By Eurohoops Team/ info@eurohoops.net
The Head coaches of the Basketball Champions League Final Four participants—Galatasaray, Tenerife, Unicaja, and AEK Athens—agreed during the official press conference ahead of the tournament that the upcoming event in Athens will be unique.
Not only have the four teams participating won the trophy four times, Tenerrife twice, and the duo of Unicaja and AEK once, but they seem to be part of the discussion of the future of European basketball, which includes the NBA plans.
Galatasaray’s tactician, Yakup Sekizkök, shared the high ambitions of his club.
“We are really proud to be here. At the beginning of the season, our goal was to qualify for the Final Four. We did a good job and played well in key games. Now we are here for the first time, and we know we’re up against very experienced teams, strong rosters, and top-level coaches—we respect them all. But this is the right time for us to set higher goals and aim for the title. As a team and as a club, we believe we have the strength to go all the way, and we’ll give our best.”
He already experienced winning the EuroLeague and EuroCup as an assistant coach, but now has a chance to lift international silverware as a head coach.
“I’m always motivated—in every final I’ve been part of as a member of the coaching staff, my motivation has been the same. Even as an assistant, I felt responsible and prepared like a head coach. I don’t feel any difference in this tournament. Of course, my colleagues have more experience than me—that’s a fact. I respect them, they’re good friends, but it’s the players who play on the court, and I trust my players to get the job done.”
Sekizkök confirmed that Rob Gray and Can Korkmaz won’t be able to help the team.
“Can Korkmaz and Rob Gray are here, but they won’t be able to play.”
The head coach of Galatasaray also touched on the club’s future and the NBA European League.
“For the upcoming season, it’s more of an administrative matter, but we hope to be part of the new league. FIBA is organizing it, and it might start in two or three years. We’re following the process closely. As a solid member of the BCL, Galatasaray is ready to participate in this newly established league, supported by both FIBA and the NBA.”
Galatasaray is set to face a BCL powerhouse in the semifinals—Tenerife. Coach Txus Vidorreta emphasized that past success is not relevant at this stage of the tournament.
“When you’re here, you’re not thinking about legacy—you’re focused on this Final Four, this title, and the next opponent. Galatasaray is a great team with a great coach. If we start thinking too far ahead, we’re making a mistake. We have to go step by step. Of course, I’m very happy to be here again.”
And when asked about the fact that this might be the biggest and most competitive Final Four, he agreed, even if he added an asterisk: “The level of play in the competition and especially in the Final Four was always high, and of course, there are improvements every year. For example, in the first-ever Final Four, we had Monaco, which is now in the EuroLeague Final Four, and Venezia, which won the Italian league that year. However, considering that this year we have clubs that have won the trophy four times already, I agree”.
In the other semifinal, AEK Athens, the hosts, will face defending champions Unicaja Málaga.
Coach Dragan Šakota brought the Greek club back to the Final Four, having led it to the title back in 2018.
“I believe that everybody knows about my relationship with AEK, which goes back a long way. I first came to this club in 2001. In the last couple of years, the club struggled, and the president convinced me to come back and help rebuild the team. Our goal was to reach the Final Four. We tried to play a recognizable style of basketball, and as the games went on, we played better and better. Reaching the Final Four wasn’t necessarily our goal from the start, but we’re happy to be part of it once again.”
He spoke about AEK being the underdogs.
“Participating in a competition like this, with two games in a short span, is not like playing in a league, where the team that finishes first is clearly the best. The Final Four is about momentum. Many things are unpredictable. I believe everyone has a chance, but if you have to name a favorite, it’s the team that won last time and had the kind of season they did. Our fans might want to hear something else, but they’ve won five trophies, they’re the highest-scoring team, they’ve had 18 straight wins, and set other records. We’re facing an unbelievably good team. When we started this season, my goal was for us to one day become what Málaga is today.”
Unicaja’s play-caller, Ibon Navarro, admitted that he felt more pressure last season in Belgrade than he feels now in Athens ahead of the Final Four.
“We felt more pressure last season in Belgrade because of the disappointment we experienced in Málaga. We felt like we had to win the trophy. That pressure was real. But sometimes, when you win a title, it gives you calm and a different mindset going into these types of tournaments. You know how to prepare—especially for the first game—and how to approach it in the best possible way.”
About the future of European basketball
The coaches were also asked about how they see European basketball evolving in the years to come. Navarro touched on the issue of talented players leaving Europe for the NCAA.
“It’s not easy to predict what lies ahead, especially with so many young players leaving Europe for the NCAA. In the next five years, how many under-23 players will we still have in our competitions? It’s hard to say where European basketball is heading without those young talents.”
Vidorreta believes not much has changed and insists on preserving the essence of European basketball.
“I’m not the best at making predictions. I think European basketball has kept its essence—we’re still playing more or less the same way. The EuroLeague is similar to how it was in the past. We’ve changed some things in the ACB, where there’s been a lot of talk about the number of shot attempts and offensive rebounds. And in that regard, we are in the best shape we’ve ever been.”
Coach Sekizkök believes that the game will speed up, looking toward the NBA for inspiration.
“The game is going to be faster and more physical. What the ACB did has shown us that quicker games, more scoring, and more possessions, due to new inbounding rules, make the game more exciting. I’m not a huge fan of those changes, but they do bring a new level of enjoyment. As I see it, we are moving closer to the NBA, and the NBA is also moving toward us in terms of playing style and the impact of European players. In five to ten years, I expect a faster pace, higher scores, and more perimeter shot attempts and makes.”