The wait is over … FC Bayern Munich finally added their sixth easyCredit BBL title as they fought past ALBA BERLIN 3-1 in the Finals to win the 2023-24 league championship. Bayern won the third and fourth games in Berlin to celebrate the league and German Cup double. Bayern guard Carsen Edwards was named Finals MVP after he scored a season-high 29 points in the deciding Game 4. The rest of the teams in the league have been very busy building their teams for next season and MHP RIESEN Ludwigsburg made the biggest news by bringing back long-time head coach John Patrick after a two-year hiatus in Japan. The 2023-24 season surprise NINERS Chemnitz meanwhile have re-signed four players who helped the club win the FIBA Europe Cup. NOTE: This will be the final Weekly News of the season. We will pick things back up before the start of the 2024-25 season. Have a great summer.
In this section, we break out our English language skills and inform you about the latest news from the German easyCredit Basketball Bundesliga. If you’re short on time but still want your fill of Germany’s top basketball league then you are in the right place. Every week David Hein (www.heinnews.com) brings you up-to-date in German basketball – the easyCredit BBL short and sweet:
Bayern celebrate sixth German championship, second league, cup double
Mission Accomplished for FC Bayern Munich after ending a championship drought since 2019 to win the club’s sixth easyCredit BBL crown following 1954, 1955, 2014, 2018 and 2019. Having won the German Cup earlier this season, this is the second time Bayern have won the league and cup double after 2018.
Carsen Edwards named Finals MVP
Carsen Edwards had even more reason to celebrate as the 26-year-old was named Finals MVP for leading FC Bayern Munich to the 2023-24 easyCredit BBL crown. Edwards picked a perfect time for his season high in scoring as he poured in 29 points in the deciding Game 4. Over the four games against ALBA BERLIN, Edwards averaged 18.3 points with a total of 13 three-pointers, 3.5 rebounds, 1.3 assist and 1.0 steals.
Bayern fight off ALBA comeback, take Finals 3-1 to win league championship
FC Bayern Munich are the 2023-24 easyCredit BBL champions after they fended off ALBA BERLIN 88-82 on the road for a 3-1 series win to end a five-year championship drought. It was Bayern’s sixth league crown and Carsen Edwards was named Finals MVP. Berlin pushed ahead by 10 points midway through the second quarter but were trailing early in the third quarter. And Bayern pulled away with an 11-0 run to close the frame for a 65-52 lead. The cushion grew to 18 points with under 7 minutes left but ALBA would not give up. They got the deficit all the way down to two points with 11 seconds to go. Sterling Brown missed a second free throw, grabbed his own rebound and had a good look to tie the game but it was off-target. MVP Edwards snatched the rebound and made two free throws with 4 seconds left to ice the game and give Bayern the title. Berlin could not take advantage of a 12-9 margin in offensive rebounds as Bayern actually had 15 second chance points to 8 for the hosts. Berlin made just 27.6 percent from long range and Bayern converted 23-of-24 free throws. Edwards drained 7 three-pointers in scoring 29 points while Devin Booker had 10 points and 9 rebounds and Leandro Bolmaro chipped in 10 points. Brown’s 25 points, 6 rebounds and 6 assists were not enough and Johannes Thiemann fought past an injury for 9 points and 10 rebounds.
Bayern reclaim home court advantage, one win from title
FC Bayern Munich reclaimed home court advantage and moved to within one victory of the title as they battled to a 67-63 win at ALBA BERLIN. The game went back and forth throughout with 14 lead changes until Bayern took a 10-point cushion with under 5 minutes to play. ALBA raced back with the next 10 points to tie the game 61-61 only to have Louis Olinde be called for a technical foul, resulting in an Andi Obst free throw with 89 seconds left. And then Carsen Edwards buried a three-pointer with 1:07 minutes remaining to decide the game. Bayern hit 15 three-pointers to 10 for ALBA and grabbed 13 offensive rebounds to lead to a 10-0 advantage in second chance points. After going scoreless in Game 2, Obst came off the bench and buried 4 three-pointers for a team-high 14 points and Edwards finished with 12 points. The rest of the starters combined for just 17 points in a defensive slugfest. Matt Thomas also had 4 three-pointers for a game-high 17 points and Sterling Brown added 13 points and 4 assists in a losing effort.
