Turk Telekom Ankara (3-1) and Dolomiti Energia Trento (0-4) face off against one another at Ankara Spor Salonu on Wednesday evening, as the 7DAYS EuroCup returns after a three-week break. 

In the last round before the break, Turk Telekom continued its fine form under first-year head coach Erdem Can, beating Slask Wroclaw 71-75 on the road to record its third win in a row. After falling to a 75-90 defeat on its home floor to Paris Basketball in Round 1, Turk Telekom bounced back by grabbing wins against Veolia Towers Hamburg, Hapoel Tel Aviv and then Slask. In the last two games, Jerian Grant became a more integral player for the team, finishing with a team-high PIR of 26 and 22, respectively. Center Tyrique Jones has impressed, too, as he is averaging a PIR of 20.0 across his last three games. Coach Can's team is currently the best team in the EuroCup from two-point range, shooting 61.2%, and it also has a 4-0 record against Trento all-time, so everything is pointing towards a fourth straight victory for Turk Telekom.

Game News

However, Trento will hope that it can kickstart its season with a surprise triumph on the road. Trento is winless so far in 2022-23 and its last victory in the EuroCup came back on November 17, 2021, against Slask. Therefore, with a year now having passed since it last tasted victory, the desire to bring that run to an end should be even greater. The problem for Trento is that it has struggled somewhat on both ends of the floor so far this season, as it has the fourth-worst average for points per game scored and the worst average for points per game given up. The break in the EuroCup calendar came at a good time for Trento, as two successive 5-point defeats in Rounds 2 and 3 were followed by a 30-point drubbing at Hapoel. After going away and licking its wounds, expect a response from Trento in Round 5.

Turk Telekom, Trento bring contrasting fortunes into matchup

Turk Telekom Ankara v Dolomiti Energia Trento (2022-11-23T16:45:00.000Z)

Wednesday’s EuroCup slate opens in Romania where U-BT Cluj-Napoca hosts Germani Brescia. Cluj (1-3) lost its last two games before the break by a combined 9 points. The recent addition of veteran point guard Nemanja Grodic should help Cluj in those close finishes. Brescia (2-2) had won two in a row before losing 69-71 to Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse, the only remaining undefeated team in the competition, in Round 4.

Cluj has found success this season closer to the basket; it is second in the EuroCup in offensive rebounds (14.0 per game) and two-point shooting (61.1%) and third-from-bottom in three-point accuracy (29.3%). Leonardo Meindl (19.2 ppg., 7.5 rpg.) and Andrija Stipanovic (12.2 ppg., 5.8 rpg.) have been its main weapons in the front court with Jordan Taylor (14.2 ppg., 4.5 apg.) playing the lead guard role.

Although Brescia’s top performers have been guards Amedeo Della Valle (15.8 ppg., 4.8 apg.) and Troy Caupain (14.5 ppg., 4.0 apg.), the team collectively has excelled in the paint. It has held opponents to a EuroCup-low 46.7% shooting on two-pointers and has outrebounded teams by 4.2 rebounds per game.

Accordingly, the matchups inside with Tai Odiase and Kenny Gabriel against Meindl and Stipanovic could be decisive this week.

Wednesday’s action opens in Romania with Cluj vs. Brescia

U-BT Cluj-Napoca v Germani Brescia (2022-11-23T17:30:00.000Z)

### Opposites collide in Bourg and Ulm

JL Mincidelice Bourg en Bresse (4-0) is the only undefeated team in the competition and its perfect record will be put to the test [when it hosts Frutti Extra Bursaspor](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/game-center/2022-23/mincidelice-jl-bourg-en-bresse-frutti-extra-bursaspor/U2022/43/) (2-2) in the Round 5 opener on Tuesday. Neither team has jumped out in any of statistical categories, which is especially interesting for first-place Bourg which ranks only 12th in scoring (81.0 ppg.), though it does shoot the second-best from three-point range (40.2%) while playing solid defense that ranks fourth in points allowed (75.0 ppg.). Bourg is a team with tremendous balance where no player plays more than 24 minutes per game and it has only three double-digit scorers, with the bright spot being Jordan Floyd averaging 17.0 points off the bench. It's quite different for last season's finalist Bursaspor, which has five players averaging more minutes than that, including three starters – Onuralp Bitim, Derek Needham and Anthony Clemmons – playing 30 or minutes per game.

