The Cup is to see who of the two greats prevails in the race to dominate the list of winners, that fight remains unchanged (Madrid, 28 titles; Barça, 27); but also, and we had forgotten, it is the tournament of the giant killers, of the dreamers. And in Badalona, almost a decade and a half later, we have relived that passion of someone facing the opportunity of a lifetime.
Unicaja has charged the two football clubs in 48 hourssomething that had never happened in the modern final phase. It would be necessary to go back 70 years, to 1953, when the League did not exist, to see another precedent (Joventut did it). So this Sunday, in a packed Palau Olímpic in Badalona, like when he played the dream team original, the one from 1992, We will see a final without the classics, without Madrid, without Barça and… without Joventut, the only club next to the merengue that has played in all the Leagues. That has rarely happened, and we haven’t seen it since 2009, when Baskonia was crowned in Madrid after extra time by the grace of Pete Mickeal against Unicaja, once again a protagonist this afternoon in his desire to increase his showcase of national trophies: a League in 2006, a Cup in 2005 and… let’s see.
Opposite, Lenovo Tenerife, “a great team” in the quarterfinals in the Canarian derby and an agonizing sufferer in the semifinal against Joventut. In an a priori prior to the Cup, he was a favorite ahead of Malaga for being seeded, now, on the other hand, Unicaja is at his level after chaining two feats. Perhaps it accuses them physically, although Lenovo’s path has been similarly hard and its staff is more veteran. There are Huertas and Shermadini, with Jaime Fernández and Fitipaldo, to play the block and follow-through like no other team. First national final in its history after linking five cup semifinals in six years and celebrating two FIBA Champions and three Intercontinental since 2017.
Ibon Navarro has registered with Perry, Alberto Díaz, Brizuela, Kalinoski, Osetkowski, Kravish… A block in a mission, but it will crash in tactical battle with Txus Vidorretawhich also carries an A. A unique final, that’s for sure.