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50 YEARS CELEBRATION IN BARCELONA, SPAIN
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Legends return on mighty Barca's big night
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| In front of the same lifelong fans who witnessed their team's highest moment just five seasons ago, the legends of AXA F.C. Barcelona were honored on Wednesday, January 23, at another edition of the season-long 50 Years of European Club Basketball celebration. Barcelona's home court for more than 35 years, Palau Blaugrana, was the scene of a rememberance that included players and coaches reaching back more than four decades into the club's storied past. Some of them, however, were visitors, including three members of the 2003 Euroleague title team - Rodrigo De La Fuente, Gregor Fucka and Dejan Bodiroga - who were in town with Wednesday's visiting team, Lottomatica Roma. De la Fuente was the first Barcelona player ever to lift the Euroleague trophy after previous teams had made and lost five separate finals. Bodiroga, now Roma's sports director, was the MVP in 2003. The other Euroleague winner honored was Roberto Dueñas, who recently retired. Three more historic Barcelona players also received awards at mid-court: Nacho Solozabal, who won two Saporta Cup and a Korac Cup trophy during a 17-year career spent exclusively with Barcelona; Andres Jimenez, also a Korac Cup winner and four-time Euroleague runner-up; and Juan Antonio "Epi" San Epifanio, whose 18 seasons as Barcelona's chief scoring threat included two Saporta Cup and a Korac Cup title, as well as three Euroleague title games. The former coaches honored were Mauel Flores, who coached the 1985 Saporta Cup champions, Barcelona's first European trophy team, and Aito Garcia Reneses, who won a Saporta Cup and two Korac Cup titles while reaching three Euroleague finals in his 15 seasons with the club. An institutional award honoring Barcelona's great contribution to 50 Years of European Club Basketball was accepted by current team captain Roger Grimau. The presenters for Wednesday's awards were Euroleague CEO Jordi Bertomeu, ULEB and Spanish League president Eduardo Portela and Spanish basketball federation honorary president Ernesto Segura de Luna. "I am very happy to return to where I played for three years. I am happy to see all these people in what was my home," Bodiroga said afterwards. "The pre-game ceremony was spectacular and it is a very good idea to celebrate events like this, celebrating 50 Years of European Club Basketball." |
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INTERVIEW: RODRIGO DE LA FUENTE
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Besides being the captain on the 2003 championship team, Rodrigo De la Fuente had come up big in key moments of the Top 16 that season, making steals and hitting free throws that literally helped to save Barcelona's season long before record crowds rallied the team to victory at the Final Four.
"There are many emotions going into this game. I think that this is the most difficult game I will have to play in my entire career. (...) I am going to enjoy the experience because, after all, I am going back to Palau Blaugrana, which was my home for many years."
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