“Laboral Kutxa changed a lot,” Dimitris Itoudis, CSKA head coach, said. “They brought a number of new players, made a coaching change. Now they are basically playing different, uptempo basketball with newcomers James, Adams and Hansbrough running the game. Now the team is playing fast and high-scoring basketball, we analyzed their recent games against Efes and Estudiantes and we respect our opponent a lot. I would like to wish Merry Christmas to everyone who celebrate it on Jan 7 and I hope our fans will come and support us during their holidays.”
The Army Men roster is almost full: only Victor Khryapa (ankle surgery) stays out. Alexey Zozulin started practicing with the team this week.
“Relativity” connections
Demetris Nichols and Fabien Causeur played for Cholet Basket in 2011-12 season.
Toko Shengelia was a teammate of CSKA guard Nando De Colo during the 2009-10 season at Power Electronics Valencia, which won the Eurocup that season.
CSKA assistant coach Darryl Middleton was a teammate with Fernando San Emeterio in Girona during 2006-07 season.
Important numbers
Vitaly Fridzon has made at least 1 three-pointer in 32 straight Euroleague games.
Sonny Weems has made at least 1 three-pointer in 10 straight Euroleague games.
Milos Teodosic needs 9 more three-pointers to crack the competitionò’s career top 10 in that category.
The 2010 Euroleague MVP enters this week’s game ranked 13th overall with 268 career triples. Igor Rakocevic (277) sits in 10th place. Next for Teodosic to pass is Louis Bullock (275).
Teodosic has scored in double figures in six consecutive Euroleague games; he has made at least 2 three-pointers in all six of those games.
Kaun needs 3 more blocked shots to reach the century mark for his Euroleague career. Kaun has blocked at least 1 shot in each of the last five Euroleague games.
Aaron Jackson has made 15 consecutive free throws in Euroleague games.
Andrey Vorontsevich has made 10 consecutive free throws in Euroleague games.
Vorontsevich has scored in double figures and made at last 1 three-pointer in each of the past five games.
Nando De Colo has recorded at least 1 steal in six straight Euroleague games.
Character above all
Javi Gancedo, euroleague.net for CSKA Moscow
Laboral Kutxa Vitoria is always a work in process, on and off the court. The club is famous for its fighting spirit, what it is known in Spain as “carácter Baskonia” – never give up, always fight against more powerful opponents and finding ways to reinvent itself as a club. Few basketball teams in Europe, if any, can claim to own a football team. Baskonia’s main investment group also controls Deportivo Alaves, a 93-year old football club which competes in Liga Adelante, the Spanish second division. The club also owns its own sports complex, BAKH, barely meters away from Fernando Buesa Arena. Opened in 2008, BAKH is a first-rate sports complex that features an ice and curling rink, a multi-purpose 52x32m sports courts and 10 tennis courts – six of them indoors. In other words, the club is always on the move.
It shows by the many roster changes the team has every season. Baskonia has a great reputation for bringing in young talents from all over the world and selling them to keep investing – the last one to departure was Thomas Heurtel, who joined Anadolu Efes Istanbul this week. It was a pioneer to bring in South American talent thanks to the efficient work of one of the biggest treasures in this club, sports director Alfredo Salazar. Marcelo Nicola, Andres Nocioni, Luis Scola, Juan Alberto Espil, Fabricio Oberto, Hugo Sconochini and Pablo Prigioni shined in Baskonia before heading elsewhere. As many as four players in FC Barcelona’s current roster – Tibor Pleiss, Brad Oleson, Maciej Lampe and Marcelinho Huertas – arrives to that club from Laboral Kutxa. The list of good players which Baskonia transferred to other clubs is almost neverending – Stanko Barac, Esteban Batista, Nemanja Bjelica, Mirza Teletovic, Tiago Splitter, Pete Mickeal… If anything, Baskonia knows where to find outstanding talent anywhere in the world.
This season is not different, of course – players come and go as in every season. Laboral Kutxa switched head coaches, firing Marco Crespi to promote Ibon Navarro, a promising coach who has been working in the club for many years. As many as five players – Orlando Johnson, Ryan Gomes, Doron Perkins, D.J. White and Heurtel – already left the club this season – and two more, Sasha Vujacic and Lamont Hamilton, may do that soon according to strong rumors. Laboral brought in not only one, but two new point guards, Darius Adams and Mike James. Both players are great scorers and will make Laboral play up-tempo from now on – they already broke the 100-point mark against Baloncesto Sevilla just days ago. Mirza Begic gave the club experience and size in the paint while Ben Hansbrough is a shooting guard full of energy, really dynamic, who will help the team since Day 1.
