By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
A very exciting Basketball Champions League campaign will come to an end in Malaga on Sunday. Teams scattered all around the European continental zone made a bid for a place in the Final Four but only four could fit and book the trip to Malaga.
In a similar situation number-wise, but compressed to one week instead of grueling battles since last September in numerous venues, the next Eurovision champion will be crowned in Liverpool Saturday.
What a super weekend!
Confronting guilty pleasures, Eurohoops went down the same route last year. Attaching the four BCL finalists to tracks throughout Eurovision history was the task. The 2023 mash-up is bolder with a direct connection between Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem, Lenovo Tenerife, Telekom Baskets Bonn, and Unicaja to songs competing in this year’s edition of Eurovision.
Eurovision loyals and supporters of the Final Four participants can object but the bets were placed pairing one team with one song. From live action and television screens to right before the weekend of new champions all around Europe. We enjoyed both the Champions League season so far and the Eurovision Semifinals, so why not draw similarities, seek out intriguing possible outcomes, and wait to see what happens?
Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem – Unicorn
How refreshing was Hapoel Jerusalem / Noa Kirel stepping up? Make your pick. The sentence applies either way.
Israel will be looking for double, winning performances across the board. It has been done before in Eurovision, but not yet in the BCL. The team coached by Aleksandar Dzikic is actually only the second Israeli club to reach the Semifinals in league history.
Lenovo Tenerife – Tattoo
Combo bets can’t be safe. Requiring two separate events to go your way is risky. Rushing to jump on the bandwagons of Tenerife and Loreen along with the supporters of the most successful club in BCL history and the 2012 Eurovision winner can actually work. It’s up to you…
Both the Canary Islands outfit and the Swedish singer come in with valuable winning experiences. Both produced convincing essays to go all the way once more as well. Buckle up and savour the Liverpool and Malaga experience.
Telekom Baskets Bonn – Blood & Glitter
The path to the Champions League’s Final Four compared to Germany and the remaining members of the Big Five directly in the Eurovision Final, both arrive looking to get the job done this weekend.
Bonn and T.J. Shorts II were in command most of the way to emerge as serious contenders. The Lord of the Lost overcame domestic competition to surface Blood & Glitter at this stage. Is a German double in the works?
Unicaja – Who the Hell Is Edgar?
Similar to Bonn, Unicaja is a newcomer in season-ending BCL tournaments. But is the term appropriate for the 2001 FIBA Korac Cup and 2017 EuroCup champions? Hosting the Final Four and homecourt perks plus a deep roster all but destined to be guided by Ibon Navarro to a second title this season, after February’s Copa del Rey.
Lacking apparent connections to Austria’s entry referring to Edgar Allan Poe, maybe this was the case of personal prepossession, simply being unable to resist listening to Who the Hell is Edgar again, before focusing on the Final Four Semifinals.