Fiba European Champions Cup and Euroleague history

FIBA Champions Cup for men's clubs-origins and early history (1958–1960)

L'Equipe
L'Équipe
L'Équipe is a French nationwide daily newspaper devoted to sports, owned by Éditions Philippe Amaury. The paper is noted for coverage of football , rugby, motorsports and cycling...

is widely credited for birthing the idea of European club competition, first and foremost in European football (soccer)

Football (soccer)

Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...

. Basketball was soon to latch onto the quickly successful idea and the idea was discussed by FIBA during the 1957 European Championship

Eurobasket 1957

The 1957 European Basketball Championship, commonly called Eurobasket 1957, was the tenth regional championship held by FIBA Europe. Sixteen national teams affiliated with the International Basketball Federation entered the competition. The competition was hosted by Bulgaria...

in Bulgaria

Bulgaria

Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...

. FIBA Secretary General William Jones

Renato William Jones

Renato William Jones , also known as R. William, or simply William Jones, was a popularizer of basketball in Europe and in Asia...

set up a Commission consisting of Borislav Stanković

Borislav Stankovic

Borislav "Bora" Stanković is a Serbian former basketball player and coach, as well as a longtime administrator in the sport's various governing bodies. For his contributions to the game of basketball he was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1991.Stanković was born in Bihać, Bosnia and...

(SFRY), Raimundo Saporta

Raimundo Saporta

Raimundo Saporta Namías was a Spanish basketball administrator. He was the head of the basketball section of Real Madrid, the basketball club Real Madrid Baloncesto in 1962-1978 and 1985-1991...

(Spain), Robert Busnel

Robert Busnel

Robert Busnel was a French basketball player, coach and administrator.-Career:...

(France), Miloslav Kriz (Czechoslovakia) and Nikolai Semashko

Nikolai Semashko (basketball)

Nikolai Vladimirovich Semashko was a Soviet sports administrator. He was the head of the Soviet State Sports Committee...

(Soviet Union) to come up with a proposal.

The Commission invited Europe's national federations to send their domestic champions, L'Equipe donated a trophy and in 1958 the European Cup For Men's Champion Clubs started.

Clubs from Eastern Europe (not to say from the former Soviet block) dominated the early years. They not only won the first six editions of the competition (three times ASK Riga

ASK Riga

ASK Rīga is the name of a former professional basketball club based in Riga, Latvia. "ASK" stands for "Armijas Sporta Klubs" .-History:...

, twice CSKA Moscow

PBC CSKA Moscow

PBC CSKA Moscow is a Russian professional basketball team that is based in Moscow, Russia. The club is a member of the VTB United League. It is often referred to in the West as "Red Army" for its past affiliation with the Soviet Army. CSKA has won two titles between 2006 and 2009 in Europe's...

and once Dinamo Tbilissi

BC Dinamo Tbilisi

BC Dinamo Tbilisi is the professional basketball team from Tbilisi, Georgia. The club competes in the Georgian Super Liga. Coach: Davit Tortladze.-History:...

), but also managed to reach the final four times in the first six years (twice Akademik Sofia

Akademik Sofia

Akademik is a Bulgarian football club from the city of Sofia, currently playing in the West B PFG, the second division of Bulgarian football. The team's stadium is located in the Slatina municipality of Sofia and its capacity is 10,000....

, once Dinamo Tbilissi and ASK Riga).

Soviet player Jānis Krūmiņš

Janis Kruminš

Jānis Krūmiņš was a Soviet Latvian center basketball player. Helped by his height , he was the first giant center dominating under the European baskets, for years...

(2.18 m) was the man in the middle for ASK Riga's initial threepeat, as he was an unmatched dominant force inside.

The 60's, Real Madrid and CSKA Moscow rise

In 1961, things began to change. The main Western European basketball club, Real Madrid

Real Madrid Baloncesto

Real Madrid Baloncesto is a Spanish professional basketball team founded in 1932 as a division of the Real Madrid club. They play in the Asociación de Clubes de Baloncesto ....

, started to show signs of ambition, and was eliminated only in semi-final by Riga.

