The people of Vitoria, now rivals of UCAM, have had to overcome Henry’s controversial departure this week, but they come from beating Efes
If there is a team that plays better basketball than Baskonia’s, they will have to discuss it with the Basque team. After a more than questionable last season, the ‘Baskonia character’, perhaps the most timeless motto associated with a team in our basketball, is back. In a year of few surprises in the Endesa League and the Euroleague, the return of the most competitive and successful Baskonia, with signature basketball and with great results, is excellent news for basketball fans, someone who respects and admires that the basket is the king’s sport in the capital of Euskadi.
And it is that club and coach seemed to be made for each other. Joan Peñarroya is largely responsible for Baskonia being back in the cup after 21 games as top seed and in ‘playoff’ positions in the Euroleague.
Team with the highest scorer and three-pointer in the Endesa League and the Euroleague, the role played by the blaugrana UCAM during Sito’s visit to Vitoria (102-73) is still fresh in the memory. At the time, Baskonia was surfing at its highest form in the season, one in which they became leaders of the top continental league. However, the deep team of Peñarroya, full of players who are going through an exceptional moment in their careers (Howard, Thompson, Costello, Giedraitis, etc.), do not go through a state of complete happiness.
That same week, he confirmed the temporary suspension of the charismatic Pierriá Henry, a fraught case involving an anti-doping test involving procedural irregularities and the revocation of his player’s license by FIBA. Solution came after a defeat last week in the Endesa League and four in a row in the Euroleague, where they won again this Friday against Efes, the current champions and rivals for the playoffs, in a match with extra time (114-111) .
For what will be the first match of the second round, and the first match in Murcia after the death of José Luis Mendoza, the Palacio expects a full house on an afternoon in which tributes to the founder of the UCAM will succeed one another, and for a deal where Sito Alonso continues without being able to count on Jordan Sakho.
Source: La Verdad
I am Shawn Partain, a journalist and content creator working for the Today Times Live. I specialize in sports journalism, writing articles that cover major sporting events and news stories. With a passion for storytelling and an eye for detail, I strive to be accurate and insightful in my work.
