John Shurna calls Gran Canaria home for many reasons, on and off the court. Euroleague.net's Javier Gancedo talked to him about it all.

John Shurna and Gran Canaria: A match made in heaven

Gran Canaria is a dream destination of a lot of people. A lot of people from Northern Europe choose to retire in the Canary Islands due to its unbeatable combination of great weather, beautiful beaches and friendly people. Almost 900,000 people live in Gran Canaria and thousands of tourists go every year whether it is to windsurf, enjoy its great weather, especially in winter months, or just disconnect from their daily duties.

The island is home to [Dreamland Gran Canaria](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/dreamland-gran-canaria/can/), the 2022-23 BKT EuroCup champions. Founded back in 1963, there is no time like the present for the club, which is playing its second EuroCup Finals in three years and previously reached this stage in 2015. 

Back in 2023, power forward [John Shurna](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/john-shurna/006588/) was chosen as the EuroCup Finals MVP after leading Gran Canaria past Turk Telekom Ankara to complete the club's most memorable night in its history. Shurna is in his sixth season with Gran Canaria, but before that he played for six different clubs in seven years. It was meant to be: a laid-back, really talented player finding his place in the European basketball ecosystem, playing for the perfect team in the perfect spot.

"I wouldn't have predicted this, coming from Chicago to living off the coast of Africa for and playing for Gran Canaria for such a long time. No, I would not have predicted this," Shurna says in an exclusive in-depth interview with [Euroleague.net](http://Euroleague.net)'s Javier Gancedo.

Born in Glen Ellyn, Illinois, Shurna started to play basketball when the Chicago Bulls dominated the NBA in the 1990s. He opted to join Northwestern University due to his high academic standards and ended up being its all-time top scorer. In 2009, he won the U19 World Cup with the USA in Auckland, New Zealand. That gave him the confidence to try to turn basketball into his professional career. Shurna never made it to the NBA, being cut by the New York Knicks, and after playing in France, Spain, Croatia, Turkiye and Andorra, he found a home in Gran Canaria.

"I am grateful for every stop in my career," he says. "I have been fortunate to have played with an amazing group of players and also coaches. I played for a lot of amazing coaches who I got to learn from, and a lot of great memories with players, coaches, and fans from all the different clubs I played for. 

"It is great to be able to stay in a place like Gran Canaria, and we have been fortunate to keep a lot of the core here as well. I made a lot of lifelong friendships and even just relationships with the fans and the people working for the club. It makes me hold a more special place in my heart for Gran Canaria and to represent the club and the island overall."

There are many things that keep Shurna happy in Gran Canaria. Let's start with all the basketball-related stuff. 

Gran Canaria has been able to keep a core of players together who have developed into best friends. After so many years together, [Miquel Salvo](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/miquel-salvo/005005/), [Andrew Albicy](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/andrew-albicy/003425/) and [Nico Brussino](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/nicolas-brussino/008121/) know where Shurna will be without having to ask. Shurna and Albicy have played together for seven seasons – two at Andorra and the last five at Gran Canaria. They get to teach new players what it means to be a member of this club, where to go, how to behave and how to be successful.

Gran Canaria forward John Shurna completed a magical season with another individual accolade as the 7DAYS EuroCup Finals MVP. Shurna was the leading scorer with 18 points as Gran Canaria held off Turk Telekom Ankara 71-67 to win the EuroCup for the first time and earn a ticket to the 2023-23 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague.

John Shurna | Final MVP | 2022-23 7DAYS EuroCup

"With Miqui \[Miquel Salvo\], Nico \[Brussino\], Andrew \[Albicy\] and myself being here for so long, I think Gran Canaria does mean a lot to us," Shurna says. "And I think it's been we want to continue to have the club go in the right direction. Credit to our management and our coaching staff, as in a place like Gran Canaria, there are a lot of changes roster wise each year, mainly for guys who have earned better opportunities, whether it be financially or basketball wise to go to other teams. 

"There's a lot of turnover each year, and I think the club has done a great job finding different pieces. Also, credit to Jaka \[Lakovic\] and the coaching staff for having to adjust each year and putting our team in the right situations to succeed, as the team is different every year. I think we try our best to welcome everyone with open arms to try for them to succeed individually and as a team."

Off the court, Gran Canaria has everything Shurna, his wife Mallory and their sons Jake and Miles can wish for. Long trips are the only issue for any player at Gran Canaria but Mallory steps up each and every time, up to the point that John calls her a superwoman.

"Without my wife, I don't know where I would be," he admits. "The great thing about Gran Canaria is you live on a beautiful island. The difficult part is that travels are long. She is definitely the backbone of our family. It is a bit chaotic but she is superwoman. I'm grateful to have such a great partner, wife, mother like her, that is so supportive of me chasing my goals and doing everything she does for our family.

"As for my kids, we have family back in Chicago so when they spend time with their grandparents in the summer, they enjoy all the extra attention they get and the treats from the grandparents and things like this. So I think they enjoy their time in Chicago, but they also have friends here. They really enjoy life in Gran Canaria as well. My oldest son even speaks Spanish with a canary accent! We definitely love Gran Canaria, and we have been extremely happy here."

People in Gran Canaria love Shurna and his family back, too. He has a great relationship with fans that led to some awkward situations. After renewing his contract, the club posted a picture with him looking like a saint, calling him Padre John (Father John), Protector of Impossible Shots and Low Post Game. He played along with the joke, of course.