The two following years, the Spanish champions found their way to the final game, but lost both times versus Tbilisi and CSKA. Eventually, Real won the first of its eight European crowns in 1964, beating the Czechs of Spartak Brno.

However, that season, the USSR champions did not participate because the national team (made of 90% of players from CSKA) was preparing for the Olympics

Basketball at the 1964 Summer Olympics

Basketball contests at the 1964 Summer Olympics took place at the Yoyogi National Gymnasium in Tokyo, Japan from October 11 to October 23. The United States defeated the Soviet Union to win their sixth straight gold medal at this event, while Brazil earned the bronze against Puerto...

. Anyway, this season was a big twist for European basketball as it marked the beginning of the domination of the "wealthy" Western European clubs.

Then, until 1969, Real Madrid and Olimpia Milano

Olimpia Milano

Olimpia Milano is a Lega Basket Italian professional basketball team, based in Milan, Italy, founded in 1936 by Milan businessman Adolfo Bogoncelli. Its colors are red and white, and the team is sometimes referred as "Scarpette Rosse" because team officials imported from the United States red...

, then known for sponsorship reasons as Simmenthal, shared the title of the best European team. Madrid could rely on players like Clifford Luyk

Clifford Luyk

Clifford Luyk Diem, is a former Spanish American basketball player.Luyk was athletic, talented and possessed great low-post skills, highlighted by his trademark, old-school hook shot....

, the first naturalized American player with such a big role, Emiliano Rodríguez

Emiliano Rodríguez

Emiliano Rodríguez is a retired Spanish basketball player.On the club level, he played for Aismalibar and Real Madrid...

, Miles Aiken, Bob Burgess and later Wayne Brabender

Wayne Brabender

Wayne Donald Brabender Cole is a retired American-Spanish basketball player, who acquired Spanish citizenship on May 22, 1968....

.

Meanwhile, Milan, in 1966, was led by a young and smart American forward: Bill Bradley

Bill Bradley

William Warren "Bill" Bradley is an American hall of fame basketball player, Rhodes scholar, and former three-term Democratic U.S. Senator from New Jersey. He ran unsuccessfully for the Democratic Party's nomination for President in the 2000 election.Bradley was born and raised in a suburb of St....

, who would later become an NBA champion with the 1970 and 1973 New York Knicks

New York Knicks

The New York Knickerbockers, prominently known as the Knicks, are a professional basketball team based in New York City. They are part of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association...

. Still later, Bradley would become a candidate for the United States presidency. Bradley, who was studying at Oxford

University of Oxford

The University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...

as a Rhodes Scholar

Rhodes Scholarship

The Rhodes Scholarship, named after Cecil Rhodes, is an international postgraduate award for study at the University of Oxford. It was the first large-scale programme of international scholarships, and is widely considered the "world's most prestigious scholarship" by many public sources such as...

, took advantage of his year in Europe to give decisive help to Milan.

In 1969, CSKA, inspired by the talented Sergei Belov

Sergei Belov

Sergei Alexandrovich Belov is a former basketball player, most notably playing for the Soviet Union at the Olympic Games. He trained at Trud Voluntary Sports Society and later at Armed Forces sports society.- Career :...

, managed to beat Real Madrid in Barcelona. The young Belov had 19 points that night, but his fellow teammate, big center Vladimir Andreev (2.15 m), exploded for 37.

The '70s, Varese-Meneghin Dynasty

After the Soviet and Madrid dynasties, the '70s were, without any doubt, the decade of Pallacanestro Varese

Pallacanestro Varese

-Notable players:-Notable coaches: Aleksandar Nikolić Nico Messina Sandro Gamba Edoardo Rusconi Joe Isaac Carlo Recalcati Valerio Bianchini Ruben Magnano-Sponsorship names:Through the years, due to sponsorship deals, it has been also known as:...

.

