Former MVP, clubs, coaches, fans react to Bonn's success and Jerusalem fans
MALAGA (Spain) - Seventh heaven - that's how we should summarize the experience of the last weekend of Basketball Champions League Season Seven, in Malaga. All eyes were on TJ Shorts and Telekom Baskets Bonn, as they climbed the highest step of the podium with the beautiful trophy in their hands.
TJ Shorts set a number of records on his way to the MVP of the Season and Final Four MVP awards, while coach Tuomas Iisalo will become the first person in BCL history to place the Best Coach of the Season award and the championship trophy on the same display.
That award was in its sixth edition, and a coach of different nationality has won it each and every year. The United States (John Patrick), Belgium (Roel Moors), Israel (Oren Amiel), Serbia (Zoran Lukic) and Spain (Pedro Martinez) were joined by Finland this year, putting the country on the coaching map of Europe for good.
Good night from Malaga 💙🇫🇮 pic.twitter.com/ljqzfhsyNS
— Lassi Tuovi (@coachtuovi) May 14, 2023
Vor sieben Jahren…
— Manuel Baraniak (@manuel_baraniak) May 15, 2023
Tuomas Iisalo kommt nach Crailsheim, kann den Abstieg der Merlins nicht verhindern.
TJ Shorts absolviert sein erstes Jahr am Junior-College, nachdem er keine Stipendienangebote erhalten hat. Er trägt deswegen die 0.
Was für Cinderellas. They shocked the world. pic.twitter.com/V6MyZwYfrr
Tuomas Iisalo voitti sensaatiomaisesti Mestareiden liigan ja kyynelehti kovan työn jälkeen: ”Pelaajat ovat sanoneet, että ***** mikä jätkä!” https://t.co/zHlScp7NAC
— Yle Urheilu (@yleurheilu) May 15, 2023
Paljon tunnetta oli tässä hienossa hetkessä. Tuomas Iisalo ja MVP TJ Shorts Champions Leaguen mestaruuden ratkettua Bonnille. Upea saavutus suomalaisvalmentajalle ja tottakai koko joukkueelle. #BasketballCL #HEARTBERG 🇫🇮🏀 pic.twitter.com/sdNfs8VXwp
— Saku Mäkynen (@SMakynen) May 14, 2023
"Wir beide hatten das Gefühl: Wenn wir unsere Kräfte bündeln und das passende Team um uns herum aufbauen, dann können wir die Welt schocken." Tuomas Iisalo zur Rekrutierung von TJ Shorts in der Offseason. Wie wahr, @TelekomBaskets. https://t.co/VOvBUcTRWp
— basketball.de (@basketball_de) May 15, 2023
Tuomas Iisalo valmensi Telekom Baskets Bonnin koripallon Mestarien Liigan mestariksi. Sitä ennen valinta Bundesliigan parhaaksi valmentajaksi toista kertaa putkeen ja Mestarien Liigan parhaaksi valmentajaksi. Terve! pic.twitter.com/BP8Rtv4DL3
— Aleksi Valavuori (@Valavuori) May 14, 2023
When it comes to fans, the whole world was in awe with the Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem faithful. They were the majority among the 10,437 spectators in the Final, and they painted the city red for the weekend.
La afición del Hapoel Jerusalem en el Carpena de #Malaga durante la final de la #BasketballCL pic.twitter.com/YIdax8OII1
— ViBe & Sports (@RealViBe_Sports) May 14, 2023
Menudo desplazamiento de la afición del Hapoel de Jerusalén a la Final Four 4 Málaga. pic.twitter.com/EdRhOZuuUE
— Niporwifi © (@niporwifi) May 12, 2023
Hapoel Jerusalem fans are back at it in Malaga 🔴⚫️ pic.twitter.com/OkVf4DMQ7V
— Cesare Milanti (@cesaremilanti) May 13, 2023
🏀 Marée de supporters de l'Hapoël Jérusalem 🇮🇱 dans les rues de Malaga 🇪🇸 ce midi, alors que le club israélien affronte Ténérife 🇪🇸 en ½ de la Ligue des Champions 🇪🇺 dans 20 minutes.