ALBA rally from 13 points down, steal home court advantage in Game 2 ALBA BERLIN stole home court advantage in the Finals by rallying from a slow start to take Game 2 with a 79-70 victory at FC Bayern Munich. Bayern started on fire and raced ahead by 13 points midway through the first quarter. Berlin turned the game around with a 20-6 second quarter and a 13-0 fourth quarter run decided the game. ALBA grabbed 13 offensive rebounds and turned them into a 19-7 advantage on second chance points while also holding Bayern to just 48.4 percent shooting on two-pointers. Matt Thomas scored 21 points, Sterling Brown was masterful off the bench with 17 points, 5 rebounds and 9 assists and Yanni Wetzell and Louis Olinde both had 9 points and 7 rebounds. Carsen Edwards led Bayern with 17 points and Leandro Bolmaro had 14 points.
Bayern give up just 5 points in fourth quarter for 1-0 lead
FC Bayern Munich used some impressive fourth quarter defense to take a 1-0 lead in the Finals with a 79-67 victory at home over ALBA BERLIN. Bayern temporarily went ahead by 11 points in the first quarter but Berlin fought back and eventually took the lead midway through the third. Bayern reclaimed the lead and then gave up just 5 points in the fourth quarter. Bayern committed only 8 turnovers and forced Berlin into 20 miscues. Vladimir Lucic led five Bayern players in double figures with 17 points to go with 4 rebounds, 5 assists and 2 steals while Carsen Edwards and Andi Obst scored 15 points. Sterling Brown collected 15 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists and Matt Thomas buried 4 three-pointers for 14 points in the loss.
John Patrick returns as Ludwigsburg coach, WoBo and Brandon Tischler coming?
The biggest open secret finally became official as MHP RIESEN Ludwigsburg announced John Patrick was back as head coach. The 56-year-old returned after two years in Japan and signed for the next two seasons. Patrick had been with the club from 2013 to 2022 and spent the last two years with Chiba Jets. Patrick guided Ludwigsburg to the 2020 German league finals and twice to the Basketball Champions League Semi-Finals. At his presentation press conference, Patrick gave a glimpse at two leading German players for his team in 2024-25, saying Jonas Wohlfarth-Bottermann and Brandon Tischler would both be on the way. The club has yet to announce the signings.
Chemnitz re-sign Richter, Uguak, Garrett, Lansdowne, add Nicholas Tischler
NINERS Chemnitz have made some big decisions looking ahead to next season as they re-signed four of their key leaders and also added a major German player. The 26-year-old captain Jonas Richter and veteran leader DeAndre Lansdowne both penned contracts for two seasons. Power forward Jeff Garrett and all-around weapon Aher Uguak both signed for one season. Chemnitz also made a major addition for their German contingent with the two-year deal with 23-year-old German Nicholas Tischler, who along with his twin brother Brandon Tischler excelled the last three years with Basketball Löwen Braunschweig. The FIBA Europe Cup winners Chemnitz also announced that head coach Rodrigo Pastore and his entire staff of Gjorgji Kochov, Marko Stanojevic and David Gibson will remain on board.
Würzburg make veteran forward Bleck first addition
Würzburg Baskets made their first addition for next season and it was a veteran leader as they signed Fabian Beck for two years. The 31-year-old German played the past five seasons with HAKRO Merlins Crailsheim and was the club’s captain, appearing in 345 Bundesliga games.
