By Alex Molina/ amolina@eurohoops.net
Joventut Badalona’s arrival to Basketball Champions League could hardly have been more emphatic.
Seven games into their first BCL campaign after several EuroCup seasons and even some Euroleague experiences, the historic Catalan club is not just winning: it is rewriting the standards for a debut season.
With their latest victory against Elan Chalon, Joventut became only the second team in Basketball Champions League history to win their first seven games, a feat previously achieved solely by championship-winning Virtus Bologna in the 2018/19 season.
But while that statistic alone places them in elite company, the way those victories arrived makes their run even more remarkable.
After seven games, Joventut holds a staggering +108 point differential, the highest ever recorded by any team at this stage of the competition. Numbers like these underline a team that has combined consistency with dominance.
Thanks to all-time greats like Ante Tomic, Ricky Rubio and Adam Hanga, Joventut have not relied on narrow escapes or late-game heroics. Instead, they have imposed themselves from tip-off to final buzzer, building commanding leads and maintaining them with discipline on both ends of the floor, allowing Dani Miret’s side to stay undefeated in almost unbeatable fashion.
Their offensive firepower was on full display in their most recent home performance against Elan Chalon, when they poured in 107 points, their highest scoring output so far in the BCL… that allowed the verdinegre team to make history once again: Joventut became the first team ever to score 90 or more points in each of their first four home games in the competition.
The Palau Olímpic, which will hold this season’s Final Four, has quickly become one of the most intimidating arenas in the league. As the matchdays go by, the team continues to establish itself as one of the main contenders, and the question is clear: can they finish their debut season with a triumph at home, in front of their own fans?