Road to back-to-back Dabrowa Górnicza Championships headlined by MVP Persons

Dabrowa Górnicza did what 6 previous Alpe Adria Cup winners could not do – defend the winning trophy. For the Final Four, they needed a successful overtime and the performance of the MVP of the Kapfenberg event – Taylor Persons.

The MKS guard timed his form for Austria, hitting almost a triple-double in the semi-final against Olomoucko and becoming his team’s hero in the final when he basically converted the winning shot with the buzzer, which meant defending the Alpe Adria Cup triumph. “It’s a good feeling. I’m very happy that we won the cup. We managed to rewrite history, we are the first team to defend the Alpe Adria Cup title. I can do this and I’ve done something like this before. In key moments I remember my college days, I love big moments. I took it on my shoulders and it fell. I work hard, I believe in myself and my teammates and coach have confidence in me. None of this would have happened if it wasn’t for them. It’s about work and confidence. It was a tough game, Timisoara fought hard, but we won. The MVP wouldn’t have meant so much to me if we hadn’t won, so I’m glad we did,” Persons said happily after the win.

Dabrowa Górnicza showed its fans and spectators two great and nerve-wracking duels in Kapfenberg, which must have been enjoyed by every basketball fan. The Final Four of the eighth season of the Alpe Adria Cup thus culminated in the best possible way. “It’s something amazing. Antonio Herrera, who is my mentor and friend, also has his share in the success. We have players who can make decisions. They showed character in these moments and we will take that into the future,” said Boris Balibrea, coach of the winning team.

It was the Final Four MVP who enjoyed the success the most, which made Timisoara fans sad. However, the Romanian team deserves a lot of respect for their excellent performance, which culminated in a great finish and literally seconds separated the final from being decided by overtime. “We came here after a difficult journey, we played two tough games. It means a lot that we made history. It will be something we won’t forget. It’s the first time I’ve won a trophy in my professional career. Key moments for us. That’s what good teams can do, handle moments like that,” Persons added at the end of the post-game interview.