Bursaspor has lost its last two games, including in Round 4 at home against ratiopharm Ulm. That young Ulm (2-2) side, which has an 18-year-old Juan Nunez (5.0 apg.) and 23-year-old Yago dos Santos (10.8 ppg., 3.5 apg.) running its offense, [will face Joventut Badalona](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/game-center/2022-23/ratiopharm-ulm-joventut-badalona/U2022/42/) (3-1), one of the most experienced sides in the competition. The 35-year-old Ante Tomic (11.8 ppg., 5.2 rpg., 3.0apg.) and Pau Ribas (7.2 ppg. 4.8 apg.), as well as the 29-year-old Guillem Vives (4.5 ppg., 4.0 apg.) fuel a Joventut offense that has dished 20.3 assists per game, which is tied for the second-most this season.

### Canary pass extravaganza

When it comes to assists, only one team does it better than Joventut and only one other team is on-par with it and those two collide on Wednesday when [Gran Canaria (3-1) takes on newcomer Hapoel Tel Aviv](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/game-center/2022-23/gran-canaria-hapoel-tel-aviv/U2022/47/) (3-1) in Group B. Gran Canaria leads the league with 20.8 assists and Hapoel is tied for second with 20.3 on average. No player has dished more than Hapoel's J'Covan Brown who leads the EuroCup with 7.8 per game, while Gran Canaria's Ferran Bassas is tied for third with 5.8 per game, Andrew Albicy follows with 4.0 and AJ Slaughter, Nico Brussino and Dan Duscak are each posting 2.0 assists or better through four rounds. Expect some sweet passes and a nice flow to the game between two potent offenses on Wednesday night.

### Group B home-court advantage

In Group B, heading into Round 5, home and road teams this season have an equal amount of victories, 10 apiece. Two of the three teams that do not have a road win yet this season, Dolomiti Energia Trento (0-4) and London Lions (1-3) are playing away from home. [The Lions travel to play Veolia Hamburg Towers](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/game-center/2022-23/veolia-towers-hamburg-london-lions/U2022/49/) (2-2) on Tuesday, while a day later [Trento visits Turk Telekom Ankara](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/game-center/2022-23/turk-telekom-ankara-dolomiti-energia-trento/U2022/46/) (3-1), which is on a three-game winning streak. Trento is on a 16-game losing streak dating back to last season, but it is not the only winless team in Group B. Slask Wroclaw (0-4) will also be in search of its first win of the season [when it welcomes Promitheas Patras](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/game-center/2022-23/slask-wroclaw-promitheas-patras/U2022/50/) (3-1) and the EuroCup's top scorer Joe Young (24.2 ppg.). The EuroCup's second-best scorer, Kyle Allman (22.5 ppg.) of Paris Basketball (2-2) will also be on the road, [visiting Buducnost VOLI Podgorica](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/game-center/2022-23/buducnost-voli-podgorica-paris-basketball/U2022/48/) (3-1), another winner of three straight games.

### Roster changes and signing impacts

During the recent two-week break from action, a few teams made significant additions to their rosters. Among them, [Hapoel added last season's Israeli League MVP](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/news/hapoel-lands-israeli-league-mvp-onuaku/), center Chinanu Onuaku who is set to make his debut against Gran Canaria. Meanwhile, [U-BT Cluj-Napoca put veteran playmaker Nemanja Gordic](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/news/cluj-signs-veteran-playmaker-gordic/) into its backcourt. The 34-year-old guard, who has nine EuroCup seasons under his belt, will have a chance to play for his sixth different club in the competition [when Cluj faces Brescia](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/game-center/2022-23/u-bt-cluj-napoca-germani-brescia/U2022/44/).

The team that arguably had the biggest number of high-profile signings during the summer, Umana Reyer Venice (2-2) has won its last two games and will [hope to make it three in a row](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/game-center/2022-23/umana-reyer-venice-7bet-lietkabelis-panevezys/U2022/45/) against 7-BET Lietkabelis Panevezys (2-2) at home on Tuesday. Those summer signings have been making a huge impact for Reyer with point guards Marco Spissu (11.0 ppg., 4.5 apg., 3.2 rpg.) and Jayson Granger (8.8 ppg., 4.5 apg.) running the offense, forward Derek Willis leading the team in scoring (12.5 ppg.) and Allerik Freeman also scoring in double figures (10.5 ppg.).

