BILBAO (Spain) - They say history is written by those who seize the moment, and Surne Bilbao Basket did exactly that in the 2025-26 FIBA Europe Cup season.
A year removed from claiming their first European crown, the Spanish side proved it was no fluke, defending their title with another gripping Finals triumph over PAOK BC, where they needed to come back from a first-leg deficit.
When it was all said and done, Bilbao bagged 16 wins, with just two losses. Here's how they went back-to-back in the FIBA Europe Cup.
Doing what no team has done before
Last season's Bilbao squad won the competition after going through the Qualifiers, finishing on top with a 14-4 record. This season, they started their title defense with a stunning home loss to Peristeri, which raised questions about their chances moving forward.
But those questions were emphatically answered as they powered their way to the Finals, with each victory bringing up the real possibility that Bilbao could become the first team to retain the FIBA Europe Cup title.
More Finals history made
Bilbao's two-legged Finals win over PAOK saw another narrative go under the radar. No team that had lost the first leg has gone on to win.
All six teams that won the first leg became champions, with Bilbao breaking the streak, turning a 79-73 loss in the opening game into an 89-74 triumph and a 162-153 aggregate success.
Becoming the competition's most decorated side meant they had to dig a little deeper than any of the previous victors. The price you pay for glory.
Season | Team | First leg | Finish |
|---|---|---|---|
2017-18 | Sidigas Avellino (ITA) | L - 69-78 | Runners-up |
2018-19 | s. Oliver Wurzburg (GER) | L - 84-89 | Runners-up |
2021-22 | Reggio Emilia (ITA) | L - 69-72 | Runners-up |
2022-23 | Cholet (FRA) | L - 69-72 | Runners-up |
2023-24 | Bahcesehir College (TUR) | L - 85-74 | Runners-up |
2024-25 | PAOK mateco | L - 65-72 | Runners-up |
2025-26 | Bilbao Basket | L - 73-79 | Champions |
Making winning a habit
Winning is now firmly entrenched in Bilbao's DNA, and they proved that this season.
Their title defense started with a loss, but they bounced back in the most emphatic of ways, going on a 15-game unbeaten run, winning by an average of 26.4 points before the Finals. But to display the heart of a champion, you need to show fight and the will to succeed when the odds are against you.
Bilbao showed that in the second leg, coming back from a six-point deficit to blitz PAOK in the second half of the second leg to claim a double-digit aggregate win.
Strength in numbers
It's been well documented that Bilbao has multiple weapons at their disposal and an array of talent that can get the job done at both ends of the floor.
Last season, they had seven out of the 12 players who averaged more than 7 points per game, highlighting the depth the team had, and this season was no different.
Eight players averaged 8 or more points per game this season, as they led the competition in points per game (93.2), and came third in three-point percentage (38.7 percent), second in assists (23.7) and defensively were third in blocks (4.1).
The offense was led by Justin Jaworski, who averaged 15.3 points per game on 43 percent three-point shooting, with last season's Finals MVP Melwin Pantzar, orchestrating the flow and the style Bilbao played so effortlessly with 8.9 points and 6.4 assists per contest.
Success comes from knowing your role, executing the plays and playing together. Pantzar was one of five players who returned from last season's title-winning squad, and the new players comfortably settled into the team dynamic, which includes this season's Finals MVP, Darrun Hilliard.
Hilliard comes alive
Speaking of Hilliard, he certainly came alive and put on a performance for the ages when Bilbao needed it most.
He had 19 points in the first-leg loss but played a major part in keeping Bilbao in it, providing them with the slender gap they needed; in the second leg, Hilliard exploited it.
He went for 16 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists to lead Bilbao to success, earning himself a worthy MVP award.
FIBA