— ERETZ Sport (@EretzSport) May 12, 2023
Le vainqueur se qualifie pour la finale ce dimanche, toujours à Malaga. https://t.co/ccjmgSR0WU pic.twitter.com/R83bEDJNUx
Hapoel Jerusalem fans in Malaga ahead of BCL semi final vs Tenerife
— Roy Jankelowitz (@roijay) May 12, 2023
Video: Gilad Gamlieli@israelsport_ pic.twitter.com/NZPrBUxOet
On the court, everybody had their thoughts on TJ Shorts. Telekom Baskets Bonn's point guard needed one more suitcase before he could leave Malaga, to transport his awards for the MVP of the Season, the Final Four MVP, and the Star Lineup first team trophy, as well.
Among the first ones to react was another left-handed point guard who won the MVP of the Season award while playing for a German club in the Basketball Champions League. Tyrese Rice was magical for Brose Bamberg in 2018-19, now he's here praising a player who said he looked up to Tyrese while adapting to European basketball.
Ran the table! @TjShorts5 🙏🏾🤝🏾 https://t.co/l0BB3cLgtu
— Rese (@ReseRice4) May 15, 2023
TJ Shorts II got the extremely well deserved MVP and the opening song for Ballers played in the background. It fits ain’t gonna lie
— Moses (@MosesB1) May 14, 2023
TJ Shorts is the first player in BCL history to win both MVP and F4MVP the same season.
— Dmitry Planidin (@DmitryPlanidin) May 14, 2023
Na man Tj shorts need some REAL @NBA love this offseason he's that GOOD.
— Clint Parks (@ClintParks05) May 14, 2023
No digan TJ. Digan MVP.
— Gerard Solé (@gsole14) May 14, 2023
29 puntos en la gran final de la BCL para ser CAMPEÓN.
El futuro de SHORTS es más que brillante. 25 años. Y con pasaporte. pic.twitter.com/EDil4SCeNB
TJ Shorts records:
— Igor Curkovic (@IgorCurkovic) May 14, 2023
-most points in a BCL final with 29
-most points in a BCL Final Four with 50
-most games with 25+ points in a single season with 6
Is that good? I think that's good. Is it good? It's good.
(I've never seen anything like this dude. Never.)#BasketballCL
Job Finished 🏆
— Tj Shorts (@TjShorts5) May 14, 2023
Contrary to TJ's tweet, the job is not finished when it comes to all four teams and their domestic campaigns.
Lenovo Tenerife and Unicaja will meet each other in the Spanish Liga Endesa Quarter-Finals, Telekom Baskets Bonn are entering the German easyCredit BBL Play-Offs as the top seed, while Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem have the Quarter-Finals of the Israeli Winner League against another BCL club, Bnei Ofek Dist Herzliya.
Dieser Empfang 🥹🙏 DANKE!
— Telekom Baskets Bonn (@TelekomBaskets) May 15, 2023
🏆 @BasketballCL pic.twitter.com/G5h0VLVD60
𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗴𝗿𝗮𝘁𝘀! 🏆 @TelekomBaskets 👏 #BasketballCL https://t.co/IQxsKk5kN8
— TOFAŞ Spor Kulübü (@TofasSporKulubu) May 15, 2023
Glückwunsch @TelekomBaskets
— Ibon Navarro (@ibonnavarro) May 14, 2023
Ihre Meisterschaft ist wohlverdient https://t.co/QuCVx7ZQ5j
Congrats! 🔥🔥🔥 Way to represent 🇩🇪 @TelekomBaskets
— FC Bayern Basketball (@FCBBasketball) May 14, 2023
Große Klasse. Herzlichen Glückwunsch!
— ALBA BERLIN (@albaberlin) May 14, 2023
Glückwunsch aus Oldenburg zu dieser Leistung und zu diesem Titel!
— EWE Baskets Oldenburg (@EWE_Baskets) May 14, 2023
Ganz stark, liebe Bonner! Habt ihr sowas von verdient. 💜👏🏼
— BG Göttingen (@BGGoettingen) May 14, 2023
Congratulations, @TelekomBaskets! 🏆💚💜
— UnicajaCB (@unicajaCB) May 14, 2023
Herzlichen Glückwünsche zu eurem ersten Europatitel! Wohlverdient!
— AEK B.C. (@aekbcgr) May 15, 2023
Συγχαρητήρια για τον πρώτο σας ευρωπαϊκό τίτλο! Άξιοι! @TelekomBaskets
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