Epic championship against Bayern Munich: This title is the biggest sensation in Alba Berlin’s club history

With 84:81 in the fifth game in Munich, Alba is German champion. However, numbers do not do justice to the magnitude of this achievement. The Berliners have found many obstacles in their way this season, they wobbled at times, but never gave up.

The final was a reflection of that. In game four, Alba already looked dead sportingly, ten points behind, but turned the game around in the sweltering Max Schmeling Hall. On Sunday things looked even worse. After a good start, the Berliners were unable to do anything offensively for several minutes; at halftime, with a 20-point lead, the Munich team were probably already thinking about celebrating the championship.

Alba’s collective defeats Munich’s individualists

But Alba didn’t give up, the team fought, scored and brought down the much experienced Bayern and their world and European champions. They were minutes for eternity. Captain Jonas Mattisseck defended excellently as always, but also sank six of seven three-pointers. His friend Malte Delow also scored important points in the big comeback. Justin Bean was everywhere and was deservedly named the best player in the finals series.

Alba’s greatest strength was immortalized in the moment of triumph in the championship photo. Mattisseck was not alone in the front row, but lifted the trophy together with Malte Delow and his predecessor as captain, Martin Hermannsson. While the people of Munich looked like a collection of highly talented basketball players under pressure, the people of Berlin were a team, a close-knit community.

Pedro Calles silences the doubters

This is also thanks to two people who until recently were the target of criticism. Pedro Calles was once considered a great coaching talent in Vechta, but then lost 15 play-off games in a row. When the start to the quarter-finals against his former team failed and Alba was facing an early exit, there was a lot of malice for the coach on social media.

But Calles has not only rehabilitated himself in these weeks, he has coached his team to one of the most impressive play-off runs in recent memory. With significantly improved time-out management and good role distribution. Five games in the quarter-finals, five games in the semi-finals, five games in the final – it was a success of nerves and willpower.

Himar Ojeda can also feel like a winner. After the exciting years between 2017 and 2022, Alba’s Spanish sports director often had a rather unfortunate hand in putting together the squad during the upheaval – under admittedly difficult financial conditions.

Rataj is the perfect follow-up signing

Not everything worked out this year, like Boogie Ellis or Martynas Echodas, but the structure was more stable than expected given the inexperience of the players. In addition, Ojeda achieved two transfer coups with the return of Jack Kayil and the subsequent signing of Michael Rataj, without which the title would have been unthinkable.

However, the championship does not provide any major conclusions about the future. With Kayil, a key player will most likely go to the NBA, and most of the other contracts are also expiring. However, for the fans and Alba Berlin’s self-image as a club that still wants to play for the title despite all the challenges, this success is worth its weight in gold.