One Team Games offered message of inspiration

Once again, it is the time of year for Euroleague Basketball's work in local communities to step into the spotlight with One Team Games taking place throughout the week in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague and 7DAYS EuroCup.

One Team Games this week support pandemic relief

Once again, it is the time of year for Euroleague Basketball's work in local communities to step into the spotlight with One Team Games taking place throughout the week in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague and 7DAYS EuroCup.

One Team, Euroleague Basketball's long-running social responsibility program, was founded in 2012 and has since then used the unifying power of basketball to support vulnerable people all across the continent.

All 42 clubs in the EuroLeague and EuroCup are taking part in the program by running their own activities at a local level with the support of social partners and sponsors. This week, the visibility of the program will be enhanced by the One Team Ambassadors from all 42 clubs wearing a specially designed #WeAreAllOneTeam hoodie during the team arrivals at the court.

One Team's Global Ambassador, AX Armani Exchange Milan star Kyle Hines, is proud to support another week of action: "I have been fortunate to be a part of One Team since the beginning of the project. It has been great to see the impact One Team continues to make. One Team allows us as athletes to bring positive influence and make a real difference in the communities we serve. The One Team Games are always special because they give Euroleague Basketball, its fans and players the opportunity to highlight all the great work being carried out. By all One Team Ambassadors wearing the #WeAreAllOneTeam hoodies, we continue to spread the One Team message and mission."

Euroleague basketball Chief Business Development Officer Roser Queralto added: "One Team is now even more important than ever, with the global pandemic threatening to leave behind people at risk of exclusion from society. These are in many cases the people who are struggling the most with the current situation, and we are very proud to support our clubs with their great work to help vulnerable members of their communities."

Unfortunately, the current pandemic situation means that this year's One Team Games celebration will be different from usual because One Team participants are not able to join the action and get involved in different activities on the court, but clubs are finding innovative ways to support their local communities through digital platforms.

One of the players taking part in this week's activities is Rade Zagorac, Partizan NIS Belgrade's One Team Ambassador, who said: "Despite the difficulties caused by COVID-19, our bond with our participants is getting stronger. Unfortunately, we will not be able to celebrate this year together on the court, but thanks to digital platforms we will still be able to share our message, show that we are thinking about each other, and prove once more that we are all One Team."

Euroleague Basketball Legend Ramunas Siskauskas added:
"As a former player, I am grateful for the opportunity to try to give something back. Basketball has been a hugely positive part of my life and now I want to help other people who need help also gain meaningful benefits from our wonderful sport. One Team Games are a great way to showcase all the work that takes place throughout the year."

Anyone who would like to support the program can buy the same One Team hoodies and t-shirts that will be worn by players across Europe this week, by visiting the new EuroLeague online store at www.amazon.co.uk/euroleaguestore

Proceeds from sales of the hoodies and t-shirts will go directly to One Team pandemic relief efforts. Take this opportunity to support your local One Team program as Euroleague Basketball mobilizes to benefit One Team pandemic relief.

One Team, supported by Turkish Airlines as the One Team Founding Patron and with the collaboration of Special Olympics as Proud Partner, uses basketball to achieve meaningful social impact in our communities across Europe and is supported by every club in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague and 7DAYS EuroCup.

One Team actively works on the development of the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals, focusing specifically on Reduced Inequalities, Gender Equality, Health and Wellbeing, and Quality Education.

Since its founding in 2012, the One Team program has already helped more than 22,000 participants through its various team-focused projects.

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Two great examples come from Zalgiris Kaunas, starting with Antanas Usas, who started volunteering five years ago. Back then, he was still a student, but he managed to find time to volunteer with One Team and continued to do so even after finishing his studies. Antanas is now a lecturer at the Lithuanian Sports University, and working with One Team helps him in his professional activities.

"I have to work with a lot of different people who have different kinds of thoughts, opinions and problems, so the experience that I bring from One Team helps me a lot in everyday work," he explained.

Another supporter of Zalgiris's One Team program is Gediminas Navickas, who became a volunteer at the start of this season after finishing a long career as a professional player. The experiences he brings from his playing days are valuable for the activities, and he is also now working in the Zalgiris youth system.

