Alba Berlin

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Alba Berlin
German Champions Cups
Retired numbers2 (4, 12)
Websitealbaberlin.de

Alba Berlin is a German professional

Mercedes-Benz Arena Berlin and competes in the German League and the EuroLeague or the EuroCup
.

After winning eleven

German Supercups, and the FIBA Korać Cup in 1995, Alba Berlin is considered to be the most successful German basketball team, both domestically and internationally. With an average attendance of more than 10,000 fans per game in a season, it is also one of the most popular basketball clubs in Europe. In 2013, Alba was portrayed in the ESPN documentary series Basketball Capitals. In 2014, the club was the first German basketball team to beat a reigning NBA champion, the San Antonio Spurs
.

History

1991–2000: Foundation and first championships

Alba Berlin traces its history back to the BG Charlottenburg, a basketball club in western Berlin which was founded in 1989. In 1991, when the global recycling company ALBA Europe agreed to a significant basketball sponsorship, BG Charlottenburg changed its name to Alba Berlin.

Shortly thereafter, under the direction of head coach Faruk Kulenović, Alba Berlin became runner-up at the German Championship. In 1993, the Serbian Svetislav Pešić took over as coach, and the club gained successes that no other German basketball team had previously accomplished. Winning the FIBA Korać Cup in 1995 marked the first international title of a German club team in basketball.

In 1996, shortly after moving the club from the Sömmeringhalle to the

German Cup
.

2000–2008: Professionalization and national success

The Max-Schmeling-Halle was the team's home arena from 1996 until 2008

Under head coach Emir Mutapčić, the team recorded three German championships and two German Cup victories, but particularly at the European level no significant progress could be made. As a reaction to the time without titles, the team was largely rebuilt for each new season. In 2004 and 2005, Berlin eventually was kicked out of the national playoffs semi-final series. Organizationally, the club created the new position of team manager, which was occupied by Henning Harnisch. Further, the professional section of the club was transformed into a GmbH on 1 September 2005.

In the season 2005–06, under new coach

league MVP Julius Jenkins
, the team was superior to all other competitors in the play-offs and won the championship again after a five-year hiatus.

In the 2003–04 season, Berlin achieved its last master qualification to participate in

ULEB Cup
, the second-highest European league. There, the team only made it beyond the first round in the 2006–07 season, when they were eliminated in the second round.

2008–present: Current era

With the move into the new 14,500-seat

O2 World Berlin
, the then-reigning champion Alba Berlin opened a new chapter in the club's history. Berlin was the first team in German history to ever average more than 7,000 fans in attendance per game. Thus, Alba's manager Marco Baldi and Supervisory Board chairman, Axel Schweitzer, decided to take the next step towards a permanent presence in international competition and appropriate presentation options. The Anschutz Group, owner of the O2 World Berlin, and Alba Berlin agreed to a 15-year contract until 2023, with an option for another ten years.

As the reigning German champion, Alba participated in the

Baskets Bonn
. Later, Alba was beaten by the same team in the play-off semi-final series in five games.

In 2009 and 2015, the manager of Alba Berlin, Marco Baldi, was honored by Euroleague Basketball Company executives with the EuroLeague Executive of the Year Award.[3]

On 8 October 2014 Alba Berlin defeated the defending

NBA champion San Antonio Spurs, 94–93, on a buzzer beater by Jamel McLean.[4]

Mercedes-Benz Arena before an Alba Berlin game in 2019

In the 2014–15 season, Alba returned to the EuroLeague and reached the Top 16. In the Bundesliga, the team had another disappointing season: it finished in second place, but was eliminated in the semifinals. In the 2015–16 season, Alba had one of its worst seasons in history as the team managed to finish only in 7th place in the regular season, though Alba won the German Cup. In the playoffs, the team was eliminated in the quarterfinals. In the 2016–17 season, the same thing repeated – a disappointing sixth-place finish in the Bundesliga.

