It’s been a long time coming - 50 years to be exact - but MLP Academics Heidelberg are back in the Semi-Finals after eliminating NINERS Chemnitz in four games. FIT/One Würzburg also reached the final four in a thrilling Game 5 of a thrilling series with Basketball Löwen Braunschweig. FC Bayern Munich and ratiopharm ulm, meanwhile, both swept their way into the Semis. The week also saw Science City Jena and Gladiators Trier qualify for the easyCredit BBL and secured their license after reaching the ProA second division Finals. Oh, and EWE Baskets Oldenburg and SYNTAINICS MBC both have new head coaches.
In this section, we break out our English language skills and inform you about the latest news from the German easyCredit Basketball Bundesliga. If you’re short on time but still want your fill of Germany’s top basketball league then you are in the right place. Every week David Hein (Taking The Charge) brings you up-to-date in German basketball – the easyCredit BBL short and sweet:
Heidelberg end 50-year wait! Beat Chemnitz 3-1 to reach Semi-Finals for first time since 1975
Nine-time champions MLP Academic Heidelberg are back in the Semi-Finals of the German playoffs for the first time in 50 years after eliminating NINERS Chemnitz 3-1. The history just keeps going for Heidelberg, who in Game 1 won their first playoffs game in 46 years. After stealing home court advantage in Game 1, Ryan Mikesell scored 19 points in a 74-70 win in Game 2 at home. Chemnitz stayed alive in Game 3 with a 97-88 home victory thanks to Jacob Gilyard’s 27 points off the bench. But Heidelberg had reason to be confident as they turned a 23-point deficit early in the third quarter into a one-point game with 3 minutes to go. And Heidelberg finished the job on their home court in Game 4, allowing just 7 points in the third quarter of a 92-64 blowout win. Michael Weathers scored 24 points and DJ Horne and Mikesell both had 19 points in the win. Next up for Heidelberg are reigning champions FC Bayern Munich.
Steinbach leads Würzburg comeback, down Braunschweig in OT in Game 5
What a thrilling series between FIT/One Würzburg Baskets and Basketball Löwen Braunschweig, which was decided in overtime in the win-or-go-home Game 5. And in the end it was Würzburg who prevailed 3-2 to make it back-to-back appearances in the Semi-Finals and set up a date with ratiopharm ulm. The first four games were won by the home team. Zac Seljaas scored 27 points and Hannes Steinbach added 17 points and 11 rebounds in a 94-90 Würzburg win in Game 2. It was Arnas Velicka’s 23 points and Sananda Fru had 18 points and 13 rebounds in Braunschweig’s 80-75 home win to take a 2-1 series lead. The Seljaas (17 points) and Steinbach (11 points and 14 rebounds) connection did it again for Würzburg in Game 4 at home 79-72 to stay alive. Würzburg looked like they were controlling Game 5 with a 22-point lead in the third quarter. But Braunschweig rallied and actually led by three points with 2.4 seconds left in regulation, when Steinbach stepped up with a three-pointer - just his fourth triple of the season - to force overtime. Würzburg scored the first 7 points of the extra session and grabbed the 97-88 win. Seljaas poured in 24 points, season MVP Jhivvan Jackson had 20 points and Steinbach finished with 20 points and 10 rebounds. The season U22 Best Young German Player winner Fru was strong all series but his 21 points, 15 rebounds and 4 blocks in Game 5 were not enough. And Braunschweig are still waiting to reach the Semi-Finals for the first time since 2010.
Bayern get revenge for cup loss, sweep past Weißenfels
Reigning champions FC Bayern Munich made sure they did not slip up in the first round of the playoffs against SYNTAINICS MBC like they did in the German Cup Semi-Finals as they sweep the Weißenfels team 3-0. Bayern took over Game 2 in the third quarter for a comfortable 80-65 victory on the road as Andi Obst and Johannes Voigtmann both had 15 points. Game 3 saw the same storyline with a big third quarter carrying Bayern to an 80-69 win at home to finish off the cup champs. Vladimir Lucic scored 19 points in front of a sold-out SAP Garden crowd. Bayern's opponent in the Semi-Finals will be MLP Academics Heidelberg.
Gailitis leaves Weißenfels, Italien Ramondino already named replacement
SYNTAINICS MBC will have a new head coach next season as Janis Gailitis is leaving the club after leading them to the German Cup crown. The Latvian playcaller has already been replaced as the club named Italian Marco Ramondino as the new head coach. Gailitis will be leaving Germany and his departure - some reports say he will be going to SIG Strasbourg in France - will net Wolves a transfer fee. Ramondino guided Derthona to the Italian first division four years ago and turned them into a playoff team. He was fired in December 2023 and a month later signed with Scafati, where he couldn’t keep the team from being relegated. Weißenfels and the 42-year-old Italian signed a two-year contract. Ramondino has also worked in the Italian federation as assistant and head coach for the country’s U16, U18 and U20 teams.