The Italian champions found a way, year after year, to reach the final game of the competition. Indeed, Varese played the 10 finals in the '70s, winning five of them. Madrid, CSKA, the enthusiastic Bosna Sarajevo and the upand- coming Maccabi Tel-Aviv

Maccabi Tel Aviv (basketball)

Maccabi Electra Tel Aviv B.C. is a professional Israeli basketball club based in Tel Aviv. The team plays in three leagues: the Euroleague, the Israeli Basketball Super League, and the Adriatic League....

were the other champions of the decade.

At the time, Varese was led by the legendary center, Dino Meneghin

Dino Meneghin

Dino Meneghin is an Italian former professional basketball player. He is widely considered as the best Italian player ever, as well as one of Europe's all time greats. A 2.06 m tall center, Meneghin was born in Alano di Piave, Veneto...

, surrounded by players such as one of the best scorers of Lega history, Bob Morse

Bob Morse

Robert "Bob" Morse is an American former basketball player.His tremendous scoring ability helped the great Ignis Varese of the seventies to lift three Euroleague titles in seven consecutive final appearances.On February 3, 2008, Morse was chosen as one of the 50 most influential personalities to...

, Mexican shooter Manuel Raga

Manuel Raga

Manuel Raga Navarro is a retired Mexican basketball player.-Career:Nicknamed the "Flying Mexican", Raga played professionally for Pallacanestro Varese in Italy from 1968 to 1973 and won 3 Euroleague championships.In 1970, he became the first player from an international league to be selected in...

, Ottorino Flaborea, John Fultz, Ivan Bisson, etc.

In 1971, CSKA won its last European title until 2006, beating Varese, thanks to Sergei Belov's 24 points. After a tough win against KK Split

KK Split

KK Split , KK Split CO for sponsorship relations is a basketball club from Split, Croatia. Currently, KK Split competes in the A-1 Liga and Krešimir Ćosić Cup.-History:...

in 1972, Ignis Varese won one more time against CSKA in spite of Sergei Belov. He was once again the dominant scorer with 36 points in the championship game.

In the 1974 final, Varese, after almost securing the win, was upset by Real Madrid on an unbelievable late surge led by Brabender and Cabrera.

In 1977, the Israelis of Maccabi Tel-Aviv

Maccabi Tel Aviv (basketball)

, whose leaders Jim Boatwright and Miki Berkovich

Miki Berkovich

Moshe "Miki" Berkovich is a retired Israeli basketball player. He was a 6' 4" shooting guard.- Career :Berkovich is recognized by many Israelis as the best Israeli basketball player who ever played. Berkovich joined Maccabi Tel Aviv basketball club's junior team in 1965, and adult team in 1971...

combined for 43 points against Varese, won the first of its five European crowns. A big surprise to the world of European basketball. At last, in 1979, the Yugoslavian school of basketball began to dazzle Europe. Bosna Sarajevo

KK Bosna

KK Bosna is a basketball club in Sarajevo the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The club is part of the University Sport Society USD Bosna...

, led by a young coach (28 years old) named Bogdan Tanjević

Bogdan Tanjevic

Bogdan Tanjević is an ex-Yugoslav, naturalized Italian, Bosnian, and Turkish basketball coach last managed Turkish national basketball team between 2004-10 and Fenerbahçe Ülker between 2007-10...

, beat Varese in Grenoble

Grenoble

Grenoble is a city in southeastern France, at the foot of the French Alps where the river Drac joins the Isère. Located in the Rhône-Alpes region, Grenoble is the capital of the department of Isère...

, France. The great performances of its shooters, Žarko Varajić

Žarko Varajic

Žarko Varajić is a retired Montenegrin basketball player that represented SFR Yugoslavia as a player, including at the 1976 Summer Olympic Games, where he won a silver medal.In 1979, Varajić scored 45 points - the record in the number of points scored in the final matches of...

(45 points) and Mirza Delibašić

Mirza Delibašic

Mirza Delibašić was a Bosnian basketball player. He was born in Tuzla, located in northeastern Bosnia and Herzegovina, in the former Yugoslavia.- Career :...

(30 points), offered its first European crown to Yugoslavia.

The '80s, Italy and Yugoslav dominance

What could have been the decade of Maccabi (six finals but only one win), eventually became a triumph for Italian basketball (seven finals and five wins).

