Italian Serie A outfit Virtus Pallacanestro Bologna has announced that it has reached a multi-year agreement with former APR star Aliou Diarra. Diarra, 23, made his professional debut with hoome club Stade Malien, immediately establishing himself in the 2023 Basketball Africa League, where he won the Defensive Player of the Year award. He later moved to APR in 2024 and helped the club win the domestic league championship on his debut season. In 2025, he set the record for most blocks in a BAL game and was named the competition's best defender for the second time after helping APR secure a third-place finish in the playoffs held in Pretoria, South Africa. On the national team level, Diarra was a key player in the recently concluded AfroBasket, leading Mali to its first-ever final and silver medal. He was named to the competition's All-Star Team. His standout performance was against the Ivory Coast in the quarterfinals where he scored 35 points and added 16 rebounds in the process. On July 8, he was selected as the first pick by the Dallas Mavericks in the G-League International Draft. Diarra’s arrival is in line with recent transfer market deals, reinforcing the idea and identity of a team built together with Coach Ivanovic on energy, athletic freshness and the future, without sacrificing immediate competitiveness, said Virtus Bologna General Manager Paolo Ronci.