On the other hand, Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana (0-4) will be in search of its first win [when it hosts Prometey Slobozhanske](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/game-center/2022-23/cedevita-olimpija-ljubljana-prometey-slobozhanske/U2022/41/) (2-2). Cedevita hopes to get help from veteran swingman Zoran Dragic who is yet to play this season after suffering a leg muscle injury during the EuroBasket. Cedevita has already made a roster change when it parted ways with veteran sharpshooter Aaron Harrison.

Round 5 at a glance

Slask Wroclaw v Promitheas Patras (2022-11-23T19:00:00.000Z)

Veolia Towers Hamburg v London Lions (2022-11-22T18:30:00.000Z)

Buducnost VOLI Podgorica v Paris Basketball (2022-11-23T18:00:00.000Z)

Gran Canaria v Hapoel Tel Aviv (2022-11-23T20:00:00.000Z)

Umana Reyer Venice v 7Bet-Lietkabelis Panevezys (2022-11-22T19:00:00.000Z)

Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse v Frutti Extra Bursaspor (2022-11-22T18:00:00.000Z)

ratiopharm Ulm v Joventut Badalona (2022-11-23T18:30:00.000Z)

Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana v Prometey Slobozhanske (2022-11-22T19:00:00.000Z)

Among the oldest and most decorated clubs in Israeli basketball, Hapoel Tel Aviv can trace its history to before the state’s creation and in its 87 years of existence has seen a number of superstars wear its traditional red and white uniforms. 

The Club Scene: Hapoel Tel Aviv

Among the oldest and most decorated clubs in Israeli basketball, Hapoel Tel Aviv can trace its history to before the state’s creation and in its 87 years of existence has seen a number of superstars wear its traditional red and white uniforms. 

Hapoel’s first game on record was a 6-2 victory against neighboring Hapoel Ramat Gan on January 26, 1935. The first Tel Aviv derby took place the following year and saw Maccabi emerge victorious 5-37. Hapoel did not triumph over Maccabi until 1950.

Since there was no organized league in the years of the British Mandate, nearly all of Hapoel’s games in that period were exhibitions, including many against visiting army teams. The Israeli League came into play in 1954 and Hapoel defeated Hapoel Geva in its debut appearance, 45-30. Hapoel placed third in that first season and fourth the year after. It reached the Israeli Cup final in 1956 and lost to cross-town rival Maccabi. Quickly growing in stature, Hapoel was the league runner-up in each of the next three seasons. 

The 1960s would be Hapoel’s greatest decade. Under the guidance of Coach Shimon Shelah, Hapoel captured league championships in 1960, ’61, ’65, ’66 and ’69 plus Israeli Cups in ’62 and 69. The stars of those teams were playmaker Haim Hazan and team captain Erez Lustig. 

Hapoel debuted in European competitions in 1961 and defeated Galatasaray Istanbul in a two-game, total-points playoff series in the EuroLeague eighthfinals before falling to three-time defending champion ASK Riga in the quarterfinals. 

The core of Barry Leibowitz, Ivan Leshinsky, Mark Tornstein and Alan Zuckerman carried Hapoel to new heights when it won the league and cup double in 1969. Leibowitz was temporarily banned from playing because he was not an amateur – he played one season in the American Basketball Association for Pittsburgh, New Jersey and Oakland – and instead became the team’s player/coach.

The rivalry between Maccabi and Hapoel continued to grow and in an Israeli basketball first, referees from Greece and Turkey were invited to officiate the derby on December 30, 1969. Hapoel lost that game in a controversial manner after the winning basket was disallowed and finished second to Maccabi at the end of the season. Maccabi became the team to beat and in the early 1970s, even after Leibowitz returned to play, Hapoel fell further back in the standings. 

Hapoel returned to European action in the mid-to-late 1970s. In 1976, Leibowitz scored 51 points in a Korac Cup game against FC Barcelona, though Hapoel lost 117-126. In 1979, Fran Costello was signed as the first foreign player in club history. That year the club made waves by reaching the Korac Cup semifinals where it was eliminated by Cibona Zagreb. 