<center><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="es" dir="ltr">🙏 Sus plegarias han sido escuchadas. Para la mesita de noche, el salpicadero del coche… <br><br>👼 Estampita de <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PadreJohn?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PadreJohn</a> <a href="https://t.co/cG1tRmrxZb">pic.twitter.com/cG1tRmrxZb</a></p>&mdash; Dreamland Gran Canaria (@GranCanariaCB) <a href="https://twitter.com/GranCanariaCB/status/1674126593424347154?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 28, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></center>

"I don't have social media so I really don't have an opinion on it, but I don't view it as a negative," he says. "If it makes fans happy. I'm happy to go with it. If it brings a smile to our fans' faces, being called something like that, I'm OK with it.

"I love our fans and the relationship I have with them. I am always grateful for anyone to pay money to come watch us play. I try to do my best to give my best each night: whether making shots or missing shots, you can always give your best effort and also try to be the best representative I can of the island. 

"Even when not on the court, it's fun seeing fans outside, whether it be walking around \[local beach\] Las Canteras or going to schools, or in the grocery store... Like I said, I am grateful for everyone that supports our team and willing to come support us."

After six years in Gran Canaria, Shurna does not hesitate to call Gran Canaria home. Jake and Miles have grown up on the island, John has been more successful at Gran Canaria than anywhere else in his career, and walking around the city is still special for the Shurnas after so much time living there.

"First off, it's beautiful. Anytime you get to wake up and you can see the sun, palm trees and the beach... It's a beautiful island," he continues. "In the city, each neighborhood has its own personality. And the people have welcomed us with open arms and been friendly. We have made a lot of great friends and relationships here, so it's a place my family and I have been calling home for a while now. My kids have spent more time here than anywhere else in the world. It's a place that we hold special in our hearts."

<center><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="es" dir="ltr">Padre John les desea un feliz <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/D%C3%ADaDelPadre?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#DíaDelPadre</a> 💛 <a href="https://t.co/FsS9Y8Zq57">pic.twitter.com/FsS9Y8Zq57</a></p>&mdash; Dreamland Gran Canaria (@GranCanariaCB) <a href="https://twitter.com/GranCanariaCB/status/1770023979387937077?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 19, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></center>

At this point, Shurna could even work as a tour guide as he knows the island inside out. He has done his best to drive around and know every inch of the island, enjoying its diversity, from mountains to beaches to natural pools and everything in the middle. Shurna has found out that Gran Canaria is much more than just a beautiful island with great beaches, and that it is its great people what actually makes the difference.

"I think you would have to start with Las Canteras, just walking along that area, it's beautiful. This is the one place that when I go walking down there, I kind of always just kind of say, 'Wow, it's amazing I get to live here'," he says. "Walking along the boardwalk, seeing the beach, seeing the water typically sunny... so just walking along there, I think, is something that always brings a smile to my face. Also, Triana and Vegueta are fun areas to walk around. It is the older part of town where there are parks and kids can play and a lot of nice restaurants.

"And then outside of Las Palmas, obviously the south of the island is beautiful and even more sunny, a bit warmer than the northern part of the island. You can find some beautiful beaches there. You can also head to the center, Roque Nublo, if you are looking for mountains. And then if you're going to the northwest, you can go to Agaete, which is beautiful, and go for hikes and natural pools in that area. And further in the island, you can go to Teror, too. There is a great Sunday market where you can find every other stand with its trademark chorizo. 

"I love Gran Canaria because there is a little bit of something for everyone and typically great weather, sunshine and great people. We have been fortunate to call it home. So I have plenty of recommendations, it just depends on who the person is and your personality and what you like!"

Being away from social media has allowed Shurna to live a really quiet life in Gran Canaria. Little is known about him off the court, but there is one hobby he has shared online: he really loves the EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge. He accepted an invitation to come on the EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge podcast and come back on several times. Shurna is not doing bad, ranking 3,296th of over 540,000 teams in the standings. It is also a fun way to stay connected to former teammates, so it is a win-win situation.

"I am a big fan of the EuroLeague and follow it, and the EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge has been a fun way to keep in touch with other teammates like Sam Van Rossom and the Colom brothers \[Quino and Guille\]," he admits. "I don't play the EuroCup Fantasy Challenge. When it comes to games I am playing in, I am focused on doing what I can to help the team, and I don't want any alternative. I want to make sure I'm focused on the game.

"I think just after being here for so many years, building relationships with a lot of different players and coaches, and just being a huge basketball fan, it is something I enjoy, watching the EuroLeague each week and following my fantasy team. The Fantasy Challenge is a fun way to keep in touch with teammates, and I enjoy it a lot."

In the end, Shurna may end up doing what a lot of people do in Gran Canaria: calling it home for good and live on the island after his playing days. But first, his main goal is to bring another EuroCup title to the club and to keep playing for Gran Canaria for as long as he can.

"My body still feels good, so I hope I can play for a lot longer, and I would love for it to be in Gran Canaria," he says. "But yes, that's definitely something my wife and I talk about. We will see what happens down the road. It's a beautiful place that my family and I really, really love."

Game 2 News

John Shurna calls Gran Canaria home for many reasons, on and off the court. Euroleague.net's Javier Gancedo talked to him about life in the Canary Islands and much more

Dreamland Gran Canaria v Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv (2025-04-11T19:00:00.000Z)

Ish Wainright wants to win. He came to Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv this summer to win with one of his closest friends. And he is very close to winning a championship for the first time in his career.

