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.
Zaragoza 1995: 1st place
Real Madrid’s payback for the lost semifinal of 1993 came two years later, playing against Limoges! The protagonist for the Spaniards was once again Arvydas Sabonis, who – with 21 points and 9 rebounds – shined for his team and sent them to the big final by winning 62-49.
In this particular Final Four, Zeljko Obradovic’s Real Madrid was made to celebrate the title and they proved it in an emphatic way in the final against Olympiacos! The strong start, the bad percentages of the Red-and-whites, and the quality of Arlauckas (16 points, 4 rebounds) and Sabonis (23 points, 7 rebounds), made the difference and, as a result, the Whites were the champions when the game expired (73-61).
Real were now at the top for the first time after the 1979-80 season and, as is natural, this particular success was wildly celebrated, when this was the club’s eighth European title in total.