History
The club was founded in 1959 as the basketball section of Club Deportivo Vasconia. It first played at Spain's highest level in 1971, and emerged as a major force in Spanish basketball in the 1990s. Most recently, Baskonia advanced to the Euroleague Final Four in 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008, losing to Maccabi Tel Aviv in the 2005 final and 2006 semifinals, to Panathinaikos in the 2007 semifinals, and to CSKA Moscow in the 2008 semifinals.
Through outstanding scouting and shrewd management, Baskonia has built a squad that has been to four straight Final Fours and now is looking to take the last step to becoming a Euroleague champion. Baskonia's first trophy of any kind came in 1995, the Spanish King's Cup, when Pablo Laso and Velimir Perasović led the team to an historical win. The club was already making noise internationally too, reaching the Saporta Cup final in both 1994 and 1995.
When it hosted the same title game in 1996, Baskonia pleased its many fans by downing PAOK behind 31 points from Ramón Rivas. Baskonia made its first Spanish Championship playoff final in 1998 and added a second Spanish King's Cup title in 1999.
They then found quick success in the newborn Euroleague. With a deep roster featuring Elmer Bennett, Saulius Štombergas, Victor Alexander, Fabricio Oberto and a young Luis Scola, Baskonia reached the 2000–01 Euroleague playoff final series before losing to Kinder Bologna in the fifth and final game on the road. With winning momentum and the additions of Dejan Tomašević and Andrés Nocioni, Baskonia celebrated the next season with another Spanish King's Cup trophy and its first Spanish League title ever. Trophy lifting became a habit now. Baskonia snatched two more Spanish King's Cups, in 2004 and 2006, as Luis Scola and Pablo Prigioni played decisive roles, and success followed the team in the Euroleague. Baskonia's arrival to its first Final Four in 2005 couldn’t have been louder, as the team upset favored host CSKA Moscow in the semifinals, but couldn’t overcome defending champ Maccabi in the title game.
Back home, Baskonia again reached the Spanish League finals, only to lose in dramatic fashion. Baskonia returned to theFinal Four in 2006 but once again Maccabi stood in its way, this time in the semifinal. The team also made it to the Spanish League finals, but was swept there.
The next season, Baskonia won its Euroleague regular season and Top 16 groups before sweeping Olympiacos in the Quarterfinal Playoffs as Scola became the Euroleague's top all-time scorer (counting games played since the year 2000 only). Nonetheless, eventual champion Panathinaikos downed Baskonia in the semifinals and once home again in Spain, Baskonia lost in the playoff semifinals. Coming so close, but walking away without any trophies is sure to make Baskonia as hungry as ever going forward.
With a solid track record for building some of the most competitive teams in the world, it is safe to say that Baskonia is always a top candidate for Euroleague greatness.
Read more about this topic: Saski Baskonia
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