By Lefteris Moutis/ moutis@eurohoops.net
Alba Berlin, the team representing Germany in the biggest European competition before the turn of the century, has more than a solid fan base. That was proved on Saturday night. The number of the fans attending the exhibition game against Bayern Munich was a stunning – for european basketball standards on preseason – 8.316 in the majestic “O2 Arena”.
The host team beat Bayern 65-57, but the result only one part of the show. The other was the return in Berlin of “Iceman” Wendell Alexis. The American forward who was the star of the team in the nineties was present for the game and of course a trip down the memory lane is always welcomed by the Berliners.
It will be interesting to see if the home crowd can help Alba make a splash in Euroleague, justifying even more the decision of the Euroleague board to give the German team a free pass for the competition.