Echoes of the Final Four: "On a day like this, basketball won"
BILBAO (Spain) - The Final Four in Bilbao was the first one organized in a neutral venue in the history of the Basketball Champions League. It proved to be a success, with unique atmosphere throughout the whole last week.
Fans from Spain, Germany and Israel made their trip to the north of Spain, with official numbers saying Bilbao Arena saw more than eight thousand people in the Final. It was the third most watched Final in BCL history, placing behind Athens in 2018 (17,984) and Antwerp in 2019 (16,347).
🤩 8,157 🤩
— Basketball Champions League (@BasketballCL) May 8, 2022
Thank you @BilbaoArena!#BasketballCL #FinalFour pic.twitter.com/RpcBcveweO
En un día como hoy, ganaba el baloncesto 🇪🇸
— Baloncesto España (@BaloncestoESP) May 8, 2022
Enhorabuena @CB1939Canarias por vuestro triunfo en la #FinalFour de la @BasketballCL y a @BasquetManresa por un gran campeonato en un abarrotado Bilbao Arena 🏆#SomosEquipo pic.twitter.com/5rbpovQKPP
IT’S 🔥 FOR THE FINAL OF THE @BasketballCL! #FinalFour #OTBCL pic.twitter.com/QtibzyQXAw
— Cesare Milanti (@cesaremilanti) May 8, 2022
Around the city, it felt like there were even more fans than in the arena, especially when it comes to Hapoel U-NET Holon and BAXI Manresa fans. They enjoyed the weekend in the Fan Zone in downtown Bilbao, played some basketball over there, got a chance to measure up to the Final Four players.
We see you @HapoelHolonBC pic.twitter.com/3hAoxNpXKo
— Igor Curkovic (@IgorCurkovic) May 6, 2022
La afición de BAXI Manresa en Bilbao 😍 pic.twitter.com/IkOmd5N15Z
— Bilbao Arena (@BilbaoArena) May 8, 2022
.@HapoelHolonBC pic.twitter.com/yVzkPyQQO3
— Ennio Terrasi Borghesan (@ennioterbo) May 9, 2022
As Lenovo Tenerife picked up their second BCL title, there were wild celebrations inside the arena, fair play from the BAXI Manresa players, coaches and fans, and a wide array of congratulations coming from all over the world. Not just to Tenerife, but also to Manresa, for great sportsmanship of their team and their fans.
Coach Pedro Martinez however hoped he would be back in a title game against a team from any other country in Europe. His only continental cup came back in 1990 when he defeated Scavolini Pesaro with Joventut Badalona, and the three defeats in title games all came against Spanish clubs.
That's a champions press conference #BasketballCLpic.twitter.com/eoockhpvcT
— Eurohoops (@Eurohoopsnet) May 8, 2022
Congrats to @CB1939Canarias. They were the better team tonight. Still, we had a hell of a season and I’m so proud to be a part of this team. #SOMHIRESA
— Chima Moneke (@Chimdogg_) May 8, 2022
✨Instantes para la historia del @CB1939Canarias pic.twitter.com/ZXOfzunlVE
— Gigantes del Basket (@GIGANTESbasket) May 9, 2022
Esto es Baloncesto.
— David Sardinero (@davidsardinero) May 8, 2022
Casi 5.000 aficionados del @BasquetManresa, coreando el nombre del Tenerife, el equipo ante el que acaban de perder una final europea, reconociendo su victoria.
Precioso momento en la @BasketballCL pic.twitter.com/T0d6WwxLYL
Por comentar: he jugado cuatro finales competiciones europeas (en 32 años). Tres perdidas. Las tres contra equipos ACB. Contra Penya, Unicaja y Tenerife. A ver si la próxima, si la hay, es contra un equipo de otro sitio, joder.
— Pedro Martínez (@pedroma2014) May 9, 2022
Enhorabuena al Lenovo Tenerife y a toda su afición por el segundo título de la #BasketballCL 👍
— Pau Gasol (@paugasol) May 8, 2022
Enhorabuena campeones!! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻@CB1939Canarias https://t.co/bHqvXyIJY5
— Sergio Rodriguez (@SergioRodriguez) May 9, 2022
Heu firmat una competició espectacular, podeu estar molt orgullosos 👏
— Pau Gasol (@paugasol) May 8, 2022
🏆 𝐂𝐀𝐌𝐏𝐄𝐎𝐍𝐄𝐒 🏆
— Liga Endesa (@ACBCOM) May 8, 2022
📸 @BasketballCL | Lenovo Tenerife @CB1939Canarias pic.twitter.com/pXetfRFwIr
Congrats again to everyone! Well deserved 🏆 💛 🖤 https://t.co/GUCunzcjmh
— Julian Gamble (@TheRealJG45) May 8, 2022
Felicitaciones @CB1939Canarias!!! La🏆 vuelve a casa🌋 . Merecido logro tras tantos años de esfuerzo y trabajo. Ahora a disfrutarlo. 🙌🏻 🎉 🥳 https://t.co/wOV4RzzFo6
— Nicolás Richotti (@nico_rchtt) May 8, 2022
SUBIDÓN! @CB1939Canarias
— Iván Méndez [#SpanishÑBA] (@IvAnJoRdAn1980) May 8, 2022
💛🖤 #VamosCanarias #FinalFour #BasketballCL 🏆 pic.twitter.com/vryTBru0s7
2 - @CB1939Canarias ha igualado a @SanPabloBurgos como el equipo que más Champions League de baloncesto cuenta en la competición (dos cada uno), que son el 66% (cuatro de seis) de todas las ediciones que se han disputado. Campeones#BasketballCL#VamosCanarias 🍌 pic.twitter.com/VAirlaloy0
— OptaJuan (@OptaJuan) May 9, 2022
Champion at EVERY level. High school, college, and now professional. Just putting that out there! 🗣🏆 Taking a moment to enjoy this one!
— Kyle Wiltjer (@kwiltj) May 8, 2022
Overall, the sentence that basketball won over the weekend seems like the most accurate one. For us within the organization, Monday, May 9 marked the start of preparations for the 2022-23 season. The goal remains the same as ever, make it better than the last one.
BCL was amazing this year, hats off to everyone responsible. This was by far the best F4 so far in terms of basketball quality, that was some great coaching throughout the weekend...btw, Marcelinho is the absolute GOAT!!
— Ermal Kuqo (@kuqost) May 8, 2022
