By Alex Molina/ info@eurohoops.net
The quest for continental glory returns to the forefront as AEK prepares a bid to reclaim its throne in the Final Four 2026 of the Basketball Champions League Season X, powered by Ameresco SUNEL.
For the first time in the club’s storied history within this competition, the Queen will compete for the title outside of Athens, taking their legacy to the Olimpic Arena in Badalona. This landmark appearance marks AEK’s fourth Final Four, and the stakes could not be higher as the Greek giants sit on the precipice of securing their 100th victory in the BCL.
Standing in their way is a familiar and formidable foe, the defending back-to-back champions, Unicaja. This second semifinal is a gargantuan clash of titans. While AEK captured the title in 2018, they now face a squad that has reached four consecutive Final Fours, winning the last two.
“We are the underdogs 100%, everybody is going to agree that Unicaja and La Laguna Tenerife are the favorites of this tournament, while we and Rytas are the underdogs. But the Final Four is only one game and a new story. Hopefully, this Final Four can be better than last year,” said Mindaugas Kuzminskas after Thursday’s morning shootaround.
The veteran forward also highlighted the importance of the atmosphere, noting, “I saw that Rytas has a lot of fans, and I hear that a lot of fans from Athens will come. They might not come in the Regular Season, but in the most important games are together with us. They are the sixth player, and hopefully they can fill this arena.”
Analyzing the opposition, Kuzminskas observed that “Unicaja has a lot of losses from last year, but they kept the core of the team, with the same coach. In the last three years, they have won five titles, which is super stable. They have weaker players in defense.”
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To break a three-game losing streak to Unicaja and advance to Saturday’s championship game, head coach Dragan Sakota will rely heavily on Frank Bartley IV, who enters averaging 18.5 points per game. “That was the plan from the beginning, to get here. Now, we’re finally here and ready to play,” the 32-year-old guard told Eurohoops’ Kostas Paraskevopoulos on Wednesday.