Wolves keep captain Bryant, bring in Reeves, Vargas, Ukrainian international Tkachenko, Zdravevski
SYNTAINICS MBC have been one of the busiest clubs since the end of the season as they announced a number of moves for next season. The club agreed to a two-year contract extension with 37-year-old big man John Bryant, who for the last 1.5 years has served as the team captain. Wolves also re-shaped their roster by bringing in American Spencer Reeves, veteran German forward Akeem Vargas as well as Ukrainian international Ivan Tkachenko and Daniel Zdravevski. The sharpshooter Reeves, the 28-year-old brother of NBA star Austin Reeves, arrives in Weißenfels on a one-year deal after playing in 2023-24 with RASTA Vechta. The 34-year-old former German international Vargas agreed to a deal for two seasons with the club after playing last year with MLP Academics Heidelberg. He has appeared in 396 games in the Bundesliga in 14 years. The 27-year-old small forward Tkachenko signed a one-year contract after playing last season with Ukrainian powerhouse BC Prometey Slobozhanske, reaching the Semi-Finals of the BKT EuroCup. The other signing is 23-year-old German power forward Zdravevski, who agreed to a one-year deal after playing last season with ProA club VfL Bochum. Wolves also announced that Johnathan Stove, Jhonathan Dunn, Chris-Ebou Ndow, Ralph Hounnou, Hendrik Warner, Tim Martinez and Nico Wenzl will all not return.
Oldenburg say goodbye to Russell, hello to Hinrichs
EWE Baskets Oldenburg made two big announcements as they first said goodbye to former team leader DeWayne Russell and then welcomed Seth Hinrichs. Russell, who was the league’s top scorer in 2022-23 and named to the All-Bundesliga First Team, optioned out of the final season of his contract. The 31-year-old Hinrichs meanwhile penned a contract for two seasons after playing last year with Veolia Towers Hamburg and serving as co-captain.
Hamburg bring back ex-fan favorite Rich, Turudic, bid farewell to Durham, co-captains
Veolia Towers Hamburg strengthened their German contingent for the future with the signing of Osaro Rich and Benedikt Turudic on two-year contracts. The 25-year-old Rich has played the last two seasons in Germany with medi bayreuth and BG Göttingen while Turudic was with Telekom Baskets Bonn last year. Hamburg also bid farewell to three leaders from last season’s team: Aljami Durham as well as co-captains Jonas Wohlfarth-Bottermann and Seth Hinrichs.
Ersek, Seric stay in top flight, hook up with former coach in Heidelberg, Mikesell also signs
Erol Ersek and Mateo Seric will remain in the easyCredit BBL as they will join MLP Academics Heidelberg and reunite with their former coach Danny Jansson. The Austrian-German Ersek and the German big man Seric both penned two-year contracts. Ersek and Seric played for Jansson last season at Tigers Tübingen, who failed to avoid relegation. Jansson was hired recently as Heidelberg’s new head coach. The club added another player for next season with the signing of 27-year-old American Ryan Mikesell, who played in 2023-24 with Chalon in France.
Bonn add German size inside with Bähre, sign European rookies McGhee, Soares
Telekom Baskets Bonn added some size inside at the German position as they signed Jonathan Bähre while also signing European rookies Darius McGhee and Rivaldo Soares. The 27-year-old big man Bähre comes to Bonn from MHP RIESEN Ludwigsburg on a deal until 2027. The 25-year-old point guard McGhee played last season with the Indiana Mad Ants of the NBA G-League and signed a one-year contract. Just like McGhee, Soares will also be making his European debut next season in Bonn after the 24-year-old played four years of college basketball.
Bamberg lock up backcourt with Watson and Segu
Bamberg Baskets set up their backcourt for next season as they signed Ibrahim Watson and Ronaldo Segu - both to one-year deals. The 26-year-old Watson is currently playing for the Ottawa BlackJacks of the Canadian Elite Basketball League having previously played at Boras Basket in Sweden. The 24-year-old Segu was active this past season with KK Borac Cacak in Serbia.
