The emotional embrace between Alberto Diaz and Dario Brizuelajust finish the cup finaltransports us to last Eurobasket to remind us that miracles exist in sports, thanks to guys like them. Nobody was betting five months ago on the success of the Selection in Berlinbut a united group, turned into a family, and directed by a genius on the bench, Sergio Scariolo, managed to touch the sky. The title won this Sunday by the Unicaja of Malaga looks pretty much like that. This time the genius is called Ibon Navarro, the technical manager of leading the Andalusian team to the top against stronger squads. Unicaja has not only won the King’s Cupwhich the club had hosted only once in their showcases, in 2005precisely with Scariolo as coach and with Jorge Garbajosa on the pitch; but that she has done it heroically, with two consecutive victories against Barcelona and Real Madrida milestone that no one had achieved in the CBA eraand whose precedent dates back to the distant 1953.
The victory before Tenerife, also a meritorious finalistput the climax to one of the most beautiful stories of recent basketball. As the Eurobasket had been. The redhead DÃaz is a talisman. At the orders of the magician Ibon was the strength of the group. Brizuela’s statement in the middle of the celebration he reveals the secret: “In my life I have been in a team where people love each other so much.” This has served for this Unicaja to have assembled ten new playersso that it has overcome important absences and notable setbacks… When a team is a family, and turns its destiny into solidarity and faith, every dream is within reach. That’s why Malaga dreams again… And the ACB Cupafter 13 years of domination of the Barcelona and Madrid, recovers the essence that made it great. It had to be in Badalona, ​​a cradle of basketballwhere the Cup has returned to be magical.