ATHENS (Greece) - For the first time in nine seasons of the Basketball Champions League, a player has won back-to-back MVP of the Season awards. Marcelinho Huertas of La Laguna Tenerife made history on Saturday, during the Awards Ceremony at the 2025 BCL Final Four, powered by SUNEL.
The 41-year-old point guard had claimed the MVP of the Season award in Belgrade last season, and became the first player to keep the coveted trophy in his possession in the following season, leading La Laguna Tenerife to yet another Final Four appearance.
Huertas received the award from another all-time great, as Greece's legendary guard Theo Papaloukas joined him on stage as the remitter for the biggest individual accolade of Season 9.
The Brazilian wasn't the only La Laguna Tenerife member to receive an ovation at the Awards Ceremony. Txus Vidorreta, the winningest coach in BCL history, the only one with 100+ wins in this competition, and a two-time BCL champion, has been voted as Coach of the Season for the first time in this competition.
Nolan Traore of Saint-Quentin Basket-Ball was named Best Young Player, succeeding his compatriot Tidjane Salaun, while Alberto Diaz of Unicaja picked up his second Defensive Player of the Season award in the BCL, following his success in 2023.
Meanwhile, the 2024-25 Star Lineup and Star Lineup Second Team features several players from the four contenders that reached the Final Four in Athens.
Star Lineup • Marcelinho Huertas (La Laguna Tenerife) • Hunter Hale (AEK Betsson BC) • James Palmer Jr (Galatasaray) • Dylan Osetkowski (Unicaja) • Ismael Kamagate (Bertram Derthona Basket)
Star Lineup Second Team • Kendrick Perry (Unicaja) • Will Cummings (Galatasaray) • Desi Rodriguez (Nanterre 92) • Derrick Alston Jr (BAXI Manresa) • Steven Enoch (Rytas Vilnius)
The winners of the awards in each of the individual categories, as well as the 10 players making up the Star Lineup and the Star Lineup Second Team, were selected by four constituencies: the fans, an expert media panel that covered the BCL this season around Europe, the head coaches and the captains of the teams that made it to the Round of 16.
Huertas, who is about to turn 42 later this month, repeated his feat from last season, receiving the most votes for MVP not only from the media members, but perhaps even more importantly from both the coaches and his peers.