuova Emigrazione.
Since his youth, Mirco has been involved with « paper ». Was this a hidden desire to become a type-setter like his brother Claudio? His collection of more than 400 books about basketball proves it.
Posters are also « paper », and movies come close behind…Mirco’s walls were papered with basketball posters back when he lived with his parents, Lucia and Sergio.
The first basketball movie on TV was « The fish that saved Pittsburgh » on the Ticino network at the end of the seventies, starring Dr. J Julius Erving). Then « Inside moves » with John Savage at the start of the eighties, a cult film for Mirco, his favorite, first seen in London. He found the film’s poster 25 years later…in the city of Sherlock Holmes…
The nineties and 2000 saw a great boom in the movies industry with many wonderful new basketball films, luring Mirco into a new adventure…posters of basketball movies!
In 2006, after years of movies research generating most of his posters, photos and press releases during trips to the United States-including the assistance of certain New York poster galeries, not to mention the numerous resources found on Internet-Mirco finally realized a longtime dream: the first exhibition of his magnificent original posters at the famous International Sports Festival of Cinema and Television (FICTS) in Milan, Italy, the largest in the world with more than 230’000 visitors. His exhibits were the main theme of this international manifestation inaugurated by Princesse Haya Al Hussein (member of the IOC) and by Marcello Lippi, trainer of the Italian World Champion team in 2006, and covered in such newspapers like Il Giornale, Il Corriere della Sera, Sport Week, La Gazzetta dello Sport, Dream Team (with 4 full pages…), SuperBasket and Sport Life.
One evening of the Festival was devoted to basketball, and when the president of the festivities, Professeur Franco Ascani, said to Mirco: « There will be some surprises this evening » while showing him the « sms » confirmation of attendance on his cell phone-Dino Meneghin, Pierluigi Marzorati, Sandro Gamba, Carlo Recalcati and many more…the « cream » of Italian basketball…Mirco was on a cloud! At last he would meet the idols of when he was 15 years old. What excitement when Professeur Ascani invited Mirco on stage to speak about his passion for cinematography in front of near 600..eyes…Mirco found himself speaking to the stars of his youth, who were sitting just a few meters away and listening and applauding…a complete reversal of roles!
During this memorable evening, Pierluigi Marzorati, the idol of Cantù, presented a book about the 70 years of his club to President Ascani, who told the famous Italian team player: « Don’t let Mirco get too close or he might steal the book from me. » Then suddenly Marzorati took the book from his hands and gave it to Mirco as the President looked on in astonishment! Marzorati later promised Professeur Ascani that he would send him the book by mail!
One more anecdote in conclusion, Mirco was given the title of « Doctor »-Dottore Mirco Cussigh-at the Milan Festival, as a way of officially recognizing his collection and the historical research it represents for the benefit of basketball fans around the world.
One might imagine the connection between the young Mirco’s NBA idol, Dr. J (Julius Erving) and his own title of « Doctor » at the Festival in Italy…Could we now refer to him as « Dr. M »? For you to decide…