Italy managed to generate three different European champions (Cantù

Pallacanestro Cantù

Pallacanestro Cantù is an Italian League professional basketball club that is based in Cantù. For sponsorship reasons, it is also known as Bennet Cantù, after Bennet, an Italian supermarket chain. For past club sponsorship names, see the list below...

, Roma

Pallacanestro Virtus Roma

Pallacanestro Virtus Roma, also known for sponsorship reasons as Acea Virtus Roma, is a prominent Italian League professional basketball club, and is also currently one of 13 European clubs that hold ULEB A Licenses, which provide their holders with a guaranteed place in the Euroleague. The club...

and Milano) in only seven years. These ten years were also marked by the definitive emergence of the elegant and inspired Yugoslavian basketball. First, Cibona Zagreb

KK Cibona

Košarkaški klub Cibona is a professional basketball club based in Zagreb, Croatia. It competes in the Croatian League and the Adriatic League.-History:The club was founded in 1946 under the name Sloboda...

, led by the phenomenal Dražen Petrović

Dražen Petrovic

Dražen Petrović was a Yugoslav and Croatian professional basketball player. A shooting guard, he initially achieved success playing professional basketball in Europe in the 1980s before joining the American NBA in 1989...

, won two times in a row (1985 and 86). Then, the up-and-coming Jugoplastika/POP 84 Split

KK Split

KK Split , KK Split CO for sponsorship relations is a basketball club from Split, Croatia. Currently, KK Split competes in the A-1 Liga and Krešimir Ćosić Cup.-History:...

, won three consecutive titles (1989, 90 and 91), revealing the talent of players such as Dino Rađa, Toni Kukoč

Toni Kukoc

Toni Kukoč is a retired Croatian professional basketball player. He was renowned for his versatility and passing ability; although his natural position was small forward, he played all five positions on the court with prowess and demonstrated court vision and an outside shooting touch that were...

and others (Zoran Savić

Zoran Savic

Zoran Savić is a retired Serbian professional basketball player. The 208 cm forward played in various European nations.-Career:...

, Zoran Sretenovic, Velimir Perasović, Žan Tabak...).

In 1982 and 1983, Cantù, traditional runner-up of the mighty Varese in the Italian League, won its two European titles, thanks to the young and talented Antonello Riva

Antonello Riva

Antonello Riva is an Italian retired basketball player. Nicknamed "Nembo Kid", he started playing basketball in 1977-78....

(16, then 18 points). The former Varese star, Dino Meneghin, who had joined Olimpia Milano, imported his winning tradition to Lombardy to play in his eleventh European final (in 1983). But he eventually lost what seemed like a wrestling match, against Wallace Bryant of Cantù, in one of the most physical and "ugliest" finals of all time.

After Cantù's back to back wins, Banco di Roma took over for one year. Its American players, Larry Wright and Clarence Kea, dominated the final, scoring respectively, 27 and 17 points. Then began the reign of Cibona Zagreb and the marvelous Dražen Petrović.

"Little Mozart" scored 36 points against Real in the 1985 championship game and added 22 against Arvydas Sabonis

Arvydas Sabonis

Arvydas Romas Sabonis is a retired Lithuanian professional basketball player and a businessman. He was an eight-time European Player of the Year, winning the Euroscar Award six times, and the Mr...

and Žalgiris Kaunas

BC Žalgiris

BC Žalgiris is a professional basketball team that is based in Kaunas, Lithuania. It is one of the oldest teams in the Euroleague and plays domestically in the Lietuvos krepšinio lyga , and regionally in the VTB United League...

a year later. Italy got back to its back-to-back tradition in 1987 and 88, as Milano, now bearing the sponsorship name of Tracer Milano, beat Maccabi Tel-Aviv twice. Then, in 1989, the wonderful generation of Jugoplastika Split (Kukoc, Radja, Savic etc.) took over and dominated European basketball for three years.

The '90s, the Greek rise

The '90s saw two of the most exciting and controversial endings in the history of the competition, which in 1996 became the FIBA EuroLeague.

