The day Atenas was a step away from Heaven

BUENOS AIRES (Martín Seldes’ Brave New World) – Don’t think about these days in which good players are all around the world and almost any good team can compete against great teams with disregard of their nationalities.

Think about the world of 15 years ago, when Michael Jordan was the best by far, European teams were the second best –especially Greeks- and South American teams could only dream of competing against them.

In those days, there was a small club. A club that had a stadium that could hold less than 4000 fans and that had walls instead of seats right behind their baskets. In those days, a small club had already become the biggest club in Argentina. In those days, Atenas travelled to Paris to be a three-pointer away from playing against –or with- the Chicago Bulls.

Atenas was expected to arrive in Paris to play the 1997 McDonald’s Open (aka McDonald’s Championship), lose and come back home as fast as they could. They didn’t think the same.

The big Benetton Treviso was supposed to be the killer but ended as the victim. That small club that had Marcelo Milanesio, Héctor Campana, Leandro Palladino and Fabricio Oberto as their best players was there to upset whoever they could. That small club had one of the best coaches in the world, Ruben Magnano.

Campana, who was the vice-governor of Cordoba until last year, scored 23 points to lead the “unknown” team to the unexpected victory. Oberto joined him with 22 and 11 rebounds.

After that game, Jerry Krause (Chicago Bulls’ manager) talked to Oberto and told him that he would play in the NBA. He was right.

Back to the game, Atenas’ defence –Magnano is well known as one of the best defensive coaches ever- stopped Zeljko Rebraca, Stéfano Rusconi, Henry Williams, Davide Bonora, Glenn Sekunda, Denis Marconato and Riccardo Pittis as they beat Benetton Treviso 87-78 to make it to the Semi-Finals.

And that’s the special game. In a world full of people who only remember victories, Atenas and basketball lovers in Argentina remember the loss against Olympiakos as one of the best games ever.

The European champions had everything to win. Beside the great players they had –and they really had them-, Olympiakos was resting while Atenas was fighting to win the Quarter-Finals.

Less than 20 hours after their first game, the Argentinean club had to face one of the best Greek teams ever.

Again, defence and Oberto allowed Atenas to make it to the final seconds with chances of winning. But…

Arturas Karnisovas scored an amazing three-and-one to put their team three points ahead with nine seconds left. Yes, Atenas was winning by one with just few seconds to go. That would have meant that Atenas could have faced the Chicago Bulls, with Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen and Phil Jackson.

They ended playing –and beating- the host team Paris Saint Germain. That third place will be remembered by an incredible amount of people, but not as much as people remember the Semi-Final loss.

As we learnt in that 17 October 1997, losing sometimes is winning.


Martín Seldes

FIBA

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