By Cesare Milanti / info@eurohoops.net
Saben Lee’s last dance in the Basketball Champions League was one to remember. Dragging Manisa to a perfect 2-0 away start in the competition, he first put up 36 points over UCAM Murcia in his tournament’s debut and then tied the all-time scoring record for a single game in Belgrade.
His 43 points over FMP SoccerBet came incredibly. But he wasn’t the first to score as many points in Basketball Champions League history; another small-sized American guard like Keifer Sykes once did it in January 2019, and one Turkish team was still in the mix.
Following Saben Lee and Keifer Sykes, there are five more players to complete the Basketball Champions League 40-point scoring club: Martin Zeno, Jimmy Baron, Braian Angola, Mindaugas Kuzminskas, and finally Rion Brown. Let’s check them all in detail.
| Player (Team) | Points | Opposing team | Date |
| Saben Lee (Manisa) | 43 pts | vs. FMP | 9 October 2024 |
| Keifer Sykes (Avellino) | 43 pts | vs. Bandirma | 22 January 2019 |
| Martin Zeno (Oradea) | 42 pts | vs. Kataja | 18 January 2017 |
| Jimmy Baron (Neptunas) | 42 pts | vs. Usak Sportif | 6 December 2016 |
| Braian Angola (Pinar Karsiyaka) | 41 pts | vs. UCAM Murcia | 3 January 2023 |
| Mindaugas Kuzminskas (AEK) | 40 pts | vs. Hapoel Holon | 5 March 2024 |
| Rion Brown (Kataja) | 40 pts | vs. Maccabi Rishon LeZion | 6 December 2016 |
Saben Lee (Manisa Basket) – 43 points vs FMP SoccerBet
Very few before him have had such an impact on overseas basketball on the offensive end, showcasing a full package when it comes to adding points to his scoreboard.
Able to draw fouls while driving to the lane and collect points at the line (14/18 FT in Belgrade yesterday), he’s effective in traffic near the rim, quickly attacking drop defenses or pulling up from three-point range. Completing his score, yesterday he had 10/17 from two and 3/4 from deep.
Unfortunately enough for Basketball Champions League fans, this will likely be his last game in the competition, as he’s set to replace Jordan Loyd in Maccabi Tel Aviv. What a way to leave the stage.
Keifer Sykes (Avellino) – 43 points vs Bandirma Banvit
If Keifer Sykes was watching yesterday’s action, he knew something was coming: he wouldn’t be alone anymore on top of the Basketball Champions League single-game scoring record holders.
Saben Lee’s offensive show doesn’t take anything away from the former Avellino guard’s amazing performance over Bandit in January 2019. Despite that being a losing effort on the road, he still put up 43 points over 10/14 on two-pointers, 6/10 from deep, and 5/8 at the line.
After averaging 14.1 points per game with the green-and-black Italian team, he played only one more game in the Basketball Champions League, this time for a Turkish team: Turk Telekom Ankara.
Martin Zeno (Oradea) – 42 points vs Kataja
Exactly two years and four days before Keifer Sykes could appear on the Basketball Champions League scene, Martin Zeno tied the scoring record for a single BCL game with 42 points, as another American – we will discover him soon – already achieved such a feat.
Leaving Kataja on the losing end, he erupted for 42 points for Oradea over a complete-package shooting night of 11/17 from two-point range, 6/9 from the perimeter, and 2/3 at the charity stripe.
Appearing for the Romanian side in both the 2017 and 2019 FIBA Europe Cup, that season will always remain the best one for the now 38-year-old scorer: also thanks to that exciting performance over the Finnish team, he ultimately collected an International career-high 14.1 points per game.
Jimmy Baron (Neptunas) – 42 points vs Usak Sportif
The 6th of December 2016 will always be a date to remember for Basketball Champions League fans. On the same night, two new members joined the 40-point club, being the first ones.
Leaving the other for later, let’s focus now on who came out higher on the list that night. Jimmy Baron had a blast against Usak Sportif, recording 42 points with an unbelievable 10/15 from deep for Neptunas.
We all know Billy Baron’s scoring abilities from three-point range, but his brother – now part of the San Antonio Spurs coaching staff for the shooting departure – didn’t have anything to hide.
Braian Angola (Pinar Karsiyaka) – 41 points vs UCAM Murcia
After recalling performances from the Basketball Champions League cemented in long-time memories, it’s now time to remember Braian Angola’s unforgettable night over Murcia at the beginning of 2023.
Trying to celebrate the new year with an away victory in the Play-Ins, he left his all on the Spanish court, powering up 41 points with an excellent shooting night of 7/9 from two-point range, 6/9 from deep, and 9/10 at the free-throw line.
However, Pinar Karsiyaka couldn’t come out victorious from that road trip and was eliminated from contention in the 2022-23 Basketball Champions League campaign.
Mindaugas Kuzminskas (AEK) – 40 points vs Hapoel Holon
The only 40-point club member from the 2023-24 Basketball Champions League season is also the only non-American scoring performer to appear on the list.
Usually, he has never recorded blowout scoring nights like this, but Mindaugas Kuzminskas was just on another level towards the end of the Top 16 stage. Despite AEK being basically already out of contention, he tried his best against Hapoel Holon in a memorable encounter.
He finished down the line with a career-high 40 points with 50.0% (14/28) from the field in a double-overtime game won 112-108 by the Israelis. He also converted almost perfectly at the stripe with 9/11.
Rion Brown (Kataja) – 40 points vs Maccabi Rishon LeZion
Do you remember about the 6th of December 2016? Jimmy Baron wasn’t alone in showing off his incredible offensive capabilities on that Basketball Champions League night.
Representing Kataja – that suffered on the other end another 42-point night, from the previously mentioned Martin Zeno -, Rion Brown went off for 40 points over 15/20 FG, 9/12 3PTS, and 1/1 FT.
Still in Europe to this day with Panionios, back then the 25-year-old was just on another level for the Finnish team: in the 2016-17 BCL, he had 17.9 points per encounter. He eventually also played shortly in the 2019-20 EuroLeague, appearing in eight games for Panathinaikos.
PHOTO CREDIT: Basketball Champions League