1980 marked a new chapter as the club’s new home arena, Ussishkin Hall, was opened. In 1984, with Yehoshua Rozin on the sidelines and a young backcourt led by Willie Sims and Amos Frishman captured the Israeli Cup. The late 1980s saw a number of big names pass through, including Earl Williams, Lavan Mercer and a young Pini Gershon as head coach, but Hapoel was unable to consistently challenge for the top spots in the league. 

Hapoel made another deep run in the Korac Cup in 1988 when, after victories over Cantu and Jugoplastika Split, it reached the semifinals. This time Drazen Petrovic scored 59 points in the first game and 37 in the second to lead Cibona to a sweep. 

In the early 1990s, Coach Ralph Klein built a strong team with Tomer Steinhauer and Shimon Amsalem in the paint and David Thirdkill and Purvis Short on the perimeter. Hapoel reached the league finals in 1992. That summer, Radenko Dobras replaced Short and Hapoel finished the regular season in first place and eliminated Maccabi in the playoff semifinals, but lost to Gershon and Hapoel Galil Elyon in the finals. Tzvika Sherf replaced Klein, but the result was similar and Hapoel lost to Maccabi in the playoff finals. 

Financial hardships soon fell on Hapoel and, despite the efforts of a young Meir Tapiro and Miki Berkowitz, who played his final season with Hapoel, the club began slipping further in the standings from year to year. In 1997, Hapoel was relegated to the second division for the first time. It bounced right back, but in 1999 it was again relegated. After three years in the second division, Hapoel climbed up again, but in 2006 it was again in the second division.

In between, there was a brief period of success, thanks to the backing of Russian media tycoon Vladimir Gusinsky. Hapoel reached the playoff finals in both 2004 and ’05 and, led by Michael Wright, Yaniv Green and Virginjus Praskevicius, finished third in the 2004 FIBA Europe League. 

Ussishkin was demolished in the summer of 2007, despite protests from the fans, and already the two seasons before that the club played its home games at Maccabi’s home, Yad Eliyahu. Fans refused to support the team at Yad Eliyahu and the rift between the fans and the then-owner all but destroyed the club.

Already for the 2006-07 campaign, management registered Hapoel for the second division due to budget constraints and then finished last in the standings and was demoted again. The fans founded a new club, called Hapoel Ussishkin, in June 2007. It began to play in Israel’s fifth tier, was undefeated in its first season, and achieved promotion in each of its first three campaigns. 

The old Hapoel Tel Aviv folded in December 2009 and the rights to the name were purchased by a fan who gifted it to Hapoel Ussishkin. For the 2010-10 season, Hapoel Tel Aviv was back. It reached the Israeli Cup semifinals, but an injury to star player Matan Naor just before the playoffs saw it fall in its bid to reach the top flight. 

Erez Edelstein took over as head coach for the 2011-12 campaign and led the club back to the top level of Israeli basketball.  Success was not quick to come as the club did not get past the semifinals in any competition over the next nine seasons. 

That changed in February of last season when J’Covan Brown authored a magnificent game with 30 points and 9 assists to upset Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv in the Israeli Cup semifinals at Maccabi’s Menora Mivtachim Arena. Three days later, Bnei Hertzliya got 30 points and 17 rebounds from Chinanu Onuaku, who signed for Hapoel this week, to win the cup 87-82. 

This season the club takes on a new challenge in the 7DAYS EuroCup and it could not have started any better. It routed the London Lions in its first game in front of a passionate crowd at its new home, Shlomo Group Arena, and then rallied past Paris Basketball in the French capital in Round 2. 

With sound and ambitious management, a core of players who have been with the club for many years, a loyal fan base and a rich tradition, Hapoel has everything needed to reestablish itself as a continental force and a perennial challenger for titles in Israel. 