It is always special for Laboral Kutxa to face CSKA Moscow, as their rivalry extends back more than a decade in the highest stages of the competition. Back in the mid-2000s, CSKA Moscow knocked off the then-called Tau Ceramica in the 2003-04 Top 16. The game in Moscow, decided on a late steal and dunk by Theo Papaloukas, was highly controversial. It was a do-or-die game and Papaloukas made a gesture, simulating to cut his neck after the dunk, which nobody has forgotten. Tau took revenge in the 2005 Euroleague semifinals, downing CSKA 78-85 in the Russian capital to reach the title game. CSKA had only lost one game in the entire season and was the heavy favourite to win the title in the Russian capital but a late 3-12 run, capped by an incredible three-point shot vy Arvydas Macijauskas, broke the game open down the stretch. CSKA struck the next blow in the 2008 semifinals, beating Tau 79-83 behind 16 points each from Ramunas Siskauskas and David Andersen, and also knocked off the Spanish powerhouse in the 2010 and 2013 playoffs. CSKA has a 17-5 lead in the all-time series.
Tradition, great players and two ambitious teams ready to battle for an early Top 16 win. What’s not to like? Sit back, relax (if you can!) and enjoy a fantastic game!
Past matchups
Wins-losses: 17-5
2001-02 – Euroleague. Top 16: TAU Ceramica – CSKA: 73-87 (+14)
2001-02 – Euroleague. Top 16: CSKA – TAU Ceramica: 73-90 (-17)
2003-04 – Euroleague. Top 16: TAU Ceramica – CSKA: 77-80 (+3)
2003-04 – Euroleague. Top 16: CSKA – TAU Ceramica: 84-82 (+2)
2004-05 – Euroleague. Regular Season: CSKA – TAU Ceramica: 88-83 (+5)
2004-05 – Euroleague. Regular Season: TAU Ceramica – CSKA: 81-85 (+4)
2004-05 – Euroleague. Final Four. Semifinal: CSKA – TAU Ceramica: 78-85 (-7)
2005-06 – Euroleague. Top 16: CSKA – TAU Ceramica: 82-76 (+6)
2005-06 – Euroleague. Top 16: TAU Ceramica – CSKA: 70-63 (-7)
2007-08 – Euroleague. Regular Season: TAU Ceramica – CSKA: 76-85 (+9)
2007-08 – Euroleague. Regular Season: CSKA – TAU Ceramica: 70-62 (+8)
2007-08 – Euroleague. Final Four. Semifinal: TAU Ceramica – CSKA: 79-83 (+4)
2009-10 – Euroleague. Regular Season: «Êàõà Ëàáîðàëü» – CSKA: 67-71 (+4)
2009-10 – Euroleague. Regular Season: CSKA – «Êàõà Ëàáîðàëü»: 84-83 (+1)
2009-10 – Euroleague. Quarterfinal: CSKA – «Êàõà Ëàáîðàëü»: 86-63 (+23)
2009-10 – Euroleague. Quarterfinal: CSKA – «Êàõà Ëàáîðàëü»: 83-63 (+20)
2009-10 – Euroleague. Quarterfinal: «Êàõà Ëàáîðàëü» – CSKA: 66-53 (-13)
2009-10 – Euroleague. Quarterfinal: «Êàõà Ëàáîðàëü» – CSKA: 70-74 (+4)
2012-13 – Euroleague. Quarterfinal: CSKA – «Êàõà Ëàáîðàëü»: 89-78 (+11)
2012-13 – Euroleague. Quarterfinal: CSKA – «Êàõà Ëàáîðàëü»: 90-68 (+22)
2012-13 – Euroleague. Quarterfinal: «Êàõà Ëàáîðàëü» – CSKA: 93-72 (-21)
2012-13 – Euroleague. Quarterfinal: «Êàõà Ëàáîðàëü» – CSKA: 85-94 (+9)
Short dossier
Laboral Kutxa Vitoria
Founded: 1959
Colors: red, dark-blue, white
Home court: Fernando Buesa Arena (15504 çðèòåëÿ)
President: Jose Antonio Cerejeta
Head coach: Ibon Navarro
Website: www.baskonia.com
Trophy case: 2-time Spanish champion (2002, 08); 5-time Copa del Rey winner (1995, 99, 2002, 04, 06); 4-time Spanish Supercup winner (2005, 06, 07, 08); Saporta Cup winner (1996)