The story of these two different personalities intertwines in the great video documentary produced by Zalgiris about the challenges, victories and details that come with the One Team project. You can also see what inspires Antanas and Gediminas, and what they have learned.

"I didn't expect it's so professional and so big," said Gediminas. "Probably the most beautiful thing from this program is that when we meet the kids in the first session they are shy and afraid, but after a couple of sessions, they transform. It's really interesting to see how they start to smile more, speak more, joke more."

One Team, supported by Turkish Airlines as the One Team Founding Patron and with the collaboration of Special Olympics as Proud Partner, uses basketball to achieve meaningful social impact in our communities across Europe and is supported by every club in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague and 7DAYS EuroCup.

Since its founding in 2012, the One Team program has already helped more than 19,000 participants through its various team-focused projects.

One Team, the social responsibility program of Euroleague Basketball, is beneficial not only for the young people who take part. It also provides life-changing opportunities to the people who support the organization of the activities, many of whom are volunteers with their local clubs.

Retired player, university lecturer lift Zalgiris One Team

Retired player_ university lecturer lift Zalgiris OT copy

He fought battles in the classroom, in the corridor, in the dressing room. And every battle was followed by the deafening silence of his fear: fear of speaking, fear of not being seen, fear of not being able to communicate except through violence.

Expressing yourself through words can be complex for children, which is why Milan's One Team project champions the importance of sport as an educational tool, as a growth experience, as a way of expressing yourself: say it with a pass, say it with a shot.

When they are on the court, children like Riccardo can jump to the basket without feeling their fear. The team can become a trusted circle in which the coaches welcome you, their whistles mark parameters of time, and the court provides barriers of space.

Through basketball, Riccardo discovered that rules don't have to be his enemy. Rules can be trusted, allowing Riccardo and his teammates to discover together the beauty of being a team, and hearing the happy echo of your name when the ball enters the basket.

Through his involvement with One Team, Riccardo has seen his basketball heroes up close. He has also seen himself up close and discovered that his sometimes misunderstood physicality can actually be a talent, and that "the boy who did not do well in class" can be really good at passing the ball.

Above all, Riccardo learned the value of sharing. He saw that in basketball, together you are stronger, and even your own fury can be contained and controlled if there is a supportive group around you.

When he was given the opportunity to participate in One Team, he slowly grasped its essence and the benefits it could give him. At first, he was detached, with little confidence in the two coaches, Michele and Marilisa, who entered the gym and imposed their rules, their game, removing the possibility of doing what he normally did at home or school with no control.

Soon, though, he became a child who followed a growth path – both in basketball and in character, learning to know and understand himself first, and then how to open up to others, trusting those two coaches who came to him offering a basketball, and an hour of fun and happiness. He was able to transform an angry face into a smiling and happy face.

In time, Riccardo was able to offer his hand to help his teammates, and establish friendly relationships with them – the kind of relationship that often cannot be created in the classroom. Basketball united the children, creating the beginning of a fundamental and deep bond.

It is difficult to provoke change in a growing child, but the fire of passion for a sport illuminates faces and has the power to transform. This is exactly what happened to Riccardo, who today is able to fight on the court, to make a basket, to accept the hand of a companion, and then return to his life with his weapons laid down.

One Team, supported by Turkish Airlines as the One Team Founding Patron and with the collaboration of Special Olympics as Proud Partner, uses basketball to achieve meaningful social impact in our communities across Europe and is supported by every club in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague and 7DAYS EuroCup.

Since its founding in 2012, the One Team program has already helped more than 19,000 participants through its various team-focused projects.

Riccardo, a nine-year-old participant in the AX Armani Exchange Milan One Team program, used to fight a lot of battles.

AX Armani Exchange Milan One Team program teaches Riccardo to fight the right battles

AX Armani Exchange Milan One Team program teaches Riccardo copy

One Team Games Recap 

At the start of the program, he quickly lost motivation during the basketball sessions because - as a very proficient player - he did not find them sufficiently challenging. He occasionally pulled out of the activities without giving any explanation, creating a bad atmosphere within the group.

Little by little, however, Barca's One Team coaches were able to talk with Joan, asking him to reflect upon and understand the objectives of the program. This resulted in a very positive change of attitude, allowing Joan to make use of his basketball skills and knowledge to the benefit of both the group and himself.

