BERLIN (Germany) - There is a real energy in the crowd at ALBA Berlin home games, the famous club that won the Bundesliga last season that is chasing Basketball Champions League glory in 2026-27.
Cheering wildly in the stands are the youngsters that are just discovering the sport and developing a lifelong bond with it.
And there are many more spectators that have been going to Alba games for as long as they can remember, all decked out in yellow, blue and white.
Then there's arguably the most special fan of all, Anneliese Kupke, 102 years of age, who has become one of the most devoted in the fan base for the past 13 years.
When ALBA play, it's a guarantee that Anneliese Kupke is in the house.
She says her connection to basketball goes back a long time.
I played it myself as a young girl, back when it was called korbball
"Because I played it myself as a young girl, back when it was called korbball," she said to rbb.24.
Following the death of her husband 13 years ago, Anneliese Kupke was looking for something to do, something to help her cope with the sadness. She found her way back to basketball.
Now, the connection she has with ALBA Berlin is strong. It seems she's never happier at ALBA games than at the beginning of the season.
"I'm happy when it starts again because it gives me a change of pace," she said. "It's simply fun."
Last season was a lot of fun. It marked the 12th time that Alba won the Bundesliga. They defeated Bayern Munich in the Finals.
That came after ALBA had reached the Quarter-Finals of the Basketball Champions League.
When Anneliese goes to games, she sees Germany's latest sensation, BCL Young Player of the Year Jack Kayil.
However, her favorite player is Justin Bean.
Bean and Kupke see each other at games and the player has even visited his number his one fan at her home.
"She always tells me to play hard, more aggressively," Bean said. "But she's also encouraging, saying that I played well, even if the result is bad."
Anneliese will have an opportunity to see a lot more of Bean because he recently signed an extension that will keep him in Berlin until 2029.
There have been other basketball fans that were more than a century old.
There was Sister Jean, who shot to fame during March Madness as a big fan of Loyola University Chicago. Sister Jean passed away in October 2025 at the age of 106.
Helen "Sweetie" Brooks was a lifelong Golden State Warriors fan who lived to the age of 107. She had watched games alongside her husband, and after his death, she continued to follow the team because it made her feel closer to him.
"Her enthusiasm and zest for life and the Warriors were second to none, even as she surpassed the century mark", the Golden State franchise said in an official statement paying tribute to her. "Sweetie’s presence at Oracle Arena during our (2015) championship season was as big of a thrill for us as it was for her.”
FIBA