By Giorgos Orfanakis / info@eurohoops.net
The Spaniards count 9 EuroLeague trophies, more than any other team, but only two of those (1995, 2015) have come in the era when the champions emerge through a Final Four, that is, from 1988 until today.
Pablo Laso and his players want to celebrate another win and follow up on their excellent performances in recent years that rightfully place Real in the elite of European basketball.
Athens 1993: 4th place
The Real Madrid team of the one and only Arvydas Sabonis travelled to Athens with the aim of winning the trophy, but they came up against the subsequent champions Limoges, and as a result they were knocked out in the semifinal (62-52). The Lithuanian center’s double-double (19 points, 10 rebounds) wasn’t enough to prevent defeat since the hard game and the defense of the French made the difference.
Two days later, the Spaniards were defeated again by PAOK (76-70) and finished fourth in a Final Four that left them a bitter taste.
In the third place game, Sabonis (14 points, 18 rebounds) was once again the one who stood out for Real but PAOK, with Barlow (20 points) their top player, won the… consolation game in front of the Greek audience.