The 2017–2018 season, though Alba returned to the finals, losing only to Bayern Munich. Alba also had one of the better Eurocup campaigns of the past years, being closest to the playoffs in years. Alba had brought an awarded veteran for the 2017/18: The Spaniard Aíto García Reneses, 70 years old at the time of signing up his first contract abroad. He had won nine Spanish championship titles (Spanish Basketball Liga) as well as Olympic silver as a coach (2008). With him a successful Spanish Army[5] took over: The 2017 new coaching staff also included other Spaniards: such as co-coach Israel González who had worked with Aito in the past, individual coach Carlos Frade and athletics coach Pepe Silva Moreno. As in the previous course of his coaching work, García Reneses has increasingly brought players from the younger teams into the professional team in Berlin, like Franz Wagner and Tim Schneider [26] .

In the 2018–2019 season, Alba had some of its greatest success in more than a decade, as they not only played in the Bundesliga finals for the second year in a row, but also managed to reach the 2019 EuroCup Finals, where they ultimately lost the series 1–2 to Valencia Basket. Two of Alba's players, Rokas Giedraitis, and Luke Sikma (who was also named the league's MVP), were selected to the All-EuroCup First Team, while the team's coach, Aíto García Reneses, was named the Eurocup Coach of the Year. The club also set the season's record for highest attendance, with 12,945 spectators in a finals game against Valencia Basket, which Alba won 95–92.

Alba fans in June 2022

The 2019–20 season was altered due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In a final tournament behind closed doors in Munich, Alba went on an undefeated 10–0 streak to win its 9th German title, its first in 12 years.[6] In the 2021–22 season, Alba won the BBL again.

Players

Retired numbers

Alba Berlin retired numbers
No Nat. Player Position Tenure
4 Germany Henrik Rödl SF 1993–2004
12 United States Wendell Alexis
PF
1996–2002

Current roster

Note: Flags indicate national team eligibility at FIBA-sanctioned events. Players may hold other non-FIBA nationality not displayed.

Alba Berlin roster
Players Coaches
Pos. No. Nat. Name Ht. Age
G/F 0 United States Brown, Sterling 1.96 m (6 ft 5 in) 29 – (1995-02-10)10 February 1995
G/F 1 Italy Procida, Gabriele 1.98 m (6 ft 6 in) 21 – (2002-06-01)1 June 2002
F
2 Luxembourg Grosber, Dorian 1.97 m (6 ft 6 in) 17 – (2006-05-15)15 May 2006
G
3 Italy Spagnolo, Matteo 1.93 m (6 ft 4 in) 21 – (2003-01-10)10 January 2003
F/C 5 New Zealand Wetzell, Yanni 2.08 m (6 ft 10 in) 27 – (1996-07-08)8 July 1996
G/F 6 Germany Delow, Malte 1.98 m (6 ft 6 in) 22 – (2001-04-22)22 April 2001
G
7 Germany Nufer, Anton 1.99 m (6 ft 6 in) 17 – (2006-04-09)9 April 2006
G
9 Germany Mattisseck, Jonas 1.95 m (6 ft 5 in) 24 – (2000-01-16)16 January 2000
PF
10 Germany Schneider, Tim 2.08 m (6 ft 10 in) 26 – (1997-09-01)1 September 1997
SG 11 United States Thomas, Matt 1.91 m (6 ft 3 in) 29 – (1994-08-04)4 August 1994
C 14 Germany Ruf, Linus 2.11 m (6 ft 11 in) 18 – (2005-07-21)21 July 2005
G
15 Iceland Hermannsson, Martin 1.90 m (6 ft 3 in) 29 – (1994-09-16)16 September 1994
C 16 Croatia Nikić, Krešimir 2.13 m (7 ft 0 in) 24 – (1999-04-16)16 April 1999
PG 18 Slovenia Samar, Žiga 1.97 m (6 ft 6 in) 23 – (2001-01-26)26 January 2001
F
19 Germany Olinde, Louis 2.05 m (6 ft 9 in) 26 – (1998-03-18)18 March 1998
C 21 Chad Koumadje, Christ 2.24 m (7 ft 4 in) 27 – (1996-07-07)7 July 1996
PF
22 Germany Doerries, Amon 2.10 m (6 ft 11 in) 18 – (2006-01-03)3 January 2006
G/F 25 Germany Rapieque, Elias 2.00 m (6 ft 7 in) 20 – (2004-02-25)25 February 2004
F/C 32 Germany Thiemann, Johannes 2.05 m (6 ft 9 in) 30 – (1994-02-09)9 February 1994
F
34 United States Bean, Justin 2.01 m (6 ft 7 in) 27 – (1996-11-17)17 November 1996
Head coach

Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • Injured Injured

Updated: 15 August 2023

Depth chart

Pos. Starting 5 Bench 1 Bench 2 Bench 3 Inactive
C Yanni Wetzell Christ Koumadje Krešimir Nikić Linus Ruf
PF
Johannes Thiemann Tim Schneider Justin Bean Amon Doerries
SF Louis Olinde Gabriele Procida Dorian Grosber
SG Sterling Brown Matt Thomas Malte Delow Jonas Mattisseck Elias Rapieque
PG Martin Hermannsson Matteo Spagnolo Žiga Samar Anton Nufer

Season by season

Mercedes-Benz Arena
is the host venue for Alba Berlin
Alba Berlin vs the Dallas Mavericks in 2012
Season Tier League Pos. German Cup European competitions
1991–92 1 Bundesliga 2nd 2
European Cup
RS
1992–93 1 Bundesliga 2nd 3
Korać Cup
RS
1993–94 1 Bundesliga 3rd 3
Korać Cup
RS
1994–95 1 Bundesliga 2nd 3
Korać Cup
C
1995–96 1 Bundesliga 2nd Semi-finalist 3
Korać Cup
QF
1996–97 1 Bundesliga 1st Champion 1 Euroleague RS
1997–98 1 Bundesliga 1st 1 Euroleague QF
1998–99 1 Bundesliga 1st Champion 1
Euroleague
RS
1999–00 1 Bundesliga 1st Runner-up 1
Euroleague
RS
2000–01 1 Bundesliga 1st 1
SuproLeague
QF
2001–02 1 Bundesliga 1st Champion 1
Euroleague
RS
2002–03 1 Bundesliga 1st Champion 1
Euroleague
RS
2003–04 1 Bundesliga 3rd 1
Euroleague
RS
2004–05 1 Bundesliga 3rd 2
ULEB Cup
RS
2005–06 1 Bundesliga 2nd Champion 2
ULEB Cup
RS
2006–07 1 Bundesliga 5th 2
ULEB Cup
RS
2007–08 1 Bundesliga 1st Fourth place 2
ULEB Cup
RS
2008–09
1 Bundesliga 3rd Champion 1
Euroleague
T16
2009–10
1 Bundesliga 6th Quarter-finalist 1 Euroleague QR2
2
Eurocup
RU
2010–11
1 Bundesliga 2nd Quarter-finalist 1 Euroleague QR3
2
Eurocup
RS
2011–12
1 Bundesliga 5th Quarter-finalist 1 Euroleague QR2
2
Eurocup
RS
2012–13
1 Bundesliga 5th Champion 1 Euroleague T16
2013–14 1 Bundesliga 2nd Champion 2 Eurocup QF
2014–15 1 Bundesliga 3rd Third place 1 Euroleague T16
2015–16 1 Bundesliga 7th Champion 2 Eurocup T16
2016–17 1 Bundesliga 6th Third place 2 EuroCup T16
2017–18 1 Bundesliga 2nd Runner-up 2 EuroCup T16
2018–19 1 Bundesliga 2nd
Runner-up
2 EuroCup RU
2019–20 1 Bundesliga 1st Champion 1 EuroLeague CX
2020–21 1 Bundesliga 1st Runner-up 1 EuroLeague RS
2021–22 1 Bundesliga 1st Champion 1 EuroLeague RS
2022–23 1 Bundesliga 5th Semi-finalist 1 EuroLeague RS
2023–24 1 Bundesliga Semi-finalist 1 EuroLeague TBD