Marta Piqué, one of the One Team coaches for the club, believes Joan's experiences with One Team will be very helpful to his life in general, saying: "Joan is evolving and improving with every session. He is learning social skills like communication, empathy and respect for others, and also acquiring new skills such as creating and organising sessions for One Team meetings.

"Joan can now help his friends improve in different aspects, and above all he has learned to respect each activity. This progressive and stable change made us think of offering him the development of a work plan which could be useful in his future work search.

"Although only one month has passed since the firm proposal of starting the work plan, he has fulfilled all the tasks entrusted to him on a weekly basis, even when there was no One Team session. The work plan is revised according to his attitude and the different tasks in the sessions, as well as his achievements within them.

"When Joan completes the work plan he will be rewarded by the presentation of a certificate from the Barça Foundation as recognition his hard work, which could be useful in his future search for employment."

Barca is working over a nine-month period with 20 young men like Joan from the Youth Detention Centre of Catalonia, using basketball as a tool for weekly training sessions that promote initiative, responsibility, respect, the importance of following rules and other valuable lessons for future employability.

One Team, supported by Turkish Airlines as the One Team Founding Patron and with the collaboration of Special Olympics as Proud Partner, uses basketball to achieve meaningful social impact in our communities across Europe and is supported by every club in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague and 7DAYS EuroCup.

Since its founding in 2012, the One Team program has already helped more than 16,000 participants through its various team-focused projects.


Joan is a young man currently completing a sentence at the Youth Detention Centre of Catalonia. Every week, he is attending a two-hour session with FC Barcelona Lassa's One Team program.

Joan learning life lessons through One Team and Barca

Joan learning life lessons through One Team and Barca copy

Eti was part of a group of local young children who were invited to take part in a number of exciting activities during the Final Four, including a special public session at the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague FanZone alongside players Kyle Hines, Nikita Kurbanov, Felipe Reyes, Sinan Guler and Sertac Sanli.

Most memorably, he was also given the special privilege of stepping onto the court at Fernando Buesa Arena, accompanying CSKA Moscow star Will Clyburn – who was later named Final Four MVP – before the semifinal against Real Madrid.

Hito Rosado, the president of Gizarterako Association, the club's social partner, beamed: "It's something they are going to remember for life, to be directly a part of the Final Four."
It was certainly an unforgettable week for Eti and his friends, but One Team is not just about a few days of activities during the Final Four and Eti has been part of the program for a long time now.

"Eti started with Baskonia's One Team five years ago," Rosado explained. "He started to come with his brother, and now he comes with his sister. He's extremely happy with his routine of coming more than two times a week for basketball training. I think the program has had a very positive impact both on Eti and his family. He has learned some fundamental values and recovered the joy of childhood."

The activities at the Final Four were the climax of a busy One Team season for Baskonia, which delivered its program together with the Gizarterako Association, an open association with a strong street presence and a dynamic, participatory nature.

The program was developed with a focus on social reintegration in the region, as the club's 5+11 Foundation works on the promotion of healthy lifestyle habits with local boys and girls. Basketball is used to encourage positive values such as healthy lifestyle, sportsmanship, hard work, teamwork and tolerance. The program is dedicated towards children from immigrant backgrounds and those with potential to become excluded from society.

Iker Gonzalez de Garibay, Baskonia's One Team Manager, added: "With the One Team project, we have found a great tool to make a big impact upon children from our city. They have found in basketball a way of life, a way of understanding values, a way of enjoying life and a way of developing themselves."

One Team, supported by Turkish Airlines as the One Team Founding Patron and with the collaboration of Special Olympics as Proud Partner, uses basketball to achieve meaningful social impact in our communities across Europe and is supported by every club in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague and 7DAYS EuroCup.

Since its founding in 2012, the One Team program has already helped more than 16,000 participants through its various team-focused projects.

The Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Final Four in Vitoria-Gasteiz was a special event for basketball fans everywhere, but perhaps for none more so than 12-year-old Eti Igiebor, a participant in local club KIROLBET Baskonia's One Team program.

Unforgettable Final Four for Baskonia's One Team kids

Unforgettable Final Four for Baskonia One Team kids copy