By Cesare Milanti / info@eurohoops.net
Reserving his rights in case of an imminent return to Europe, Barcelona demonstrated belief in Rodions Kurucs even when parting ways with him in July 2018.
One month before, he was selected with the 40th pick in the 2018 NBA Draft by the Brooklyn Nets, signing a multi-year deal in the NBA and becoming only the 4th player from Latvia – after Gundars Vetra, Andris Biedrins, Davis Bertans, and Kristaps Porzingis – to play in the best league in the world.
In his first American season, glimpses of the talent who shone all the way from the little Latvian town of Cesis came all out: 8.5 points and 3.9 rebounds per game in 63 overall appearances in the league.
Just like most of his countrymen who made the big jump to the United States, he decided to leave Latvia to grow as a player with the successful Spanish basketball system, making his presence felt in Barcelona’s Academy.
However, when things started to become uncomfortable in the NBA after spending some time in Houston and Milwaukee – until 2021 -, he didn’t return to the ACB, but signed with Partizan Belgrade.
Real Betis and SIG Strasbourg came up next, until last summer: Murcia was the place where to restart. Sito Alonso wanted him to reinforce a strong and well-equipped forward package, and in Game 1 of the Basketball Champions League Quarter-Finals against Ludwigsburg, he delivered like never before.
Answering when needed: an 8/8 that tastes like Final Four
An extra step was asked of everybody on Sito Alonso’s team against one of the surprises of this year’s Basketball Champions League. MHP Riesen Ludwigsburg, as both the team’s head coach Josh King and the German side’s former guard Jonah Radebaugh addresses to Eurohoops, wasn’t an easy guest.
However, things got clear pretty soon in the Spanish city’s Palacio de Los Deportes, as the home side, pushed by a buzzing crowd in the stands, ended the first ten minutes with a 13-point margin (27-14) against one of the best defensive-minded opponents in the competition.
In the second half, nothing really changed, and Sito Alonso’s players could walk home up 1-0 in the best-of-three series looking ahead at this year’s Basketball Champions League Final Four, held in Belgrade’s Stark Arena, where the Latvian forward may have some memories from recent times.
Alongside Marko Todorovic’s 16 points and Troy Caupain’s 14 points and 5 assists, the main contribution came indeed from Rodions Kurucs, who performed a perfect shooting night (8/8 FG and 2/2 FT) for a total of 18 points. Forced to leave the court with five fouls at 4:57 left, applause was all for him.
After the game, Spanish journalist Olga Lorente emphasized Dylan Ennis’ happiness for his 9 assists, despite not contributing hugely scoring-wise, and he couldn’t agree more. “Murcia really changed me as a basketball player for the better”, he said. We guess Rodions Kurucs is also thankful for that.
😎 He wears 00 because 100 is not allowed – @KurucsRodions shot 100% en route to a team-high 18PTS!#BasketballCL #RoadToBelgrade I @UCAMMurcia pic.twitter.com/Yo5QQ7eAaT
— Basketball Champions League (@BasketballCL) April 3, 2024
The Kurucs connection is working fine in UCAM Murcia
Rodions isn’t the only Kurucs family member in Murcia. Making a similar path that brought him from Latvia to Spain in 2015, this time under Baskonia‘s development system, the now-24-year-old Arturs made his jump to UCAM at the beginning of December 2023 after starting the season in Greece.
Failing to deliver at the highest level with the Basque side in the EuroLeague, he tried his chances with Promitheas but ended up returning to Spain. With the Greek team still in the race for the Final Four – they’re down 1-0 against Unicaja -, they may face each other in Belgrade.
It wouldn’t be the only time this season, as Rodions Kurucs already delivered a 15-point losing effort against his brother’s former team in the Round of 16. Arturs didn’t leave his mark in both of the games played against Promitheas and hasn’t been heavily used in Sito Alonso’s rotations.
However, sharing the same locker room as they may have done in their early basketball days in Latvia, can’t give anything but benefits to the Spanish side. At the end of the day, they still managed to be effective together at the 2023 FIBA World Cup, both almost averaging 8.0 points per game.
Waiting for a road trip in Germany that may represent a flying ticket to the Serbian capital in the last weekend of April, Rodions Kurucs is riding off his shooting flow after shooting excellence at home. The Latvian forward is ready to deliver against Ludwigsburg once again in Game 2.
There’s a new Latvian connection in the Basketball Champions League 🇱🇻
The Kurucs brothers will play together with UCAM Murcia, wearing the same club’s jersey for the first time since VEF Riga’s youth system. Rodions has been huge for the team since the start, Arturs will help. pic.twitter.com/7Th9WnEM7f
— Cesare Milanti (@cesaremilanti) December 5, 2023
PHOTO CREDIT: Basketball Champions League