By Antonis Stroggylakis/ info@eurohoops.net
In the latest installment of Final Four Stories by Stoiximan, 36-year-old Cory Higgins revisited CSKA’s storied 2019 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague championship run in Vitoria-Gasteiz.
The Moscow outfit secured their eighth European title by defeating Anadolu Efes in the championship game at the Fernando Buesa Arena, following a hard-fought victory over Real Madrid in the Semifinals. While Will Clyburn delivered a stellar performance throughout the weekend and was named Most Valuable Player of the Final Four, Higgins proved indispensable in the final, bouncing back from a difficult shooting night to score 20 points. Looking back on his personal mindset, the California native admitted that being left off the All-EuroLeague teams served as a double-edged sword.
“Obviously, that was part of my motivation. And if I’m being completely candid, that’s probably why I went one for nine in the Semifinals, because I was too angry and too motivated,” he revealed. “And bringing it back to worrying about something that was out of my control. So, that just ties into what my identity is, and I almost let myself shift out of that because I was worrying about something that has nothing to do with me.”
Despite the initial frustration, Higgins found his rhythm when it mattered most. He attributed his longevity and success to a focus on the fundamentals rather than just scoring. “For me and my team, I believe the scoring was an added bonus, but it was more so that they knew what they were going to get as far as the effort, discipline, and IQ standpoint,” he told Eurohoops.
The 2019 CSKA squad was defined by its internal accountability and veteran leadership. Higgins specifically recalled a pivotal midseason moment led by Nando de Colo that shifted the team’s perspective. “We had a midseason speech, I remember, and Nando made a point like how many people have just one EuroLeague? Like there’s a big step between one and two,” he recalled.
He additionally emphasized that the roster’s depth of character was what made the group special. “The beauty about this team, there were so many different leaders in their own specific ways,” he noted.
Beyond the tactical and leadership elements, a sentimental touch from the organization helped seal the championship mindset. “Before the championship game, they made a beautiful video collage of all of our mothers, motivating us and cheering us on,” Higgins remembered. “And I think that that tugged on the right heartstrings right before the final as well.”