This week’s column will concentrate on Spain, mainly the country’s main basketball league, the ACB, which is regarded by many (including myself) as the top European national league.
Basketball enthusiasts might have caught a glimpse or two of this year’s ACB campaign, especially the very competitive play-offs played in the last weeks.
The league came to a close earlier this week with Real Madrid winning the Play-Offs 2007 finals series against rivals Barcelona 3-1 with the fourth, and eventually last game, played in the Palau Blaugrana in Barcelona, steps away from the Camp Nou.
I managed to see all the play-off games in the semi-final and final stages and could easily say that the competition was intense and a joy to watch.
Football followers can easily relate to the names of Real Madrid and Barcelona but, in actual fact, these two clubs are large institutions in Spain. It is also a researched fact that basketball is going through a large boom in the country following the big success in the World championships, reflected also by the big TV audience share for the Play-Off finals.
Real Madrid ousted Pamesa Valencia in the quarter-final stage and then beat Joventut Badalona in the semi-final which went down to the fifth and decisive game.
These two opponents, together with the beaten finalists Barcelona, are without a doubt three basketball powerhouses, not only in Spain but in the European sphere.
The basketball league triumph came just one week after Real Madrid also won the Spanish football La Liga title. Incidentally enough, this was the 30th league title both for the football and basketball side. Thus 2007 constituted what the Spaniards call a League Double, Real Madrid’s first since the 1985/86 season.
This year was also Real Madrid basketball section’s 75th anniversary – three quarters of a century practically filled with triumphs that have made the club one of the most successful basketball sides in Europe.
This anniversary year was somewhat special as Real (known also as the Merengues) not only won the ACB championship, but also the ULEB Cup (which gave them, before the start of the play-offs, an automatic place in next year’s Euroleague) and earlier on in the season reached the final of the King’s Cup.
In total Real have now won 16 more championship titles than their rivals Barcelona who are the second most successful club in Spain. Madrid have also won the King’s Cup twenty-two times, the European Champions Cup eight times, the Cup Winners’ Cup four times and the Korac Cup once.
Real were guided by coach Joan Plaza who was not much known before he joined Real. Many experts were doubtful whether the Real Madrid administration had opted for a good choice.
Yet, at the end of this season, many experts (according to www.realmadrid.com) now believe that Plaza’s Real team has demonstrated great spirit and values similar to the golden age of the club. Values such as compromise, determination, humbleness, the quality of the whole squad and the will to play as a team made Real stand out.
In the regular league, Real held on to the top spot until the very last day.
Real Madrid closed the season with 55 wins from 73 games (since 5th September 2006), with an astounding winning percentage of 75%.
The Play-off Finals got off with Real opening a two game lead but Barcelona fought back in game three to make it a 2-1 series.
Game four was in Barcelona but Real were backed by many members of the ever-loyal and vociferous Berserkers fan club.
Madrid quickly took the lead and although Barcelona initially fought back and went ahead for the only time at 17-16 in the first period, Real quickly regained their composure and were 47-31 at half time.The start of the fourth period saw Real leading 64-50. Barcelona put in their final effort and reduced the points’ deficit to just four points with a minute to go.
The home crowd was urging their team but 3-pointers from Raul Lopez and Turk Kerem Turceri silenced the stands as Real made sure of the title.
Once game four was over, celebrations started in Real’s away team dressing room.
The Real contingent quickly left for Barcelona’s El Prat airport to catch the last daily plane to Madrid where they were greeted by hundreds of fans. Thousands joined them in the streets of the Spanish capital.
Real’s team captain, Felipe Reyes won the Final’s Most Valuable Player award. He averaged 16.5 points (28 on 48 attempts for 58% and 10 from 17 free shots) and 6.5 rebounds per game in the finals series.
Reyes was in fact the finals’ top scorer and the second best rebounder (after his team-mate Belgian Axel Hervelle).
All in all, this has been a great year for the Real Madrid club. The basketball team now will surely have a definite goal to aim to next season, winning the Euroleague, especially as next year’s Final Four will be played in Madrid itself.