Paris Basketball has added another weapon to its roster by inking Alfonso Plummer, who plays at the shooting guard position. Plummer (1.85 meters, 25 years old) arrives from Capitanes of the G League, where he averaged 10.0 points (75.0% 2FG, 43.8% 3FG) and 2.0 rebounds in 3 games this season. He will make his 7DAYS EuroCup debut when he first takes to the floor for Paris.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="fr" dir="ltr">‼️Welcome <a href="https://twitter.com/AlfonsoPlummer9?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@AlfonsoPlummer9</a> 👋<br><br>Nouveau renfort dans l’effectif avec le recrutement d’Alfonso Plummer, arrière Portoricain qui nous vient de la NBA G League 💥<br><br>👀Alerte shooteur d’élite, plus de 40% de moyenne à 3 points en carrière ☄️<br><br>🖤❤️💙 <a href="https://t.co/iikZ0wA4dS">pic.twitter.com/iikZ0wA4dS</a></p>&mdash; Paris Basketball (@ParisBasketball) <a href="https://twitter.com/ParisBasketball/status/1593303237167382528?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 17, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Plummer spent five years at college, split between Arizona Western College, the University of Utah and the University of Illinois, before beginning his professional career this season with Capitanes. Now, the Puerto Rico international embarks upon his first experience in Europe with Paris.

Paris bolsters options with shooting guard Plummer

A familiar face to 7DAYS EuroCup fans is checking in from Gran Canaria to tell us about his experiences with the team. Power forward John Shurna is in his seventh season in the competition. He first played in the EuroCup with Valencia Basket and has also suited up for Cedevita Zagreb, MoraBanc Andorra and Gran Canaria. This is his third campaign with Gran Canaria and Shurna hopes the experience they have, both individually and collectively, in the competition helps them challenge for the EuroCup title next spring. Shurna will share the ups and downs of the season, whether from Gran Canaria or on any of the team's long road tips, right here on EuroCupBasketball.com! 

First of all, I have to say it's definitely a plus knowing the EuroCup well and having played in the competition before. Obviously, the format's changed so it is a different mindset. Now, it's more important that we improve as a team week by week, trying to play our best basketball towards the end of the season, during the playoffs, as opposed to the previous format where each game was of higher importance, as you had to make sure you advance to the next round. So it's good to have experience and a lot of my teammates also have experience in the competition. So I think that bodes well for us. 

I've played for some good teams in the EuroCup, but never won the title. It's fun seeing a lot of familiar faces as we play against these different teams, as you grow to have a lot of respect for the teams and the players as well. I think everybody competes their hardest, but there's a fun respect for both sides, so it's fun seeing familiar faces and having some laughs before and after the game. I think that winning the EuroCup would be amazing, but with the new format, more things have to fall into place. Obviously, we have to be healthy and playing good basketball toward the end. And with the single-elimination playoff format, it definitely makes things more exciting, but much more of a coin flip as well. 

"It's more important that we improve as a team week by week, trying to play our best basketball towards the end of the season."

We come off a break in which we didn't play in the EuroCup or the Spanish League. We had a rare weekend without games, but most of the team went to represent their national squads, which is obviously a great honor. I think that it shows the quality and talent on our team. All of them had success with their national teams as well, so that was very exciting. There weren't too many guys here in Gran Canaria, so it was just a couple of us practicing with some of the younger guys who were grateful enough to help us out during the week practicing. 

Gran Canaria has done a good job of developing young talent throughout the program. It's fun now seeing former players returning, whether it be Albert Oliver, who is an assistant coach in the second team, and we have Sitapha Savane as our president now. So there are a lot of guys who want to call Gran Canaria home and want to see the program continue to do well, and that includes the youth players, as they continue to grow and develop. 

John Shurna Top Plays of the 2022-23 Regular Season

John Shurna s top plays until November 2022

We have a former player as head coach, Jaka Lakovic. He had a phenomenal career as a player, winning everything, and as a coach, he has had great success so far as well. So he's someone who knows the Spanish League and had success in the EuroCup with Ulm as well. He's been great. He expects a lot from his players but I think, being a former player and with all the success he has, he is someone that we all listen to and take advice from because he knows what it takes to win at the highest level. And as a point guard, he's been a leader his whole life, basically, so everyone has a lot of respect for him. We are fortunate to have him here as a coach. 

As a point guard, he played for some of the greatest coaches in Europe and being so successful, he is someone who I'm sure made sure everyone was in the right positions when he was playing and winning at the highest of levels. He is a great competitor who wants to win, and some who makes sure our focus is on defense and the scouting reports. In practices, he focuses on finishing the play and things like that. I have nothing but great things to say about him as he's been really good for us. 

