The announcement of Willy’s arrival in Barcelona after Real Madrid did not match the culé offer, only adds to the list of players who have gone through both clubs in recent years. Even though the center comes from the NBA, where he has gone through three teams (New York Knicks, Charlotte Hornets and New Orleans Pelicans), his seasons in the white team have raised controversy. Although Willy’s case is not the only one in history, in an increasingly common practice.
Players from Barca to Madrid
The most white signing recent It was last summer with the arrival of Mario Hezonja. The Croatian forward reached Barcelona to play in “B” and never got to consolidate in the first team. He went to the NBA as number five of the 2015 draft and although on several occasions the return to Barcelona was close to taking place, in the end he ended up arriving at Real Madrid where he won the Euroleague title. Another player who got the title was Adam Hanga. The Hungarian player, already on the Red Star squad, played four seasons at Barca until he went directly to Madrid. Another case is thomas heurtel, the Frenchman had a season between both teams in ASVEL.
Traveling a few years back we found Iannis Bourousis, Barça signed the Greek center for the 2006 playoffs, but his time with the Barça team was testimonial (only three games and eleven minutes on court). In his white stage, although he did not have a great role (5.5 points and 4 rebounds per game), he helped them win 6 official titles. More players with the same movement were the point guard Pepe Sanchez. The Argentine was andThe first from his country to play in the NBA and would end up arriving in Barcelona in 2007-2008. After a rather discreet year, he arrived in Madrid, where he only played 15 games. two players who were partners in both stages were Derrick Alston and Alain Digbeu. His Blaugrana stage with the best memory, raising trophies unlike his following stages. The last four names are Sasha Djordjevic, Michael Hawkins, Zoran Savic and José Luis Galilea. Both Galilea and Hawkins did not put in great performances in any of their stages.
In case of djordjevic It is surely one of the most notorious, after three seasons at Barca (1996-1999) it was not renewed and he went to the main rival where he would lift the League in 2000. In his celebration on the field he left a very remembered image in the history of Spanish basketball. Finally, Savic is the only player to return to Barca after his visit to the capital, leaving a successful step for both clubs.
Players from Madrid to Barca
As in the case of Real Madrid, we find players in the current squad with a white past. The name that first comes to mind because of his polemics is Nikola Mirotic. The signing of him in 2019 did not sit well with the white fans, who have shown it in each visit of the Montenegrin to the Wizink. A partner at this stage is Nicholas Laprovittola who arrived without intermediate movements to Barca where he has been important in the achievement of several titles. Another one that raised a lot of controversy was Ante Tomic. His stage in Barcelona was long enough to become the team captain. A signing with more years of difference between one club and another was that of Maciej Lampe. Testimonial passage through the white team and a decade later he would win a League with the blaugranas.
It was not a direct change, but it was quite famous for the Serbian forward leave bodiroga. Surely the player with the best memory in Barcelona, in the year 2003 won the first Euroleague, adding a triplet at the end of the season. The last name on the list, he was the first player to play for both teams. “piculin” the Puerto Rican center played one season at Real Madrid before making the leap to the NBA. After a season in the US, he would return to Spain, but two seasons against his greatest rival, where won a Copa del Rey and came to the end of one of Europe.