By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
In a recap of the 2023-24 season, Unicaja president Jesus Lopez Nieto discussed his side opting to play in the Basketball Champions League, among other topics.
“There is a contract until 2026. Then we will consider our options,” he mentioned in a press conference held Wednesday, “I believe that EuroCup depends on the EuroLeague. The EuroLeague has separate parameters, destined to impact EuroCup. The European basketball map must become appropriate to current conditions. We are going to continue in the BCL. I prefer a more competitive league. The EuroCup has too many games with nothing at stake to end up playing the entire season in a single-elimination game.”
After becoming BCL champions in Belgrade, the team coached by Ibon Navarro focused on the 2024 ACB Playoffs. From ranking first in the Regular Season of Spain’s Liga Endesa, falling to the wrong end of a crazy best-of-five series against UCAM Murcia marked the conclusion of the domestic campaign in the Semifinals.
“We finished third in the Liga Endesa, like last year. We were the champions of the Regular Season. We had the best point differential in the league. We also won the BCL. We had a spectacular season. It will be hard to repeat in the future because we are in the second group of teams,” he said.
“We operate under a specific budget, which belongs in the second tier,” he explained, remaining in the same context as in a recent interview.
Budget limitations
Additional challenges stemming from winning the Champions League and domestic achievements are coming up in the 2024-25 season.
“Our goals are the same, to reach the Playoffs, qualify for the Copa del Rey, and be in the later stages of any European competition we play, in the BCL or whatever second-tier competition can form in the future,” mentioned Lopez Nieto.
“Another important challenge is the FIBA Intercontinental Cup. We are also going to compete in the Supercopa Endesa,” he focused on the next season.
Tyler Kalinoski and Kameron Taylor officially extending their contracts signaled a similar approach compared to the previous offseason. The Malaga outfit intends to retain as many players as possible.
“Last year, our budget was set at 14 million euros. I can not predict the budget for the next season but it will probably somewhat increase,” the team president furthered on financial limitations.