Ish Wainright wants to win

Ish Wainright wants to win. He came to Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv this summer to win with one of his closest friends. And he is very close to winning a championship for the first time in his career.

While the desire to win is something that every player at the highest levels shares, Wainright's road to the Canary Islands for Game 2 of the BKT EuroCup Finals, is unique to itself.

The versatile forward counts baseball as his favorite sport, gave up for basketball for American football after playing in college and now cherishes every minute of every basketball game he plays. Wainright brings a killer attitude to the court and aspires to coach basketball when his playing days come to an end.

So how did he get here? Some of it was dumb luck. Scheduling kept him to playing just two sports when he reached high school.

"My freshman year in high school I actually tried out for the baseball team," Wainright recalled. "I played football, played basketball. I wanted to do swimming, but everything, it was just so much, I couldn't do everything. So I just picked basketball and football my freshman year."

It turned out to be a great choice as Wainright developed into one of the top high school players in the United States. He ultimately decided to play college basketball at Baylor University and met one of his current teammates, Johnathan Motley, the moment he first arrived at the school.

"We pulled up at the same time on campus, our freshman year," Wainright said. "We pulled up literally 10 seconds \[apart\]. I pulled up first and then he pulled up in a parking spot right next to me. And it was like a brotherhood from day one."

That brotherhood would play a key role in Wainright's arrival in Tel Aviv. But their respective careers would take many twists and turns before then.

Best of Ish Wainright: 2024-25

Wainright played four seasons of Basketball at Baylor and as it ended, the idea of playing football came up. While he was kicking the idea around, the Baylor football head coach, Matt Rhule, contacted Wainright on social media.  

"He was like, 'hey man, you'll be a great tight end for me,'" Wainright said. "'You could possibly make it to the NFL'… I laughed at that message."

Rhule convinced him to sit down with him to talk it over. And eventually to give football a try. Wainright showed promise and scored a pair of touchdowns for Baylor. He then went through the scouting process and wound up going to preseason training with the NFL's Buffalo Bills, but in the end he decided "it wasn't for me."

Fortunately, he had basketball to fall back on. But before spending parts of three seasons in the NBA and competing for EuroCup glory with Hapoel, Wainright had to get his basketball groove back. And the first step in that process was playing in the German second division with Nuremberg.

It was a struggle at first as Wainright was still at his football weight and getting used to the differences between American and European basketball.

"I think I got called for traveling like four times in each game at one point," he exclaimed. "But it wasn't a bad transition. It wasn't a tough transition because I learned how to adapt at a young age when it came to certain things. And we took that team to the finals."

From Nuremberg to Vechta, Germany; to Strasbourg, France; to Phoenix and Portland, USA; Wainright built a reputation as a team-first, defensive-minded player with a good outside shot. As great a teammate as he was in the locker room, he was as tough as they came on the court.

"My dad was the exact same way. He was a killer on the court, but once he got off the court, it was just all love, no hate. All love, happiness, and just joy, just being around. He told me: 'You go on that court, everything goes out the window, friendships, family. No. You need to kill whoever's in front of you.'"

Wainright even shared an anecdote for the EuroCup semifinals.

"I don't know if people knew, but me and \[Valencia Basket's\] Semi Ojeleye have been playing against each other since we were in the fourth grade. Since we were little kids… So, it's all fun and games off the court, but on that court, it's a different mindset. You're trying to take something that I have. You have something that I have. I'm trying to take what you have. It's that type of mindset.

"But when we got off the court, oh, 'what's up, bro? How you been? Life been good? Mom's all right? I'm proud of you.' But once that ball is up in the air, we're gonna have fun, but I'm going to try to kill you while I'm having fun. I'm enjoying making you miserable."

While he was telling stories, Wainright shared how the call to Motley went when he decided to sign for Hapoel over the summer. Wainright had several offers on the table and then…

Ish Wainright with Johnathan Motley: 'I asked Motley two questions. I said, you ready to win?'

"They told me that Motley was going to go to Hapoel Tel Aviv. And I said, oh. Okay, I called Motley. I asked Motley two questions. I said, you ready to win? He's like, 'what you mean?'

"I said, you ready to win, bro? Like, let's win. He's like, 'what are you talking about?' I said, all right. Hapoel is making me an offer that I'm highly considering. And I said, are you ready to win?

"And he said, 'you about to sign?' And I said, bro, you trying to win? I'm trying to win. I haven't won anything. I want to win a championship… He was like, 'let's win.'

"And so I sent a message right to my agents, right to Steph \[Dedas\] and said, yo, Hapoel it is. That was that was the conversation that we had, me and Motley. It was just a couple of questions."

And now Motley and Wainright are one win away from realizing that dream together. It could happen as soon as Friday when Hapoel faces Dreamland Gran Canaria with a 1-0 lead in the best-of- three finals.

"Not a lot of guys are able to say, I am in the EuroCup Finals to make it to EuroLeague, to get a chance to play in EuroLeague. Me and Antonio Blakely, we haven't won. We want to win. This right here is something that is by any means necessary," Wainright said.

"We want to win. Like I told the guys before, I said, I don't care if I shoot one shot a game. I don't care. I want to win… If coach goes with a lineup that I don't play, I don't care. I want to win. Whatever you say, we're going to do, and we're going to win.