Honours

Korać Cup

Total Titles: 26

Domestic competitions

Winners: 1996–97, 1997–98, 1998–99, 1999–00, 2000–01, 2001–02, 2002–03, 2007–08, 2019–20, 2020–21, 2021–22
  • German Cup
    (11)
Winners: 1996–97, 1998–99, 2001–02, 2002–03, 2005–06, 2008–09, 2012–13, 2013–14, 2015–16, 2019–20, 2021–22
  • German Supercup
    (3)
Winners: 2008, 2013, 2014

European competitions

Winners: 1994–95
Runners-up: 2009–10, 2018–19

Other competitions

Runners-up: 2019
  • Berlin, Germany Invitational Game
Winners: 2010
  • Zielona Gora, Poland Invitational Game
Winners: 2015
  • Torneo EncestaRias
Winners: 2018
  • Trofeo Alava
Runners-up: 2018
  • Clermont-Ferrand, France Invitational Game
Winners: 2019
  • Oranienburg, Germany Invitational Game
Winners: 2019

Games against NBA teams

6 October 2012
Alba Berlin Germany 84–89 United States Dallas Mavericks
O2 World, Berlin
Attendance: 14.504[7]
8 October 2014
Alba Berlin Germany 94–93 United States San Antonio Spurs
O2 World, Berlin
Attendance: 14.504[8]

The road to 1995 FIBA Korać Cup victory

Round Opponent club   Home     Away  
2nd Hungary ZTE 79–59 76–60
Top 32 France JDA Dijon 106–88 81–72
Top 16
Pau-Orthez
82–101 80–78
Italy Birex Verona 76–66 74–87
Spain Estudiantes Argentaria 107–80 63–65
QF
Filodoro Bologna
77–73 80–80
SF Spain Cáceres 93–70 74–72
F
Stefanel Milano
85–79 87–87

Hall of Fame

Notable players

Note: Flags indicate national team eligibility at FIBA-sanctioned events. Players may hold other non-FIBA nationality not displayed.

Criteria

To appear in this section a player must have either:

  • Set a club record or won an individual award while at the club
  • Played at least one official international match for their national team at any time
  • Played at least one official
    NBA
    match at any time.
Mercedes-Benz Arena
(formerly O2 World) are among the most attended of any European basketball club.

German:

Europe & Rest of the World:

North American:

Head coaches

Home arenas

Alba Dancers in 2013

Sponsorships

Name sponsor Germany ALBA SE[9]
Main partner and shirt sponsor Germany Cazoo[9]
Shirt sponsor Germany bett1[9]
Sport clothing manufacturer Germany Adidas AG[9]

See also

References

  1. ^ Turkish Airlines EuroLeague. "Teams". euroleaguebasketball. Retrieved 4 March 2022.
  2. ^ Stadiums in Germany, Berlin Archived 6 October 2009 at the Wayback Machine Worldstadiums.com
  3. ^ Club Executive of the Year: Marco Baldi, Alba Berlin Euroleague.net
  4. ^ "VIDEO: Spurs lose to Alba Berlin at the buzzer". CBS Sports. Retrieved 9 October 2014.
  5. ^ "ALBA's Spanish Army". Welcome to 7DAYS EuroCup. Retrieved 15 January 2020.[dead link]
  6. ^ "Berlin feiert erste Meisterschaft seit zwölf Jahren / Marcos Knight von Kapitänen zum Turnier-MVP gewählt". www.easycredit-bbl.de. Retrieved 4 July 2020.
  7. ^ "Mavericks 89–84 Berlin". ESPN. 6 October 2012. Retrieved 14 September 2023.
  8. ^ "San Antonio Spurs vs Alba Berlin Berlin". NBA. 8 October 2014. Retrieved 14 September 2023.
  9. ^ a b c d Partner-Übersicht Alba Berlin Basketballteam, albaberlin.de. Retrieved 30 September 2015. (in German)

External links