One of German basketball’s proudest clubs, Telekom Baskets Bonn is back in the Eurocup after a four-season hiatus and eager to make its return a memorable one. The team was close last season, but came up short in the Eurocup qualifying. However the team rebounded quickly to cap a strong season that featured a trip to the EuroChallege quarterfinals and the German League finals. Since climbing to the top League in Germany in 1996, Bonn has made the playoffs every year but one and has reached the playoff finals five times – including the last two years. Telekom Baskets Bonn was founded in 1995 as a fusion of two traditional basketball clubs in Bonn, Godesberger TV and Fortuna Bonn, and it took Telekom Baskets little time to establish itself among the premier clubs in Germany. Part of its success is thanks to a passionate public, as the majority of its home games in the former West Germany Republic capital are sold out. In fact, Telekom Baskets holds part of the European attendance record for a domestic basketball game. On April 7, 2000, the fisture between Telekom Baskets Bonn and Alba Berlin in the Cologne Arena draw an amazing 18,518 spectators. Despite the young age of the club, its European tradition is impressive. Bonn played in the Korac Cup twice in the early years and then reached the Saporta Cup quarterfinals three times between 1999 and 2002. While Bonn has had unquestionable success domestically, it failed to get into the ULEB Cup elimination rounds in any of its first three seasons in the competition – 2003, 2004 and 2005 – though it did finish just a basket short in the last of those seasons. The last few seasons have seen the club regroup and it all paid off last season when the likes of Winsome Frazier, EJ Rowland, Brandon Bowman and John Bowler helped the team to a strong run in the EuroChallenge and upset defending champion Alba Berlin in the German League semifinals. A classic finals series against EWE Oldenburg went the distance before Bonn lost by a single point in the final seconds. Nevertheless, that gives this always ambitious club plenty to build on as it returns to the Eurocup with lofty goals for 2010.