By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
Capping off an 11-game winning streak, Lenovo Tenerife was lifted the Basketball Champions League trophy in Bilbao on 8 May.
Brazilian floor general Marcelo Huertas was named MVP of the Final Four. Guided by hometown head coach Txus Vidorreta, the Canary Islands club got the job done by defeating Hapoel U-NET Holon in the Semifinals and ACB rival Baxi Manresa in the Final. MHP Riesen Ludwigsburg ranked third after beating the Israeli outlet in the third-place game.
Looking back to the four-team tournament, from the official photoshoots of the four finalists in FIBA’s top European club continental competition to exclusive angles on the game action, behind-the-scenes footage, fans in and outside Bilbao Arena, and much more, here is the Final Four Mini-Movie.
Enjoy…
Starting back in mid-September, 24 teams were split into four Qualification Groups held in four separate venues to confirm the last four teams entering the Regular Season. The 32 regular-season sides were split into eight groups with the group winners reaching the Round of 16 and the middle-seeded teams getting a second chance in a Play-In best-of-three series, a solid addition to the competition format. From the second round-robin group stage to the Quarterfinals’ best-of-three series. The season-ending Final Four was hosted in a neutral venue for the first time.
At the end of the day, Tenerife became the second two-time champion following Hereda San Pablo Burgos winning both the 2019-20 and 2020-21 editions. Virtus Segafredo Bologna went all the way in 2018-19 and AEK captured the title in 2017-18.
Stay tuned for the 2022-23 season, the seventh in competition history.
Photo Credit: Basketball Champions League