By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
A two-time champion and among three teams with participation across all installments of the Basketball Champions League, La Laguna Tenerife remains a special part of the competition. It extends to the most recent milestone hit by Giorgi Shermadini.
A veteran of 81 appearances, playing for the Canary Islands outfit has been a treat, way beyond fans packing Santiago Martin. The all-time leading scorer of the Champions League is also second on the all-time list of players with the most rebounds behind Tim Abromaitis. The latest achievement is all about earning wins.
The 35-year-old Georgian center became the fifth player with 60 BCL wins. The Tenerife connection is huge with Abromaitis, Bruno Fitipaldo, Aaron Doornekamp, and Marcelinho Huertas, all teammates, being the previous players with 60 victories in league history.
Fittingly, visiting Greece, Shermadini joined the club allowing only Tenerife players. Early in his career, combining development with his introduction to the EuroLeague, he played for the storied Greek club Panathinaikos, contributing to the fifth of seven EuroLeague championships in team history. Back in the country in southeast Europe, he became a two-time EuroLeague champion with Olympiacos four years later, in 2013.
Since moving to Tenerife in 2019, Shermadini added a Champions League title and two FIBA Intercontinental Cup triumphs to a long list of trophies throughout his career. Also, he entered the Star Lineup of the 2019-20, 2020-21, and 2021-22 editions of the BCL, before settling in the Second Team in 2022-23. In addition, he was named ACB MVP in 2021 and 2023.
Putting his mark on the first BCL home game in Kolossos H Hotels history, he tallied a game-high efficiency rating of 18 in a lopsided win in Rhodes. Connecting 8/9 from the field led to 7 points to go with four rebounds and one steal over 20 minutes.
All about winning
The most successful team in the top-tier club continental competition of FIBA Europe, then Iberostar Tenerife set the pace by conquering the inaugural installment of the BCL. The deep connection with the league started back in the 2016-17 season.
The first expedition included an 11-3 W-L tally in Group D of the Regular Season. Moving to the Playoffs, eliminating PAOK and LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne clinched a berth in the Final Four. Behind the support of the home crowd in San Cristobal de La Laguna, the players guided by Txus Vidorreta went on to beat Umana Reyer Venice in the Semifinals and Banvit in the championship game.
The lowest point was in the following 2017-18 campaign. The defending champions marched through group play with a 12-2 record but fell to UCAM Murcia in the Round of 16. Vidorreta returning after one year with Valencia prompted further success.
In 2018-19, Tenerife produced yet another 12-2 run to top Group B of the Regular Season. Eliminating Promitheas in the Round of 16 and Hapoel Jerusalem in the Quarterfinals translated into a second Final Four berth in team history. After overpowering host Telenet Antwerp Giants, the continental effort was slowed down by Virtus Segafredo Bologna in the Final.
Shermadini joined the mix in the fourth edition of the Champions League. The Canary Islands outfit ranks second in Group C of the Regular Season, trailing ERA Nymburk. Following a delay due to the coronavirus pandemic, prevailing in a win-or-go-home Game 3 opposite Filou Oostende clinched a berth in the Final Eight. Moving to Athens, Tenerife was knocked out by Casademont Zaragoza in the Quarterfinals.
In 2020-21, with the competition format switching to eight groups of four teams each, Tenerife went from the top seed in Group A to also ranking first in Group J of the Round of 16. Returning to the Final Eight, an overtime loss to SIG Strasbourg marked a second consecutive exit in the Quarterfinals.
With a new name sponsor leading to Lenovo Tenerife, Vidorreta’s side settled in second place in Group A and eliminated Pinar Karsiyaka in a best-of-three Play-In series to advance to the Round of 16 of the 2021-22 season. A perfect 6-0 sprint in Group L was followed by a sweep of Tofas in a best-of-three series. Extending the winning streak into the Final Four in Bilbao, Tenerife defeated Hapoel Holon in the Semifinals and BAXI Manresa in the Final to be crowned champion for the second time.
Looking for more of the same, capturing the top seed in Group H of the Regular Season tipped off the 2022-23 continental campaign. Tenerife also topped Group L in the Round of 16 and eliminated Manresa in the Quarterfinals. Hapoel Jerusalem stopped the defending champions with a narrow in the Semifinals of the Final Four in Malaga.
Last season tipped off with a 4-2 W-L tally in Group C of the Regular Season leading directly to the Round of 16. After securing the top seed in Group K, Tenerife knocked out Tofas in a best-of-three series and took down Peristeri bwin in the Semifinals of the Final Four in Belgrade, but fell to Unicaja in the championship game.
So many wins through these nine years, specifically a total of 106 over 142 BCL showings. Sixty with Shermadini in the lineup.
Photo Credit: FIBA