By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
Shortly after celebrating his 42nd birthday, Marcelinho Huertas was named the Most Valuable Player of the 2024-25 Liga Endesa Regular Season.
The league announced the winner of the annual MVP Movistar award on Tuesday evening, two days after the experienced floor general became 42.
Preparing for an interview in a theater at San Cristobal de La Laguna, he was surprised from behind the curtain with MVP chants from teammates and fans. The emotional moments culminated in his family delivering the trophy.
During the ongoing ACB journey with La Laguna Tenerife, Huertas tallied 14.3 points, 7.2 assists, 2.2 rebounds, and 0.5 steals per contest over 32 appearances. His side is set to also compete in the Playoffs as the second or third seed.
With coaches, players, media, and fans sharing an equal 25%, the Brazilian floor general gathered a total of 104.6 points. He was the most popular pick for coaches and players, while ranking third on votes from fans and media.
Fan favorite Ante Tomic of Joventut Badalona followed with 94 points. First among media votes, Jean Montero of Valencia ranked third with 85.4 points.
His sixth year with Tenerife extended from domestic competitions in Spain to the Basketball Champions League. Producing a back-to-back MVP campaign, put up 15.9 points and 6.6 assists per contest, helping the team coached by Txus Vidorreta reach the Final Four powered by Sunel, but his side settled in fourth place in Athens.
Between 2015 and 2017, the Sao Paulo native extended a lengthy career into the NBA, playing in 76 games with the Los Angeles Lakers.
Photo Credit: FIBA