By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
La Laguna Tenerife’s Giorgi Shermadini collected the Most Valuable Player award for the Quarterfinals of the Basketball Champions League Season X, powered by Ameresco SUNEL.
After being named to the Team of the Quarterfinals on Thursday, the 37-year-old Georgian center went on to get the MVP nod, the league officially confirmed on Friday.
Per the press release: “Back in 2019, a 30-year-old Giorgi Shermadini joined La Laguna Tenerife. Fast forward to Season X of the Basketball Champions League, powered by Ameresco SUNEL, and he’s more efficient than ever.
After putting up 14 points on 5-of-7 shooting in Game 1 of the Quarter-Finals against Galatasaray MCT Technic, the Georgian giant had 12 points in Game 2, but could not stop Gala from tying the series.
With the season on the line in a do-or-die Game 3, Shermadini decided it was time to write his name in BCL history books once again.
La Laguna Tenerife defeated Galatasaray 99-59 thanks to his 20 points and 14 rebounds. By playing just 19 minutes, he became the first BCL player to get a 20-10 double-double in less than 20 minutes of action.
Tenerife were a +38 team with him on the floor, and his efficiency rating of 35 was easily the highest mark of the entire Quarter-Finals.
Naming him the Most Valuable Player of the Quarter-Finals was an easy call.
“Gio was obviously a great player and played at the highest levels in Europe before he came to Tenerife,” teammate Tim Abromaitis praised the big guy.
“But he has been incredible since day one here, and fits perfectly with the team and the system, so I’m not surprised at all that he’s still doing it at such a high level.”
Imagine telling somebody in 2019 that Marcelinho Huertas and Giorgi Shermadini would still be unstoppable in 2026.
“But it’s amazing to see the way he’s able to still dominate and give so much to our team year after year. He’s proven once again his effectiveness, ability to put up big numbers in big occasions.”
Shermadini’s numbers have not been that impressive through the season, as he scored a total of 31 points in the entire Round of 16.
However, when it got serious, something clicked and Shermadini turned into the MVP.
“I don’t think anything changed for us or him, but great players step up in the biggest games and that’s exactly what he did for us,” Abromaitis explained, and Huertas agrees:
“Nothing has changed, he’s done this consistently over the years, except when he’s had injuries and we know how much we can rely on him and his productivity. We got used to that after so many years, it just became the normality. We must feel appreciation, it’s not easy to perform like that over and over again for so many years consecutively,” the Brazilian point god loves playing with the Sherminator.
Up next for Gio and Tenerife, another Final Four, their fifth in a row.
He already has one BCL title from 2022. Rytas Vilnius stand in his way in the Semi-Finals now, with the winner facing either Unicaja or AEK BC in the championship game in Badalona, on May 9.”