"It is a once-in-a-lifetime thing to not just me, but to a lot of guys. It means more for this country, for this team, Hapoel Tel Aviv, because they've never done anything like this. We're making history, and it's a lot more history to be made with this organization. I'm excited, man. I'm blessed to be a part of this, and I'm looking forward to going to Gran Canaria and winning."

The Hapoel forward has taken an unusual road to the EuroCup Finals and he is loving where he is now

It takes prime-time players to win championships. And no player on Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv has risen to the challenge quite like Antonio Blakeney. 

Antonio Blakeney is rising to the challenge for Hapoel

It takes prime-time players to win championships. And no player on [Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/hapoel-shlomo-tel-aviv/hta/) has risen to the challenge quite like [Antonio Blakeney](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/antonio-blakeney/013402/).

A mid-season addition with no previous experience in the BKT EuroCup, it took Blakeney time to find a consistent role with the club. Alongside a 20-point effort against Joventut Badalona in his fourth game with Hapoel and a 27-point showing against Besiktas Fibabanka Istanbul in Round 12 came three scoreless nights, including in the quarterfinals against Turk Telekom Ankara.

However, over Hapoel's last three games, no one has been better. Blakeney went off for 22 points in Game 2 of the semifinals against Valencia Basket and then erupted for 32 in the series-clincher. He opened the finals with 17 as Hapoel marched to a 74-65 victory over Dreamland Gran Canaria.

Blakeney set the tone with 10 points in the opening quarter. When asked about his strong start, Blakeney replied: "I'm just being aggressive, you know, doing what my coach is telling me to do and trying to be aggressive on the offensive end and then also play defense and do whatever it takes to win."

There were times during the season where Blakeney was on the outside of the rotation. He did not play at all in Round 15 against Buducnost VOLI Podgorica and missed his only shot in 4 minutes against Bahcesehir College Istanbul the following week. But Blakeney fought his way back into the rotation.

"I just kept working," Blakeney said after Tuesday's victory in Samokov, Bulgaria. "Obviously, it's a long season, a lot of ups and downs, a lot of moving parts. But I think the main thing that I always did was just keep working. And I kept my faith. And coach, you know, he believed in me. I kept getting better at the things he wanted me to get better at. And obviously now I'm getting more minutes."

Antonio Blakeney highlights from Game 1 of the finals

In the buildup to the semifinals, Blakeney's increased role could already be seen coming in the Israeli League, where he moved into the starting lineup and started playing more minutes and scoring more. However, after barely playing in the EuroCup Quarterfinals, few could have predicted what was coming. One, though, who might have predicted it was his head coach.

Coach Dimitris Itoudis heaped praise on Blakeney after the latter's monster performance in Game 3 of the semifinals and explained how the scorer earned a larger role in recent weeks

"There is no behind the scenes. This is a helluva work from his side, because the players. I told him at the end, when you pass this test that we put for you. The doubts. The moments that he felt like he was neglected or was not trusted and I always kept telling him to work hard, he was waking harder and more and more," Itoudis told Israel Hayom, the rights-holder for EuroCup games in Israel.

"I have individual talks with each and everyone. At the end of the day, those minutes that he gained and the rest of the players are earned over here on the court. I am not gonna give minutes because he has this contract or his name is this or he comes from that league. He brings it to the table, he is gonna play minutes. Him and everybody else."

Blakeney has earned his minutes and everyone on the team is benefitting from it. And now with Blakeney starring alongside the likes of [Johnathan Motley](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/johnathan-motley/011157/), [Yam Madar](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/yam-madar/011052/), [Marcus Foster](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/marcus-foster/010386/) and co., Hapoel will try to lock up the EuroCup championship on Friday on the Canary Islands.

Game News

The instant-offense guard has shined brightest in the biggest games of the season

Antonio Blakeney is rising to the challenge for Hapoel Tel Aviv

Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv v Dreamland Gran Canaria (2025-04-08T17:30:00.000Z)

EuroCup Fantasy Challenge: Finals Game 1 winner

Congratulations to Nikolaos Kechris, our 24th winner in the 2024-25 EuroCup Fantasy Challenge! Nikolaos's team, 'area51 Aliens', posted a score of 129.45.

Nikolaos had the following starting lineup: Johnathan Motley of Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv as team captain, then his teammates Antonio Blakeney, Yam Madar and Tomer Ginat, as well as Caleb Homesley of Dreamland Gran Canaria. Hapoel's Bruno Caboclo was the sixth man.

The head coach of Nikolaos's team was Hapoel's Dimitris Itoudis, and the four bench players were all from Gran Canaria: Nico Brussino, John Shurna, Andrew Albicy and Joe Thomasson.

The prize for finishing first in the 24th round of the EuroCup Fantasy Challenge is a free subscription to Euroleague TV for the 2025-26 season, so congratulations, Nikolaos!

The leader in the overall standings remains Milos Mihajlovic and his squad, 'BallIsLife', which has a total of 3,871.95 points after the first 24 rounds. Trades are now open for the 25th round, which is Game 2 of the EuroCup Finals, and the number of trades is unlimited.

Make new teams now or improve your existing ones and try to become EuroCup Fantasy Challenge's next winner!

EuroCup Fantasy Challenge offers weekly prizes to the top team manager, so get in the game and go for the gold!