Ulm sweep Berlin 3-0, move into Semi-Finals
ratiopharm ulm took care of business in style as they swept past ALBA BERLIN 3-0 to reach the Semi-Finals. Ulm allowed only 9 points in the second quarter in rolling to a 74-62 win in Game 2 on the road. Five players scored in double figures for Ulm, topped by Ben Saraf’s 15 points and 6 assists. Game 3 was back and forth back in Ulm and the hosts did not decide it until a 16-5 run late in the game for a 93-84 win. Marcio Santos scored 23 points and Saraf had 20 points and 7 assists. Ulm will now face FIT/One Würzburg Baskets in the Semi-Finals. Berlin had not been swept in the Quarter-Finals playoffs since 2015-16 by Frankfurt and the last time they were swept in a series was the 2019 Finals by FC Bayern Munich.
Krunic returns as Oldenburg head coach
EWE Baskets Oldenburg will be hoping Predrag Krunic can work some more magic with the team as the club brought back the head coach who led them to the league title in 2009. The 57-year-old Bosnian coached Oldenburg from 2007 to 2012 and will be assisted by Serbian Lazar Spasic. After leaving Oldenburg 13 years ago, Krunic coached in Germany with Bayreuth, Bonn and Weißenfels - the latter in 2023-24 - as well as clubs in Poland, Russia and Japan.
Frankfurt bring in big man Pape from Bonn on two-year deal
SKYLINERS made their first addition for next season as they signed German big man Till Pape on a two-year contract. The 27-year-old joins center Frankfurt after playing for Telekom Baskets Bonn. Pape has played in 130 Bundesliga games.
Bamberg add Czech international Balint, bring back Keppeler
Bamberg Baskets made two moves looking ahead to next season as they added Czech international Richard Balint and German center Daniel Keppeler. The 22-year-old guard Balint joins Bamberg on a two-year contract after playing for Czech finalists Basket Brno. Bamberg also signed a two-year deal with German big man Keppeler, who returns to the club where he played his youth basketball, debuting in the Bundesliga in 2020. After leaving Bamberg, the 28-year-old Nürnberg native spent three seasons in Tübingen and then played last season with HAKRO Merlins Crailsheim.
Hamburg’s first addition is American guard Carlos Stewart
Veolia Towers Hamburg have started their preparations for next season and made the first addition, signing American guard Carlos Stewart to a two-year contract. The 22-year-old Stewart played this past season collegiately with Santa Clara.
Jena, Trier both Bundesliga bound after reaching ProA finals, getting BBL license
The easyCredit BBL will grow back to 18 teams next season as both Gladiators Trier and Science City Jena received their license after reaching the finals of the ProA. Trier moved into the finals of the second division after beating Phoenix Hagen 3-0 in the Semi-Finals. Jena are back in the German top flight after last playing in 2019 after they took down GIESSEN 46ers 3-1 in their series. Trier took Game 1 of the Finals 85-82 at home while the return leg will be played on Saturday June 1.
Rumors: Chemnitz add Mushidi, Brewer
Only four teams are left in contention for the title, meaning the other 13 have moved to the off-season and improving their squads for next season. One team that made two big moves apparently is NINERS Chemnitz, who are rumored to have added both Kostja Mushidi from relegated BG Göttingen as well as Ty Brewer from SYNTAINICS MBC.
German Top Five of the Week
F: Paul Zipser, MLP Academics
Zipser picked a great time to be playing his best basketball of the season. In Game 2 against NINERS Chemnitz he picked up 10 points, 4 rebounds and 3 assists. He followed that with 7 points, 2 rebounds, 3 assists and 4 steals in Game 3 and 2 points, 11 rebounds, 1 assist and 2 steals in Game 4.
F: Hannes Steinbach, FIT/One Würzburg Baskets
Steinbach was a major factor for Würzburg in coming back to beat Basketball Löwen Braunschweig. He had 17 points, 11 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 steals in Game 2; tallied 17 points, 8 rebounds and 2 blocks in Game 3; collected 11 points, 14 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal and 4 blocks in Game 4 before finishing the series with 20 points, 10 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal and 2 blocks in Game 5.
F: Sananda Fru, Basketball Löwen Braunschweig
What a series between Fru and FIT/One Würzburg Baskets’ teenager Hannes Steinbach - two of the country’s most talented youngsters. Fru had 10 points, 3 rebounds and 2 blocks in Game 2 and then tallied 18 points, 13 rebounds and 4 blocks in Game 3. He slumped to 7 points, 6 rebounds and 1 assist in Game 4 but bounced back in a big way with 21 points, 15 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal and 4 blocks in Game 5 - albeit a loss to end his season.
C: Johannes Voigtmann, FC Bayern Munich
Voigtmann finished the series against SYNTAINICS MBC strong with 15 points, 4 rebounds and 1 assists in Game 2 and 13 points, 5 rebounds and 1 assist in Game 3 to complete the sweep.
C: Kevin Yebo, NINERS Chemnitz
Yebo collected 19 points, 5 rebounds and 2 assists in Game 2 versus MLP Academics Heidelberg and then had 20 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 steals in Game 3 and 12 points and 3 rebounds in Game 4.
Germans Abroad
Daniel Theis just missed out on winning the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague for the first time, losing with AS Monaco to Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul 81-70 in the Championship Game in Abu Dhabi. Theis picked up 12 points and 8 rebounds in the loss, which came after he had 5 points and 4 rebounds in Monaco’s 78-68 win over Olympiacos Piraeus in the Semi-Finals.
