Girona will host tonight at the premiere of Endesa League. Fourteen years after the demise of elite basketball, then with the Akasvayuthe Lega returns to the pavilion of Fontajau, and the city has madly welcomed the Basketball Girona, a project conceived from scratch by Marc Gasol and that in just five years he has walked the elite path from the EBA, the fourth category of state basketball.
The illusion that reigns in Girona (the 4,000 season tickets sold out in a few hours) is not just that of recovering ACB basketball. Also due to the bond with Marc Gasol who, at 37, returns to the very place, Fontajau, from where he projected his career to open the doors of the NBA. Thirteen seasons and a championship ring later, marc He will act as player and president, a figure that the ACB has not recognized, and that all the clubs have not hesitated to validate to give more prestige to the tournament.
😍 Tick, tock, tick, tock …
A #LigaEndesa from 2⃣0⃣ 𝙢𝙚𝙙𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙨 is about to start!
5th consecutive days of basketball begin tomorrow at 9:30 pm in Fontajau, 101 days after the last match of last year.
𝐓𝐞 𝐥𝐨 𝐯𝐚𝐬 𝐚 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐫? pic.twitter.com/Hc0R9ak3EW
– Lega Endesa (@ACBCOM) September 27, 2022
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The match between Girona and the defending champion, real Madrid (21:00) will give this Wednesday the kick-off of an exciting season and it will mean another famous return: that of the manager Aito Garcia Renès on the bench of Girona, at 74 years old. The still vivid memory of the Spanish team’s gold medal in the Eurobasketthe most unexpected enterprise of the group he directs Sergio Scarioloit will also illuminate a League, which continues to be pre-eminent in Europe, which has added new heroes to its particular pantheon, some almost anonymous, (Brizuela, Alberto Diaz, Lopez-Arostegui, Parra, Jaime Fernandez, Pradilla…), But which remains the tournament with the lowest percentage of eligible players in the continent (29%), according to the latest FIBA report, and where the number of foreign players continues to grow (over 70%).
Barça went through a revolution to counter the physical dominance of Madrid, the current champion
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Madrid and Barcathis is nothing new, they will once again be at the starting pole as undisputed candidates for the title, unattainable in terms of investment compared to the rest of the rivals, despite the entire middle class of the League (read Baskonia, Valencia, Unicaja, youth, Gran canaria…) remains firm in his commitment to get on the podium of the championship and question the biicephaly. This also explains the hustle and bustle experienced this summer on the benches, with eight technicians in the front row.
😎 New guys in #LigaEndesa!
6⃣ new faces left their cover letter in #SupercoppaEndesa @RMBaloncesto 👉 @Petr_Cornelie@FCBbasket 👉 @ JanVesely24 @ Penya1930 👉 @kylejguy @RealBetisBasket 👉 @ J_Hill_5 👉 Georgios Tsalmpouris 👉 @ AmarSylla14 pic.twitter.com/jMWBj2JQYR
– Lega Endesa (@ACBCOM) September 27, 2022
On that list they are at the top Aito (Girona) e Chus Mateo (Madrid), they also moved Baskonia (Joan Peñarroya), Zaragoza (Martin Schiller), Gran canaria (Jaka Lakovic), Bilbao (Jaume Ponsarnau), Valencia ( Alex Mumbru) and Unicaja (renovated Ibon Navarro).
Crossroads Barca
Confirmation of Mateo for the Madrid bench, closing the traumatic relief of Paolo Laso, could open some doubts. But the Super Cup title against Boat It didn’t take long to delete them. The Madrid from last season he overwhelmed in the final due to the physique. And to that recipe this year she added a huge talent: that of Dzanan Musa, Mario Hezonja and Sergio Rodriguez and a few more centimeters: Petr Cornelie.
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The project of Boat is at a crossroads. The arrival of Jasikevicius he intended to reach the ‘overcoming’ in ACB and that was achieved in the first year (double in the League and Cup, Euroleague final). But this past season Barça have kept the Cup as their only consolation and this suggests a year of maximum demand for the Lithuanian manager whose contract expires in June.
The revolution lived in the locker room Boat this summer, with six departures and six purchases, all contrasted, it is clear from the urgency. The additions of Satoransky, Jan Vesely or Nikola Kalinic They are called to generate that change in a path that starts from the absence of the great Barça, Nicola Miroticowith an Achilles tendon injury from which, after five months, he has not yet recovered.
Catalan team poker
FC BARCELONA
This summer, Barça took an unexpected turn, in search of the key that will make Jasikevicius’ project successful, as it faces its third season. A revolution was experienced in the Palau locker room and Calathes, Davies, Hayes, Roland Smits, Oriola and Exum were swept away to make way for Satoransky, Vesely, Kalinic, Da Silva, Oriola and Tobey.
YOUTH
Installed again in the elite (league semifinalist last year), Penya wants to repeat another great season, with the added challenge of playing the Cup this year at the Olimpico. Three starts (Bassas, Willis, Brodziansky) gave Carles Duran’s team three additions, all of them exciting: shooting guard Kyle Guy, striker Henry Ellenson and striker William Howard, plus Okeke’s center on loan.
BAXI MANRESA
Economy reigns and Baxi is forced to rebuild, even if this season the team change has been more profound, a victim of his success. Moneke, Bako, Maye, Sima, Thomasson, Francisco and retiree Rafa Martínez have left Congost. Pedro Martínez will still have to do magic with six signings, including Justin Hamilton, recovered from the Chinese championship.
GIRONA BASKETBALL
Girona returns to elite basketball after 14 years of absence. With a legend Marc Gasol on the pitch, with another legend like Aíto García Reneses on the bench and a squad recently promoted by the LEB League, but who tried to strengthen himself with guaranteed players and a lot of experience such as Quino Colom, Patricio Garino or his compatriot Max Fjellerup.
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