Johnathan Motley led Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv to a 74-65 victory over Dreamland Gran Canaria in Game 1 of the BKT EuroCup finals on Tuesday night. 

Johnathan Motley's 'amazing game' carried Hapoel one step closer to glory

When the head coach apologizes to a player or playing him too many minutes, it says something about how much that player means to the team.

And Coach Dimitris Itoudis did apologize to star center [Johnathan Motley](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/johnathan-motley/011157/) at the post-game press conference after the big man led [Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/hapoel-shlomo-tel-aviv/hta/) to [a 74-65 victory](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/news/hapoel-beats-gran-canaria-74-65-in-finals-opener/) over [Dreamland Gran Canaria](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/dreamland-gran-canaria/can/) in Game 1 of the BKT EuroCup finals on Tuesday night.

Motley scored 12 points in the third quarter alone as Hapoel took control of the game, turning a 3-point halftime lead into a double-digit advantage, which it never gave up. Over the first 3 minutes of the second half, Motley drew the third foul from Gran Canaria starting center [Mike Tobey](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/mike-tobey/008966/), made 2 free throws, scored in the paint, sank a mid-range jumper and converted a fast break layup. He singlehandedly outscored the opponents 8-2 as Hapoel took charge of the game for good. After that, Itoudis could not find the time to rest him.

"I need to apologize to Motley that I played him 20 minutes in the second half," the two-time EuroLeague winning head coach said in the post-game press conference. "I was looking for 2 minutes to find to rest him. Obviously, Motley will say 'Keep me in. Keep me in.' But I have to be more, let's say to predict things, what will happen. He played also an amazing game."

That "amazing game" consisted of a game-high 18 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal and 1 block for a PIR of 19. What's more, he had a +/- of 14 in 35 minutes on the floor, which means that in the 5 minutes of the first half in which he rested, Gran Canaria outscored Hapoel by 5.

Johnathan Motley highlights from Game 1 of EuroCup Finals

Those numbers didn't surprise anyone wearing a red jersey on Tuesday.

"Everybody knows \[Motley's\] talent and ability. He can do amazing things. He can do everything in basketball," Hapoel forward [Tomer Ginat](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/tomer-ginat/010550/) said after the game. "They didn't have an answer for him in the third quarter, in the second half."

Itoudis explained that leaning on Motley was something they were looking to do in the second half after discussing it at halftime.

"We changed some things and I think we were much more better and balanced on offense \[in the second half\], we shared the ball more," he explained. "We found some good looks with extra passes touching the ball more to Mot. And he becomes a secondary creator or he becomes the executor. And we were more composed on the defensive end."

Game Videos

Motley was the first big signing that Hapoel made over the summer. At the time, it signaled that Hapoel had championship aspirations this season. And now the team is one win from that championship, not just because of Motley's ability, but also because of his leadership. 

"I just really want to do whatever it takes to help my team win," Motley said after the game. "It means a lot to me, it means a lots to the team. We worked hard all year. So we're just gonna try to keep going and hopefully we just keep winning…

"We were happy with the defense \[in the first half\], but I think we just was missing some offensive execution. So the third quarter, I wanted to come out and be super aggressive. Maybe I could be the starter to help the offense move better. And I think I did a good job. You know, I started it, it came back, it came back to me. I finished the play. But man, we got a great team and \[I'm\] happy with everybody playing defense. They only scored 65 points!"

Hapoel was doubly aided by a great effort from its second-string center, [Bruno Caboclo](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/bruno-caboclo/012096/), whose performance Itoudis singled out.

"Bruno played probably one of his best games so far, defensively and offensively," Itoudis said. "He can spread the floor, he's really big. He can dominate on rebounds, block shots, intimidate guards to get into the paint with his verticality."

Could that tough defense and a dangerous Motley and Caboclo in the paint be the recipe to win the EuroCup Trophy? Hapoel will get a chance to test out that theory in Game 2 on Friday. 

The star center was the driving force for his team's victory in Game 1 of the finals

Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv claimed a 74-65 victory in Game 1 of the BKT EuroCup Finals over Dreamland Gran Canaria at Samokov Arena in Bulgaria to move within a single win of the crown

The series will resume on Friday in the Canary Islands 

Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv claimed a 74-65 victory on Tuesday in Game 1 of the BKT EuroCup Finals over Dreamland Gran Canaria at Samokov Arena in Bulgaria to move within a single win of the crown. The best-of-three series will continue in the Canary Islands on Friday, where Gran Canaria will try to even things.

Johnathan Motley scored 12 of his game-high 18 points in the third quarter as Hapoel turned a 3-point halftime edge into a double-digit advantage. The lead reached 15 in the fourth quarter as Hapoel put the game to bed early. Antonio Blakeney added 17 points for the winners and Yam Madar and Marcus Foster contributed 10 each, with the former dishing 5 assists.

George Conditt paced the Gran Canari attack with 12 points and 8 rebounds,  Caleb Homesley tallied 11 points and 6 assists and John Shurna and Andrew Albicy contributed 10 points apices.

Albicy banked in a shot to open the scoring before Madar got Hapoel on the scoreboard with a pull-up jumper. The intensity of the finals could be felt early with the teams trading shots and leads. Two threes by Madar and another from Blakeney pushed Hapoel up 15-11 midway through the opening quarter. Albicy fired back with a deep three but was answered again by Blakeney. After a flurry of substitutions from both teams, Conditt scored twice to bring Gran Canaria within 2 and the first quarter finished with Hapoel up 22-20.

