By Aris Barkas/ barkas@eurohoops.net
In the past, you may have not heard a lot of things about Telenet Giants Antwerp.
They made headlines for the wrong reason during the attack at the Brussels airport, when they were competing in the FIBA Europe Cup, and last year they signed former Olympiacos and Real Madrid forward — and also an all-around great guy – Tremmel Darden.
This year they started the Basketball Champions League season from the qualifying rounds. The same happened with their quarterfinal opponents, Nizhny Novgorod, but the story of Antwerp is different. This is a young team that already made history, has found a true leader on the face of Paris Lee and while the Russians are competing in one of the best domestic leagues in Europe, the VTB United League, Antwerp is trying to get respectability around Europe not only for them, but also for Belgian basketball.
Antwerp not only has a young roster, but they are also a young club which was founded back in 1995 by the merger of Sobabee and Racing Mechelen and was revamped with a name change from “Racing” to “Giants” just in 2005. And despite having already won a Belgian league championship in 2000, three domestic Cups in 2000, 2007 and this year and also two Belgian Supercups in 2007 and 2016, they are still on the shadow of traditional powerhouses Oostende and Spirou Charleroi.
Oostende and Spirou are well-known names around Europe, but their success was not enough in order to create interest for the Belgian “EuroMillions Basketball League” outside the countries borders.
Can this change by Antwerp’s run? It’s doubtful. But the league can also get recognition for having a team competing for the BCL title and Antwerp is bringing to the country the biggest success they that had on a continental level for quite some time.
Oddly enough Antwerp holds the attendance record for a basketball game in Belgium, with 17,135 spectators, on 31 January 2015, during their game against Spirou Charleroi, in the Sportpaleis. So, it’s obvious that something bigger can be built by them and reflect also on the country’s sports scene.
What’s certain is that this week the 5.000 seats Lotto Arena will be full and Antwerp which has a 15 points road win under their belt, can feel kind of safe, as BCL history proves.
And if they get to the Final Four, then they will be the definition of a Cinderella, which will not be only dangerous for other opponents, but also a treat for Belgian basketball.