By Antonis Stroggilakis/ info@eurohops.net
MHP Riesen Ludwigsburg, Monaco, AEK Athens and UCAM Murcia. Four teams, one Basketball Champions League title trophy up for grabs.
While the coaches and captains of the teams that will compete the Basketball Champions League Final Four traveled some rather different journeys before reaching the prized destination of the Top 4 tournament, they all agree in one thing: How significant this moment is for both their clubs and themselves personally.
John Patrick: “No more nightmares”
Last season MHP Riesen head coach John Patrick saw his team losing the race for the Basketball Champions League quarterfinals in the very last seconds of Game 2 against Banvit.
But Jordan Theodore’s game-winner is nothing but a memory now. “We lost a chance in the last second of the quarterfinals. It made myself and the club hungrier. One one hand it was unfortunate. On the other, we had injured players and we would’ve been able to show our best face in the Final Four, given who was there.”
Riesen guard David McRay was also there and believes that this experience allowed them to become stronger for this year’s challenge. “What happened last season helped us for this year. I was one of the guys that were there. This year we played vs. Bayreuth at home. We lost. I told ‘them this is nothing. Let’s go out and play our game and win and we won. We accomplished that and we’re here.”
Zvezdan Mitrovic: “We don’t have superstars. Our game is a team game.”
If you asked the majority of the Basketball Champions League fans their opinion on which team is the favorite in the Final Four then “Monaco” would be the most popular answer.
The Monegasques played excellent basketball throughout the season and had 14 straight wins at one moment. A result of teamwork, according to head coach Zvezdan Mitrovic. “We don’t have superstars. We play a team game. Defensively first of all. There are a couple of guys who handle more things on the court. We are disciplined on defense and from there we try to run and create. Score, give spectacle. I believe we are living a fairytale that has evolved into a renaissance. We came from the Pro B and now we are in the Final Four for a second straight year”.
Veteran forward Amara Sy echoed his coach’s words, using teammate DJ Cooper as an example. “He’s making a lot of effort since he’s also the reigning French League MVP. He’s accepted that he comes from the bench to play defense, to get everybody involved. He’s a big part of our success.”
Dragan Sakota: “In Greece, expectations are high regardless of the team.”
Fifty years ago, AEK lifted the first European trophy ever in the history of Greek Basketball by beating Slavia Prague in front of 80.000 fans in “Panathinaiko Stadium”.
Now they want to repeat a similar triumph by winning the Basketball Champions League. Do they feel a special kind of pressure, since they also play in front of their home crowd? “Well, it’s considered an obligation. We play at home. Of course, our opponents are very good. But in Greece expectations are high. Always, regardless of the team. But we play well. From one point onwards every game was dramatic but we won. We began to win everything. Maybe this is the sweetest way to go through.”
His son and AEK captain Dusan Sakota also mentioned how his team evolved throughout the season. “We looked at our mirrors at one point. We made a restart and started to get better and just keep going. The Greek Cup gave us confidence and we didn’t stop there. We showed that we can play good basketball with our backs against the wall.
Ibon Navarro: “It’s good for us that the gym will be full of AEK fans”
Murcia will not only face AEK in the semifinal but they will also have to compete with thousands of fans shouting against them and in favor of the Greek club. No problem whatsoever for head coach Ibon Navarro since his team has been battle-hardened in hostile atmospheres.
“We have played our best games on the road. So it’s good for us. A gym full of people, AEK fans mostly. One of our most important moments of the season was in Izmir against Pinar Karsiyaka. The atmosphere was great but we won. We have made great progress these months. It took us some time but we did it. We had excellent playoffs and I believe we are at our maximum strength.”
“It’s an amazing experience to play against a home team and against… angry fans,” Murcia guard Vitor Benite agreed. “These fans can bring energy to the arena. And we are the underdogs. It’s good to be the underdog. It takes away some of the pressure. We are happy to be in the Final Four.”