In 1992 Partizan Belgrade's

KK Partizan

Košarkaški klub Partizan is a Serbian professional basketball club. It is part of the multi-sports Belgrade-based club Partizan. The club competes in the Serbian League, Adriatic League and the Euroleague....

young duo of Sasha Djordjevic and Predrag Danilović

Predrag Danilovic

Predrag "Saša" Danilović , usually referred to in English as Sasha Danilovic , is a retired professional basketball player, considered one of the best European shooting guards during the 1990s...

led the underdogs to a title, the fourth consecutive for a Yugoslav club. Danilovic was the Final Four MVP, but it was Djordjevic's last second, coast-to-coast three-pointer which lifted Partizan to a 71–70 victory against Joventut Badalona

Joventut Badalona

Club Joventut Badalona, S.A.D. is a Spanish professional basketball club based in Badalona, Catalonia, playing in the Asociación de Clubs de Baloncesto . Known to their fans as La Penya , it is one of only three teams that have never been relegated from the top division of the Spanish League...

.

The following year saw another underdog take the title as French side Limoges stunned the Toni Kukoč-led Benetton Treviso

Pallacanestro Treviso

Pallacanestro Treviso, more often known by its sponsorship name of Benetton Basket, or Benetton Treviso, is an Italian Serie A League professional basketball club from Treviso, the headquarters city of its longtime owner Benetton Group...

in the final.

In 1994, Badalona made up for their last second defeat against Partizan two years earlier. This time was it was the Spanish club's turn to stage a late rally. Against an Olympiacos side with the regular season's best record, Badalona forward Corny Thompson hit a three-pointer (his fifth of the entire competition) to put his side up by 2-points with 19 seconds remaining.

Olympiacos had a chance to tie the game at the free throw line, but Yugoslav star Žarko Paspalj made one of two and Badalona held on for the win.

The title stayed in Spain in 1995, but this time with Real Madrid. Arvydas Sabonis led Real to victory over Olympiacos in the final, and won the only European club honour that had eluded him before going to the NBA.

1996 proved to be one of the most controversial finals to any European club competition. Greek side Panathinaikos pulled off the coup of the season by signing former NBA star Dominique Wilkins

Dominique Wilkins

Jacques Dominique Wilkins is a retired American professional basketball player who primarily played for the Atlanta Hawks of the NBA...

, but it was Croatian center Stojko Vranković who decided the Final Four.

The 218 cm ran the length of the court to block Barcelona's Jose Montero's lay-up attempt in the last second to seal the win for Panathinaikos. Although the block looked like a possible goal-tend, no call was made and Panathinaikos were the first ever Greek champions. Although this would seem to indicate that a goal tend call should have been made, the situation is less than clear. In fact, numerous violations occurred in the last seconds of the game, none of which were called by the referees. Panathinaikos had ball possession and with 8 seconds remaining in the game clock, Panathinaikos guard Panagiotis Giannakis lost the ball (possibly after being fouled, though no call was made). As players from both teams struggled to gain possession, the shot clock was renewed illegally (since the ball was in possession of neither team, a shot clock violation should have been called against Panathinaikos, meaning that the game should stop and resume with an inbound pass for Barcelona). The situation was further exacerbated by the fact that the game clock stuck at 4.9 seconds for about 6 seconds, thus allowing Barcelona nearly ten seconds of play.

Olympiacos continued Greek supremacy over the EuroLeague in 1997. Having lost in the final in 1994 and 1995, new signing David Rivers

David Rivers

David Lee Rivers is a retired American basketball player. An explosive point guard, he reached star status in the Euroleague, mostly playing for Olympiacos Piraeus under coach Dusan Ivkovic....

proved to be the difference in 1997. Rivers scored 55 points in the Final Four and Olympiacos beat Barcelona in the final to win their first ever EuroLeague title.