Miquel Salvo’s uncontested score tied it and Mehdy Ngouama’s free throw put the visitors ahead as Gran Canaria completed a 0-7 run. Blakeney scored in the paint to end a 3+ minute Hapoel drought and Ish Wainright pushed his team ahead from the line. Albicy's three-point play evened things at 30-30 and Shurna put Gran Canaria up with free throws. Hapoel went with a big lineup that started to pay dividends as Bruno Caboclo nailed a three and Motley a layup. After a tough basket by Homesley, Caboclo made it 39-36 at halftime.

Motley scored the first 4 points of the second half before Joe Thomasson replied with a long jumper. Then Motley scored the next 4 points for a 47-38 Hapoel lead, which prompted a Gran Canaria timeout. Motley fed Ginat for a layup and Hapoel's first double-digit lead, 51-40. The margin reached 13 before Nicolas Brussino and Shurna gave the visitors hope. Foster beat the third-quarter buzzer with a layup to make it 60-50.

Blakeney drove for a layup as Hapoel kept Gran Canaria without a point for the first 2 and a half minutes of the fourth quarter. Pierre Pelos free throws got the visitors within 62-53. Threes by Foster and Caboclo gave Hapoel a commanding 71-56 lead, prompting a Gran Canaria timeout. Brussino netted a triple and Shurna made it a 10-point game with 2:25 to play. But Hapoel held on without much trouble to move within one win of the crown.

Hapoel beats Gran Canaria 74-65 in finals opener 

The BKT EuroCup Finals get underway on Tuesday with Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv hosting Dreamland Gran Canaria for the first game of this best-of-three series. Here’s your guide to what promises to be a thrilling title showdown.

Game Center: Hapoel Tel Aviv, Gran Canaria meet in Game 1 of the finals

## Tuesday, April 8

[**Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv 74-65 Dreamland Gran Canaria**](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/game-center/2024-25/hapoel-shlomo-tel-aviv-dreamland-gran-canaria/U2024/195/#boxscore) 

Hapoel won Game 1 of the BKT EuroCup Finals over Gran Canaria at Samokov Arena in Bulgaria to move within a single win of the crown. The best-of-three series will continue in the Canary Islands on Friday, where Gran Canaria will try to even things.

Johnathan Motley scored 12 of his game-high 18 points in the third quarter as Hapoel turned a 3-point halftime edge into a double-digit advantage. The lead reached 15 in the fourth quarter as Hapoel put the game to bed early. Antonio Blakeney added 17 points for the winners and Yam Madar and Marcus Foster contributed 10 each, with the former dishing 5 assists.

George Conditt paced the Gran Canari attack with 12 points and 8 rebounds,  Caleb Homesley tallied 11 points and 6 assists and John Shurna and Andrew Albicy contributed 10 points apiece. 

<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">LIVECAST: Welcome to Game 1 of the BKT EuroCup Finals!<a href="https://twitter.com/HapoelTLVBC?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@HapoelTLVBC</a> takes on <a href="https://twitter.com/GranCanariaCB?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@GranCanariaCB</a> in Samokov Arena.<br><br>This is a thread to tell you all about it as it happens LIVE!<br><br>Stay tuned for facts, info and analysis!<br><br>It will be a great game. HERE. WE. GO. <a href="https://t.co/BAZ8hPC8DC">pic.twitter.com/BAZ8hPC8DC</a></p>&mdash; BKT EuroCup (@EuroCup) <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroCup/status/1909644817514049571?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 8, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

The best-of-three series will determine the 2025 EuroCup champion

Game Center: Hapoel wins Game 1 of finals 74-65 over Gran Canaria

Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv v Dreamland Gran Canaria (2025-04-08T17:00:00.000Z)

Hapoel Tel Aviv BC star Johnathan Motley spoke with Euroleague.net's Geoff Gillingham ahead of the team's BKT EuroCup Finals series against CB Gran Canaria.

Johnathan Motley: From a near-death experience to dreaming of EuroCup glory with Hapoel Tel Aviv

It all could have been so different for [Johnathan Motley](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/johnathan-motley/011157/).

Back in high school, basketball was the last thing on the mind of the [Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/hapoel-shlomo-tel-aviv/hta/) center and [2024-25 All-EuroCup First Team](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/news/bkt-all-eurocup-2024-25-first-team/) selection. For a while, at least.

Prior to his junior year at high school, Motley’s appendix burst and he had to spend 18 days at the Texas Children's Hospital. For any aspiring athlete, a setback like that could be incredibly damaging.

“That was one of the weirdest moments in my life,” Motley tells [Euroleague.net](http://Euroleague.net)’s Geoff Gillingham. “It was a really crazy situation and I could have almost died.

“I had bacteria spreading through my body, that's why I stayed in the hospital so long. They had to connect a PICC line into arm so that the medicine can go straight to my heart. I was on medicine for like couple months or two – it was crazy. I just had to pump constant antibiotics just to kill all the germs because it had actually ruptured, so that was crazy. I wasn’t even worrying about pro at that moment, I was just worried about getting better.”

Naturally, Motley lost a lot of weight during that time. Suddenly, he was having to play catchup.  

“I think I lost like 30 pounds, something crazy,” Motley says. “It was bad. I couldn’t eat for a while because you pump all that medicine into you; the medicine’s got side effects so I wasn’t eating.