"[Coach Lakovic] knows what it takes to win at the highest level."

The World Cup is coming! There is some buzz in the team and of course, I'll definitely be rooting for the USA. I think anytime the World Cup's been brought up in the locker room, I bring up the USA and it merely gets laughed at and they continue on with their national teams. Obviously, we have Nicolas Brussino from Argentina, Vitor Benite from Brazil. Damien Inglis and Andrew Albicy are French and, of course, we have some Spanish guys. These are some of the favorites, so I think they merely laugh at the thought of the USA competing in the World Cup, but I'm going to cheer them on and hopefully they can prove some people wrong. 

The EuroCup will be back soon and we have a lot of road trips in the next couple of months after we play Hapoel Tel Aviv at home. After that, we are on the road, I think, for 10 days. So it's going to be a long road trip, but obviously, I think it's a good test for our team and an opportunity for us to come together, so we are fortunate. There are a lot of great guys in the locker room who work hard and want to have success as a team, too. So hopefully we can come together and it will be a successful road trip for us, and definitely long, coming from Gran Canaria, that's for sure. Most times we fly to Madrid and then to our next destination, and then whether it's another connecting flight or a bus. So it's long travels, but people have to come to Gran Canaria, too!

John Shurna, Gran Canaria: 'Winning the EuroCup would be amazing'

On Wednesday night the London Lions announced the arrival of guard Miye Oni and the farewell of Devon Van Oostrum. Oni (1.98 meters, 25 years old) last played in the Utah Jazz of the NBA, where he appeared in 16 games. He played college ball at Yale from 2016 to 2019, where he was named 2018-19 Ivy League Player of the Year. Selected with the 58th pick in the 2019 NBA Draft, Oni participated in 80 regular season games and logged 10 playoff appearances during his time with the Jazz.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">NEW SIGNING ALERT! 👀✍️ <a href="https://twitter.com/PrinceOni13?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PrinceOni13</a> <br><br>We are thrilled to confirm the signing of British-Nigerian guard Miye Oni! 🇬🇧🇳🇬<br><br>Read more: <a href="https://t.co/icz9Xb0u8K">https://t.co/icz9Xb0u8K</a><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/wearelondon?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#wearelondon</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/londonlions?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#londonlions</a> <a href="https://t.co/WDtinX4q5B">pic.twitter.com/WDtinX4q5B</a></p>&mdash; London Lions (@LondonLions) <a href="https://twitter.com/LondonLions/status/1592955079635898368?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 16, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

London Lions add Miye Oni

The next big thing: Coach Fauthoux

**Coach Frederic Fauthoux left LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne this summer and has found instant success as the bench boss of the only undefeated team in the 7DAYS EuroCup, Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse.**

Frederic Fauthoux has already created a reputation in his first 10 years as a coach. The former player and seven-time French League champion added two more domestic titles as an assistant coach with LDCL ASVEL Villeurbanne before taking the next step as a head coach for Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse.

[MORE...](https://www.eurohoops.net/en/eurocup/1419744/the-next-big-thing-coach-fauthoux/)

In this new series, 7DAYS EuroCup at 20, we will highlight some of the key players and events that have contributed to the rich history of the EuroCup. Today we focus on [Marko Popovic](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/marko-popovic/atp/).

Popovic is one of only 20 players to win the EuroCup twice. He was the EuroCup Finals MVP in the first of his two triumphs, in 2011 with UNICS Kazan. The second crown came four years later with Khimki Moscow Region. He played a total of seven seasons in the competition for four teams: his hometown Zadar, UNICS, Khimki and Fuenlabrada.

In this conversation, Popovic relives some of his best EuroCup memories, tells the stories of how his teams got there and what it all meant to him. "I wanted to win that because you play once in a lifetime finals like that, or 2-3, I don't know, but at the moment, it was the biggest opportunity in my whole career," he recalls of the 2011 championship game. "We showed our character, authority and we won it. I wouldn't say pretty easy, but in a way that nobody else expected."

7DAYS EuroCup at 20: Marko Popovic

This season the 7DAYS EuroCup will crown a champion for the 20th time. In its two-plus decades, the competition has seen a host of world-class players, rising stars and historic clubs leave their marks.