The Spectacular Season Of Telekom Baskets Bonn

In the 31 years of the franchise’s history, German team Telekom Baskets Bonn have usually been a decent competitor, but never quite a winner.

They have five times finished as runners-up in German league competition, have five further times lost in the playoff semi-finals, and twice finished runners-up in the regular season. Only one time back in 2002/03 did they ever finish first in the regular season standings, and even then, it was a shared honour, tying with ALBA Berlin at 38-14. Never have they won the in-season cup title, either, losing three times in the final.

It is a similar story in intracontinental play, too. Almost every season, Bonn have been in one of the Europe-wide club competitions, and yet almost every season, they fail to make it out of the group stages. In 21 previous attempts prior to this season, in various different competitions, they have yet to make it beyond the quarter-finals of any of them.

Until this year.

Tonight, Bonn will play in their first-ever European final, going up against Hapoel Jerusalem of Israel in the final of the 2022/23 Basketball Champions League. Having gone 5-1 in their first stage group, 6-0 in their second stage group, and conquering the French side Strasbourg in the quarter finals over two legs, Bonn did battle with competition favourites Unicaja Malaga on Friday night, in Malaga, against a loud and hostile home crowd, And they won.

Leading the team as ever was diminutive starting point guard, T.J. Shorts. The MVP of the competition, Shorts has been a revelation this season, averaging 18.9 points and 7.1 assists per game in BCL play. The points per game rank sixth in the competition; the assists rank fourth.

Shorts is the engine behind it all, a 5’8 guard who lives up to his name but who plays with an enviable fearlessness. Lightning fast with the ball in his hands, Shorts creates transition opportunities where there should not rightfully be any. He is forever sneaking into the lane, hitting his shooters, pulling up from the mid-range and getting to the line.

Just as an individual, Shorts always gives opponents something to think about and plan for. Yet he is a nuisance on the defensive end, too, where the size disadvantage is of course very difficult to overcome, but the energy level and the speed sees him be as disruptive as possible considering. He is a game-winner on both ends, as are his Bonn team, whose defensive prowess (third-best defensive rating in the competition) matches their offence (second-best).

It is far from being just the Shorts Show, though. Bonn have struck a fine balance between offence and defence, between imports and domestic talents, between athleticism and ball skill. Collin Malcolm’s impression of Will Clyburn provides two-way balance on the wing, national team mainstay Karsten Tadda’s defence has not withered with age, Finn Delany can score on any opposing four, Michael Kessens and Leon Kratzer play very supportive low-usage roles on the interior, Jeremy Morgan is a high-quality shooter, and Javontae Hawkins is a bucket. Everyone plays around Shorts, but no one is reliant on him to succeed. They are all contributors on their own merits.

Nor is Bonn’s success limited only to the BCL. In the German BBL, they led the regular season with a 32-2 record, ahead of ALBA’s 31-3; no one else came close to those two. Since losing to ALBA back on January 15th, Bonn have gone undefeated in Bundesliga play; as the season has gone on, they have only gotten better.

If history is to be believed, then Bonn will come up just short, like they usually do. But nothing about this Bonn team is reminiscent of the past. This incarnation has a swagger about them, a relentless aggression, and talent at every position. They were the underdogs. But now, in both competitions, they should be the favourites.