In the ten years since the Final Four format was introduced, the club with the best regular season record had never won the title. That changed in 1998 when Kinder Bologna

Virtus Bologna

-Notable players: Marco Bonamico 9 seasons: '75-'76, '77-'78, '80-'86, '88-'89 Carlo Caglieris 6 seasons: '75-'81 Pietro Generali 6 seasons: '75-'76, '78-'83 Gianni Bertolotti 5 seasons: '75-'80 Terry Driscoll 3 seasons: '75-'78 Eric Luc Leclerc 1 season: '75-'76 Luigi Serafini 2 seasons: '75-'77...

romped through the competition.

Champions Cup

European League

Euroleague

ULEB Euroleague

Top scoring performances in finals games

Žarko Varajić
Žarko Varajic
Žarko Varajić is a retired Montenegrin basketball player that represented SFR Yugoslavia as a player, including at the 1976 Summer Olympic Games, where he won a silver medal.In 1979, Varajić scored 45 points - the record in the number of points scored in the final matches of...

(Bosna Sarajevo) 45 points vs. Emerson Varese (in 1978–79 final)
Vladimir Andreev
Vladimir Andreev (basketball)
Vladimir Georgevich Andreev is a retired Russian basketball player. In 1969, along with CSKA Moscow he won the European Champions' Cup against Real Madrid Baloncesto, being the top scorer of the final with 37 points. a 2.15 m center, He was also a member of the Soviet national team from 1967 to...

(CSKA Moscow) 37 points vs. Real Madrid (in 1968–69 final)
Dražen Petrović
Dražen Petrovic
Dražen Petrović was a Yugoslav and Croatian professional basketball player. A shooting guard, he initially achieved success playing professional basketball in Europe in the 1980s before joining the American NBA in 1989...

(Cibona Zagreb) 36 points vs. Real Madrid (in 1984–85 final)
Sergei Belov
Sergei Belov
Sergei Alexandrovich Belov is a former basketball player, most notably playing for the Soviet Union at the Olympic Games. He trained at Trud Voluntary Sports Society and later at Armed Forces sports society.- Career :...

(CSKA Moscow) 34 points vs. Ignis Varese (in 1972–73 final)
Steve Chubin
Steve Chubin
Stephen "Steve" Chubin, also known as "Chube" is a retired American basketball player.He played collegiately for the University of Rhode Island, where he became the school's all-time leading scorer....

(Simmenthal Milano) 34 points vs. Real Madrid (in 1966–67 final)
Earl Williams
Earl Williams (basketball player)
Earl "the Twirl" Williams is an American-Israeli former basketball player.He attended Woodrow Wilson High School in Levittown, and then Winston-Salem State University...

(Maccabi Tel Aviv) 33 points vs. Real Madrid (in 1979–80 final)
Wayne Hightower
Wayne Hightower
Wayne A. Hightower was an American basketball player who had a long and productive career in the NBA and ABA during the 1960s and early 1970s. He was a 6'8" power forward and center...

(Real Madrid) 32 points vs. Dinamo Tbilisi (in 1961–62 final)
Emiliano Rodríguez
Emiliano Rodríguez
Emiliano Rodríguez is a retired Spanish basketball player.On the club level, he played for Aismalibar and Real Madrid...

(Real Madrid) 31 points vs. Spartak Brno (in first leg of 1963–64 final)
Juan Antonio San Epifanio
Juan Antonio San Epifanio
Juan Antonio San Epifanio Ruiz is a retired Spanish basketball player, considered one of the greatest small forwards ever to play in Europe...

(FC Barcelona) 31 points vs. Banco di Roma (in 1983–84 final)
Mirza Delibašić
Mirza Delibašic
Mirza Delibašić was a Bosnian basketball player. He was born in Tuzla, located in northeastern Bosnia and Herzegovina, in the former Yugoslavia.- Career :...

(Bosna Sarajevo) 30 points vs. Emerson Varese (in 1978–79 final)
Clifford Luyk
Clifford Luyk
Clifford Luyk Diem, is a former Spanish American basketball player.Luyk was athletic, talented and possessed great low-post skills, highlighted by his trademark, old-school hook shot....

(Real Madrid) 30 points vs. CSKA Moscow (in first leg of 1964–65 final)
Frantisek Konvicka (Spartak Brno) 30 points vs. Real Madrid (in first leg of 1963–64 final)

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.