“I couldn’t really move that much for a couple of weeks after I got out the hospital. And I had to take a medicine bag home so that the PICC line stayed in my body, so I had to keep it at home and I had to go to school like this and connect bags of antibiotics to me. It was wild.”

Knowing that he needed to put that weight back on once he was given the all-clear, Motley was on a mission. And he had the right people helping him along the way, starting with his mom, Willie.

“She’s always there, man, doing whatever, whatever she can to support me,” he says. “I always give a lot of credit to her. No matter what, she’s always there supporting. She’s actually coming here \[to Bulgaria for Game 1\] so she’s a rider for real, she’s a ride or die. She’s always doing whatever she can to help."

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Different coaches and trainers have played an important role, too.

“I was always in the gym working out and I had a lot of different trainers," he continues. "Coach Byron Smith was one of my main ones at school, Chris Gaston was really big in my development growing up, too. There’s a lot of guys. Sheldon McClellan, he helped me a lot.

“Man, I had a lot of guys help me become the player I am today. I just had to put in the effort, but there were guys willing to get in the gym with me, for sure.”

Another setback came a few years later when the coaches at Baylor University said that they wanted Motley to redshirt for a year. But it was a decision that he understood, and it’s one that has helped his understanding at the professional level.

“For me it was just a weight thing, like I was really skinny,” he admits. “I was always a pretty good basketball player but what separates you from being really good or going up a level is size. I think that’s just the difference between all the levels of basketball.

“The higher the level you go, the more athletic the bigger guys are. Pretty much the skill and the talent are kind of the same. But instead of a 6-foot-1 guard in the EuroLeague that you’re playing against, or in the EuroCup, in the NBA this guy is doing the same thing but he’s 6-foot-6. Or the big man you’re playing against in the EuroCup is 6-foot-7 but in the NBA he’s 7-foot-2 and can run and can move. That, I think, is the difference.

“So I had to get in the weight room, gained like 30 pounds and then after that the game became easier for me. Shout out to coach Charlie Melton at Baylor, he put me through all the work I needed to do to get to where I am today. He helped me gain this weight, we were in the weight room grinding, so shout out coach Charlie Melton, that’s my guy.”

That year watching on from the sidelines paid dividends for Motley, too, as he dominated thereafter, being named an All-American in the 2016-17 season, winning the 2016-17 Karl Malone Trophy, given to the best power forward in the country, and leading Baylor to first place in the national rankings for the first time in January 2017.

“You definitely learn about the game \[during a redshirt year\], you definitely get an advantage because you’re watching,” he says. “You’re not just sitting out, you’re practicing every day, you’re doing all these things. I’m playing against pros every day, so I had no choice but to get better or I was going to get buried.”

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overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BSmtvo8jXeo/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;" target="_blank">A post shared by Johnathan Motley (@moneymot5)</a></p></div></blockquote>
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On that successful Baylor team and a teammate of Motley’s for four years was Ish Wainright, his current teammate at Hapoel. When the opportunity came for Motley to reunite with his friend, he didn’t think twice about getting involved in the negotiations.

“That’s my guy. It was fire when he came in the summer,” he says. “I kind of helped because I was one of the first to sign for Hapoel. Then Coach Stef \[Dedas\] was like, ‘I also saw Ish.’ And I was like, ‘Oh yeah, he’s like my brother. I’ve known him since I was 17 years old.’ So it’s crazy that someone I knew for 10 years can also help me win a EuroCup championship, a European championship, make history with Hapoel. That’s so fire.

“I get to do it with somebody I’ve known for a long time, who I was rooting for. He had a crazy journey to get to where he is. It’s just awesome to be a part of it, and to say that we’re still playing and then able to play together and able to win a championship is even crazier. That’s really fire.”

Johnathan Motley (center) and Ish Wainright (right) during their days at Baylor University.

Motley, now 29, is now in his fourth season in Europe, but his rookie campaign on the old continent with Lokomotiv Kuban in 2021-22 was key in getting him acclimatized.

“When I went to Loko, I started dominating right away, just doing what I do,” he says. “I had great vets, also European vets, like Errick McCollum, Darius Thompson, Stanton Kidd, Greg Whittington, Alan Williams. I had great vets.

“To walk into my first season in Europe with guys like this, it was amazing. Errick really helped me through the ups and downs of the European game and making sure I knew what it took and I knew what I was going to get into. Even when I was going to Fener, he told me, ‘The EuroLeague is a little bit different, you’ve got to be able to play in a role, be able to dominate in a specific setting.’ So I had a lot of knowledge about what I was walking in to.”

The past two years, Motley has been in the EuroLeague with Fenerbahce, which was key in preparing him for this current season at Hapoel as one of the favorites to lift the EuroCup trophy.

“The EuroLeague is a different monster,” he says. “Playing for a team like Fener, you always know you’re going to get everyone’s best shot, so we were used to having a target on our back. I think that also prepared me for being on a team like Hapoel.

“When \[the Hapoel front office\] put all these guys together, now you have a target on your back. Now everyone’s circling you from the beginning of the season, like, ‘Oh, we need to play good this game.’ I’m used to that, I know what it takes. I know what’s going to come and I know how to handle it, so I can also give guys knowledge who maybe haven’t been at that level before and help them prepare for being the team that everyone wants to be, because that’s a whole different monster.

