By Aris Barkas/ barkas@eurohoops.net
Nobody expected that Samokov, a small rural city in Bulgaria of 26.425 inhabitants would be one of the hotbeds of European basketball this season. After all, it’s cold in Samokov, which is just 60 kilometers away from Sofia and it’s known mostly because it’s just next to Borovets, one of the oldest ski resorts in the Balkans.
However, Samokov and its 2.000 seats gym will become a marquee destination for the BKT EuroCup since Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv will use it as its home court.
And this is also something that nobody expected on any level.
Not moving away from Israel for the home games due to the situation in the country, but Hapoel Tel Aviv, a solid EuroCup team the past few seasons, turned into a EuroLeague candidate overnight.
A team that was bankrupted 18 years ago, suddenly has the money to get talent like Pat Beverley – the biggest contract in Europe outside the EuroLeague – and former EuroLeague standouts Johnathan Motley and Bruno Caboclo.
At a recent press conference, owner Ofer Yannay admitted that he decided to double the budget of the team from 8.5 million euros last season to 17+ this year, throwing the gauntlet to Israeli powerhouse Maccabi Tel Aviv.
While winning in domestic competitions is also important, a key goal for the season to be considered successful would be for Hapoel Tel Aviv to win the EuroCup and get a spot in next season’s EuroLeague.
The bar is set high and in the upcoming EuroCup Power Rankings, there’s no denying that Hapoel on paper surpasses even EuroLeague regular Valencia.
Greek coach Stefanos Dedas, who also has EuroLeague experience as an assistant under Dimitris Itoudis in Fenerbahce, and the club will face their biggest challenge yet.
The frontline is admirable, the roster is loaded, Pat Beverley is an attraction on and off the court, and no matter what, this is going to be a season to remember.