Alba Berlin

Alba Berlin is a German professional basketball club that is based in Berlin, Germany. The club was founded in 1991, and is today the largest German national basketball club by membership figures. Alba Berlin hosts its home games at the Mercedes-Benz Arena Berlin and competes in the German League and the EuroLeague or the EuroCup.

Alba Berlin
Alba Berlin logo
NicknameBerlin Albatrosse
LeaguesBBL / EuroLeague[1] men's team
DBBL women's team
Founded1991 (1991)
HistoryAlba Berlin
(1991–present)
ArenaMercedes-Benz Arena
Capacity14,500[2]
LocationBerlin, Germany
Team colorsYellow, Navy, Blue
     
PresidentDr. Axel Schweitzer
General managerMarco Baldi
Head coachIsrael González
Most recent season positionBasketball Bundesliga, 1st of 18
Championships1 FIBA Korać Cup
11 Basketball Bundesliga
11 BBL-Pokals
3 German Champions Cups
Retired numbers2 (4, 12)
Websitealbaberlin.de

After winning eleven German Championships, eleven German Cups, three 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 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 Max-Schmeling-Halle, Alba Berlin finally beat series champion Bayer Leverkusen and won its long-awaited first German Championship. In addition to winning the Korać Cup and other successes at the European level, in his seven-year career as head coach, Pešić won four German championships and one 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 Henrik Rödl, Alba Berlin won another German Cup. As winner of the regular season, the team advanced to the finals series of the championship, in which they lost to RheinEnergie Köln. Köln was coached by Saša Obradović, who had helped Berlin win the FIBA Korać Cup in 1995. The following season, 2006–07, however, Berlin was once again winner of the regular season but was eliminated in the quarter-finals by the Artland Dragons. This event triggered the dismissal of Rödl and the signing of a new head coach Luka Pavićević, followed by another major remodeling of the team. After injury problems in the preparation and the course of the 2007–08 season, including the loss of Goran Jeretin for the entire season and Aleksandar Rašić for the play-offs, Berlin took advantage of the insolvency of the Cologne 99ers and signed their major players Immanuel McElroy and Aleksandar Nađfeji in January 2008. Led by the 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 the highest European League, the EuroLeague. Between the 2004–05 and 2007–08 seasons, the team was only able to qualify for the 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 2008–09 Euroleague. There, the team reached the Top 16, where it could not hold its ground against European elite clubs like FC Barcelona, Real Madrid, and Maccabi Tel Aviv. Yet, Alba had Europe's highest attendance at 11,264 spectators in the O2 World Berlin. In addition, the club gathered 14,800 spectators in the main round home game against Union Olimpija, a record crowd at a European Cup game in Germany. While at the national level in the cup final, Alba defeated 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
4GermanyHenrik RödlSF1993–2004
12United StatesWendell AlexisPF1996–2002

Current roster

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

Alba Berlin roster
PlayersCoaches
Pos.No.Nat.NameHt.Age
G/F 0 United States Brown, Sterling 1.96 m (6 ft 5 in) 28 – (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
G 3 Italy Spagnolo, Matteo 1.93 m (6 ft 4 in) 20 – (2003-01-10)10 January 2003
G/F 6 Germany Delow, Malte 1.98 m (6 ft 6 in) 22 – (2001-04-22)22 April 2001
F/C 7 New Zealand Wetzell, Yanni 2.08 m (6 ft 10 in) 27 – (1996-07-08)8 July 1996
G/F 8 Sweden Eriksson, Marcus 2.01 m (6 ft 7 in) 29 – (1993-12-05)5 December 1993
G 9 Germany Mattisseck, Jonas 1.95 m (6 ft 5 in) 23 – (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 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) 22 – (2001-01-26)26 January 2001
F 19 Germany Olinde, Louis 2.05 m (6 ft 9 in) 25 – (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
F/C 32 Germany Thiemann, Johannes 2.05 m (6 ft 9 in) 29 – (1994-02-09)9 February 1994
F 34 United States Bean, Justin 2.01 m (6 ft 7 in) 26 – (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
C Yanni Wetzell Christ Koumadje Krešimir Nikić
PF Johannes Thiemann Justin Bean Tim Schneider
SF Sterling Brown Louis Olinde Malte Delow
SG Matt Thomas Gabriele Procida Marcus Eriksson Jonas Mattisseck
PG Matteo Spagnolo Žiga Samar

