TENERIFE (Spain) – Spanish club Lenovo Tenerife lifted on Sunday the FIBA Intercontinental Cup trophy for the third time in their history after prevailing 89-68 over Brazil’s Sao Paulo in the Final of the 32nd edition of the competition, in Tenerife’s Santiago Martin arena.
The reigning Basketball Champions League champions had celebrated their first FIBA Intercontinental Cup title success in 2017 and followed up with a second conquest in 2020. In contrast, this was the first time Sao Paulo represented their region in the competition, by virtue of conquering their maiden Basketball Champions League Americas title in 2022.
Real Madrid are still the most successful club in FIBA Intercontinental Cup history, having collected silverware on five occasions, with Lenovo Tenerife now joining Italy’s Varese and USA’s Akron Goodyear Wingfoots as the only clubs to have three title conquests to their name.
Bruno Fitipaldo of Lenovo Tenerife, who had 15 points and 6 assists in the Final, was voted MVP of the tournament. Two-time NBA champion Malik Rose, currently NBA Vice President, Basketball Operations, was on hand in Tenerife to present the Uruguay point guard with the MVP award.
The long list of dignitaries that attended the event in Tenerife included, among others, FIBA President Hamane Niang, FIBA Secretary General Andreas Zagklis, FIBA Honorary President and FIBA Foundation President Horacio Muratore, FIBA Central Board Member Carmen Tocala, FIBA Europe Secretary General Kamil Novak, BCL Chairman and BCLA board member Markus Studer, BCL CEO Patrick Comninos, BAL President Amadou Fall, FEB President Jorge Garbajosa and David Foster of the NBPA.
In the Third-Place Game earlier on Sunday, NBA G League Rio Grande Valley Vipers defeated Basketball Africa League title holders US Monastir 107-84 thanks in great part to Jarrett Culver’s game-high 34 points on 6-of-8 shooting from beyond the three-point arc..
The 32nd edition marked the second occasion that the event featured the champions of continental leagues from four different world regions, and US Monastir became only the second African club to take part in the competition, after Egypt’s Zamalek in 2022.