Göttingen welcome guard Hammond from Ludwigsburg, Churchill from Denmark
BG Göttingen have made two signings for next season as they brought in Deion Hammond and Noah Churchill. The 25-year-old American guard Hammond played last season with MHP RIESEN Ludwigsburg and signed for one season. The 21-year-old Danish playmaker Churchill inked a two-year contract with an opt-out option. Churchill played the last two seasons with Danish powerhouse Bakken Bears after two years with Spanish club UCAM Murcia.
Rostock see captain Chris Carter leave after four years
ROSTOCK SEAWOLVES will have a new captain for next season as their previous team leader Chris Carter was not offered a contract for 2024-25. The 32-year-old had been with Rostock for four seasons, helping the club earn promotion to the easyCredit BBL in 2022.
Muenkat will stay with Frankfurt in first division
FRAPORT SKYLINERS retained one of their leaders from last season’s strong run back to the easyCredit BBL as they will bring back David Muenkat. The 23-year-old Canadian and Frankfurt agreed to a one-year contract after he played a major role in getting the club back to the top flight. Frankfurt recently announced that head coach Denis Wucherer will also stay with the club in the Bundesliga.
German Top Five of the Week
G: Malte Delow, ALBA BERLIN
Delow did a lot of small things all series, starting with 3 points, 3 rebounds, 4 assists and 1 block in Game 1. In the second game, he picked up 2 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists and 1 steal. Delow had 5 points, 7 rebounds, 1 assist and 1 block in Game 3 and finished with 5 points, 4 rebounds and 2 assists in Game 4.
G: Andi Obst, FC Bayern Munich
Obst nailed 5 three-pointers in scoring 15 points with 1 rebound, 1 assist and 1 steal in Game 1. He went scoreless in Game 2 though he had 1 rebounds and 4 assists. Obst bounced back in Game 3 with 14 points on 4 three-pointers to go with 1 rebound, 1 assist and 1 steal. In Game 4 he did not collect any stats in 16 minutes.
F: Isaac Bonga, FC Bayern Munich
Bonga collected 5 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 steals in Game 1 and had 8 points and 3 rebounds in Game 2. He then picked up 6 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals and 2 blocks before chipping in 6 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal and 1 block in Game 4.
F: Louis Olinde, ALBA BERLIN
Olinde found ways to help his team all series. He had 5 points, 3 rebounds and 1 assist in Game 1 and tallied 9 points, 7 rebounds, 1 assist and 2 steals as Berlin stole Game 2 in Munich. In Game 3, the forward had 8 points, 4 rebounds, 1 steal and 1 block and finished the series with 4 points, 1 rebound and 1 block.
F: Tim Schneider, ALBA BERLIN
With Johannes Thiemann limited due to an injury, this spot goes to Schneider. In Game 1 he had 10 points and 2 rebounds and followed that with 7 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists and 1 steal. He tallied 7 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist and 1 steal in Game 3 and had 5 points, 1 rebound and 1 steal in the final game.
Ex-European champ Michael Koch takes over as Leverkusen head coach
It’s not often that the announcement of a ProB third division head coach makes headlines but the new playcaller for Bayer Giants Leverkusen will be Michael Koch - the 1993 European champion who won five German league titles with the club in the 1990s. The 58-year-old Koch had served as Leverkusen assistant coach in 2023-24 for Hansi Gnad, who takes over as sports director. Leverkusen won seven consecutive Bundesliga titles from 1990 to 1996 but have not played in the top flight since the 2007-08 season.
Germans Abroad
The final Weekly News will give an update of the NBA Finals where Maxi Kleber and the Dallas Mavericks trail 3-1 to the Boston Celtics. Dallas lost the first three games but trounced Boston in Game 4 to stay alive. Kleber has totaled 7 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal and 1 block in a combined 66 minutes in the four games.
RelatedNews
Nachberichte
FC Bayern München ist Deutscher Meister 2024: 88:82-Erfolg im vierten Finale bei ALBA BERLIN / Carsen Edwards wird Finals-MVP
Kochs Nachschlag
BBL-Finals 2024: „Mission accomplished“ bei den Bayern und „Was wäre gewesen, wenn“ bei den Berlinern
On the Road