Season by season

The 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 CupRS
1992–93 1 Bundesliga 2nd 3 Korać CupRS
1993–94 1 Bundesliga 3rd 3 Korać CupRS
1994–95 1 Bundesliga 2nd 3 Korać CupC
1995–96 1 Bundesliga 2nd Semi-finalist 3 Korać CupQF
1996–97 1 Bundesliga 1st Champion 1 EuroleagueRS
1997–98 1 Bundesliga 1st 1 EuroleagueQF
1998–99 1 Bundesliga 1st Champion 1 EuroleagueRS
1999–00 1 Bundesliga 1st Runner-up 1 EuroleagueRS
2000–01 1 Bundesliga 1st 1 SuproLeagueQF
2001–02 1 Bundesliga 1st Champion 1 EuroleagueRS
2002–03 1 Bundesliga 1st Champion 1 EuroleagueRS
2003–04 1 Bundesliga 3rd 1 EuroleagueRS
2004–05 1 Bundesliga 3rd 2 ULEB CupRS
2005–06 1 Bundesliga 2nd Champion 2 ULEB CupRS
2006–07 1 Bundesliga 5th 2 ULEB CupRS
2007–08 1 Bundesliga 1st Fourth place 2 ULEB CupRS
2008–09 1 Bundesliga 3rd Champion 1 EuroleagueT16
2009–10 1 Bundesliga 6th Quarter-finalist 1 EuroleagueQR2
2 EurocupRU
2010–11 1 Bundesliga 2nd Quarter-finalist 1 EuroleagueQR3
2 EurocupRS
2011–12 1 Bundesliga 5th Quarter-finalist 1 EuroleagueQR2
2 EurocupRS
2012–13 1 Bundesliga 5th Champion 1 EuroleagueT16
2013–14 1 Bundesliga 2nd Champion 2 EurocupQF
2014–15 1 Bundesliga 3rd Third place 1 EuroleagueT16
2015–16 1 Bundesliga 7th Champion 2 EurocupT16
2016–17 1 Bundesliga 6th Third place 2 EuroCupT16
2017–18 1 Bundesliga 2nd Runner-up 2 EuroCupT16
2018–19 1 Bundesliga 2nd Runner-up 2 EuroCupRU
2019–20 1 Bundesliga 1st Champion 1 EuroLeagueCX
2020–21 1 Bundesliga 1st Runner-up 1 EuroLeagueRS
2021–22 1 Bundesliga 1st Champion 1 EuroLeagueRS
2022–23 1 Bundesliga 5th Semi-finalist 1 EuroLeagueRS
2023–24 1 Bundesliga TBD 1 EuroLeagueTBD

Honours

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
Winners: 1996–97, 1998–99, 2001–02, 2002–03, 2005–06, 2008–09, 2012–13, 2013–14, 2015–16, 2019–20, 2021–22
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 8489 United States Dallas Mavericks
O2 World, Berlin
Attendance: 14.504[7]
8 October 2014
Alba Berlin Germany 9493 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 France Pau-Orthez 82–101 80–78
Italy Birex Verona 76–66 74–87
Spain Estudiantes Argentaria 107–80 63–65
QF Italy Filodoro Bologna 77–73 80–80
SF Spain Cáceres 93–70 74–72
F Italy 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.
Alba Berlin's home games at 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.
  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. Partner-Übersicht Alba Berlin Basketballteam, albaberlin.de. Retrieved 30 September 2015. (in German)
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