By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
Following Kalev/Cramo, Enea Zastal BC Zielona Gora also decided to leave the VTB United League.
Per the press release: “We would like to thank the VTB United League for exceptional three years of sports competition at the highest level. At present, however, there are more important things than basketball. We stand against violence and war. We suspend our participation in the competition.”
The 2021-22 VTB Regular Season was launched according to the initial schedule with teams from Kazakhstan and Belarus completing the Russian-based 12-team field, besides the departing teams based in Estonia and Poland. The league practically functioning as Russia’s top-tier division has welcomed multiple teams from abroad over the years.
Zielona Gora added the VTB to the list of annual competitions before the 2018-19 season. The team debuted finishing 12th out of 14 teams, went on to rank 7th out of 13 teams when the 2019-20 campaign was abandoned due to the coronavirus pandemic, and carrying a 2-11 record was last in the ongoing season.
The Tallinn outfit was part of the inaugural 2009-10 season and since constantly represented Estonia in the VTB. The lengthy run was highlighted by making the 2019 Playoffs. At 3-10 this year, it was sitting tenth until opting to move on due to the Russian war against Ukraine.
Russian Avtodor Saratov, CSKA Moscow, Enisey Krasnoyarsk, Lokomotiv Kuban Krasnodar, Nizhny Novgorod, Parm Perm, UNICS Kazan, and Zenit Saint Petersburg along with Kazakh team Astana and Belarusian side Tsmoki-Minsk are the ten teams remaining active in the VTB.
Photo Credit: VTB-League.com