Luxol and Hibernians are eagerly looking forward to win next Saturday's Bank of Valletta KO final which is being played at the Ta' Qali pavilion.
It is the 'icing on the cake' of a four-match programme which includes three other finals - those for the women, Men's Division II and women's Under 19.
MBA president Paul Sultana said he and the MBA were looking forward to this final which is expected to confirm the improvement of the standards of basketball in Malta.
He revealed that as from next season, each club will be able to field three foreigners as it had been noted that the presence of such foreigners had helped in no small measure towards the overall improvement in the local game.
Peter Perotti, from the Bank of Valletta, said the Bank has always supported major sports - football, basketball and waterpolo - on these islands, but hoped that other businesses would come forward to help as well in the push for the promotion of sport among youths and their families.
He congratulated Luxol and Hibernians for reaching the final and wished them luck for next Saturday.
Luxol coach John Tabone said his club have already been in such a final for 25 times. "We have won 16 of them and we are now looking forward towards another win which will give us a passport for the Super Cup next season and therefore a chance to win a record five Cups," he said.
Tabone said the club is on an unpredictable situation at present, mostly due to the 'flu which has been ongoing before last December. We have had several players missing training. The situation certainly did not help our cause. But we know we still stand a chance of winning the KO. We know we have enough material to challenge Hibernians seriously. But first we have to beat ourselves, then face our rivals on Saturday.
"We have met them three times already this season. We won the Super Cup, but they won the other two matches. They have been more consistent this season but we are expecting a close and tough match," he added.
Asked whether the winner of Saturday's final should be considered favourites to win the League later on, Tabone said that was a completely different matter. "This is a one off match. To win the League, one has to be successful in the best of three play-offs till the very end," he added.
Club president Edgar Caruana Montaldo said the final was very important for the club. "It is an occasion where the commitment from everyone concerned should lead us to victory," he said.
Chad Patus, Hibs' foreign player from Canada, was also optimistic about his team's chances of winning next Saturday.
He said: "It is now my 5th year in Malta. Every game is tough. And we are also expecting next Saturday's game to be a tough one. We are preparing to win the match, but there must also be a good team effort to be successful. It has been a very enjoyable season so far and we hope to continue in that trend."
Caroline Schiavone, a Hibs committee member, said it was the fifth time that the Paolites will be playing in a KO final. "In the previous four, Hibernians had won twice," she stated.
Schiavone added that they were looking forward to keep the Cup at the club, but admitted it all depended on the day, hoping that the team maintains this season's overall good form to clinch it again. "Let's hope it will be a very good match, interesting to watch from start to finish," she said.