By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
Experienced Brazilian guard Marcelinho Huertas was named Basketball Champions League Final Four MVP, as announced following the championship game at Bilbao Sunday.
Huertas, 38, averaged 15 points, 11.5 assists, and 3.5 rebounds per game in the wins versus Hapoel U-NET Holon and Baxi Manresa.
Basketball Champions League Final Four MVP winners:
2017: Marius Grigonis (Iberostar Tenerife)
2018: Mike Green (AEK)
2019: Kevin Punter (Virtus Segafredo Bologna)
2020: Thad McFadden (Hereda San Pablo Burgos)
2021: Vitor Benite (Hereda San Pablo Burgos)
2022: Marcelinho Huertas (Lenovo Tenerife)
The individual accolade reminisces the 2020 FIBA Intercontinental Cup championship, as he was named MVP of the tournament held in Tenerife.
The former player of the Los Angeles Lakers wrapped up the 2021-22 campaign, his third in FIBA’s top European club continental competition, packing 10.5 points, 7.3 assists, and 1.6 rebounds per contest. An effort good enough for a spot in the Basketball Champions League Star Lineup Second Team. He had made the First Team in 2020.
Producing 13 points and 14 assists against the ACB rival of the Canary Islands outlet made him the second player to record a double-double in the Final after Gediminas Orelik did it with 13 points and 13 rebounds back in the championship game of the first-ever Final Four in 2017. Tenerife then overcame the Lithuanian forward to claim the BCL championship for the first time in team history.
Moreover, Huertas upped his total of dimes to 351. He ranks second in the all-time BCL list behind Dusan Djordjevic and his own 358 assists.
Photo Credit: Basketball Champions League