“Then you start seeing guys playing way more aggressive, way harder, making way more shots against you, and you’ve got to be able to respond to that and be able to still win because they brought you here to win, so you’ve got to be able to respond. Everything at Fener helped me become the player that I am: Coach \[Dimitris\] Itoudis, Coach Saras. Coach Saras is a great coach, he also helped me become a better player. We won the Turkish Cup, the Turkish championship, got to the \[EuroLeague\] Final Four, so I had a lot of big-time experience and big-time games.”

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Following a mid-season coaching change, Motley was reunited with Coach Itoudis at Hapoel and the Greek tactician’s impact has been telling. Hapoel went 6-5 through the first 11 games of the season, the last two of which saw the team go 1-1 with Itoudis at the helm, but the Israeli side is 9-2 since. For Motley, Hapoel is hitting top gear at the perfect time of the campaign.

“We had a lot of moving pieces in the beginning, so it’s kind of hard to get a rhythm,” he says. “Once you just settle down into it, get some chemistry going, you start learning what your teammates like, what they don’t like, how they react to different things on the court, mentally and physically, you just become closer and you’re also willing to play harder for each other. I think it just took a while for us to gain some clarity and some continuity.

“We have a lot of talent put together; sometimes it works right away, sometimes it doesn’t. Panathinaikos, for example, in the beginning they were not that good \[last season\] but then they won the \[EuroLeague\] championship. It takes time, it always does.

“Luckily we’ve turned it on at the right time. You don’t want to win all season and then have a slump at the end. I think this is the best way; we went through our bumps early and we were still good, and now we’re peaking. It’s all supposed to happen like this, I think this is the best way for it to happen for a team to be successful.”

Even though Hapoel is preparing for its 23rd EuroCup road game this season, given it plays its home games far away from Tel Aviv in Samokov, Bulgaria, the club boasts one of the most passionate fan groups on the old continent. That, as Motley attests, is a real motivating factor for the team.

“Our fans are amazing fans, they’re crazy,” he says. “They support us through everything – the losses, the wins.

“The celebrations after Game 2 of the semifinals were really for the fans. They gave us so much energy in Samokov, they came with so much energy and life that I think poured into us and allowed us to play a certain way. It also gave us the confidence to finish in Game 3.

“I just want to give credit to the Hapoel fans – I know they’re going to show out. They’re going to be loud and rowdy on Tuesday. Even in our games in Tel Aviv, home or away, they’re loud, they’re rowdy, they’re ready, and they always give us energy to play hard. If you can get any energy from any outside thing, you always appreciate it as a basketball player.”

Hapoel and Gran Canaria have already met twice this season, with the Israeli side winning both games in the regular season, yet the Spanish club has recent memories of lifting the 2023 EuroCup title. Still, Motley has respect for Gran Canaria but is confident in Hapoel’s chances.

“We have some guys with some experience, too,” he responds. “I’ve been to the Final Four, I’ve won the Turkish Cup, I’ve won the Turkish championship.

“I’ve been with Coach Saras who has been a high-level player himself, I took some gems from him. Coach Itoudis has won championships.

“I think it’s two great teams going head to head. You don’t make the Finals unless you’re a great team. I can’t wait to play them and see who wins.

“We’re just going to try to forget about what happened in the regular season and remember that this is a new series, so we’re going in with it 0-0. The team is on board with that and locked in with that. We’re going to see who is the best after the jump ball.”

The All-EuroCup First Team center is aiming to lift the first continental trophy of his career

Valencia Basket has confirmed that Pedro Martinez, the 2024-25 BKT EuroCup Coach of the Year, has renewed his contract until the end of the 2026-27 season.

Pedro Martinez renews at Valencia until 2027

[Valencia Basket](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/valencia-basket/pam/) has confirmed that Pedro Martinez, the 2024-25 BKT EuroCup Coach of the Year, has renewed his contract until the end of the 2026-27 season.

Coach Martinez, in his first year back at Valencia, helped the team reach the EuroCup Semifinals this season before falling 2-1 in its best-of-three series with Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv.

<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="es" dir="ltr">🇵 🇪 🇩 🇷 🇴 <br>2️⃣0️⃣2️⃣7️⃣🧡<br><br>Cas 👉 Pedro Martínez prolonga su vinculación con Valencia Basket hasta 2027<a href="https://t.co/66Glb0pO7g">https://t.co/66Glb0pO7g</a><br><br>Val 👉 Pedro Martínez prolonga la seua vinculació amb Valencia Basket fins a 2027<a href="https://t.co/18MfDXGUIw">https://t.co/18MfDXGUIw</a><br><br>Eng 👉 Pedro Martínez extends his contract… <a href="https://t.co/YjaFTb4iVf">pic.twitter.com/YjaFTb4iVf</a></p>&mdash; Valencia Basket Club (@valenciabasket) <a href="https://twitter.com/valenciabasket/status/1909577015293862272?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 8, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Under his leadership, Valencia posted a EuroCup-best 16-2 record in the regular season to top Group B, then downed U-BT Cluj-Napoca in the quarterfinals. 

The 63-year-old has a 96-37 record in the EuroCup across four clubs: Dreamland Gran Canaria (2003-05; 2009-12), Estudiantes (2005-06), Girona (2007-08) and Valencia (2015-17; 2024-present).

More Valencia News

The Spanish coach guided the team to the EuroCup Semifinals this season