Graphic: Mārtiņš Zaļūksnis
Enea Zastal BC Zielona Gora will return for the second season in the European North Basketball league.
PLK clubs had successful international season.
Anwil Włocławek, a 2022 ENBL champion, won the 2023 FIBA Europe Cup.
The Rottweilers defeated Cholet Basket 161-155 on aggregate.
Przemyslaw Frasunkiewicz`s men posted a 81-77 win at home on April 19, followed by a 80-78 success on the road.
Phillip Green was named the Most Valuable player and received his award from the French legend Antoine Rigaudeau.
BM Stal Ostrów won the 2023 ENBL title on home floor, defeating BC Wolves Alytus, 70-66.
Polski Cukier Start Lublin earned a bronze medal, while King Szczecin finished in the fourth place.
MKS Dąbrowa Górnicza won the 2023 Alpe Adria Cup, prevailing over GGMT Vienna in the title game, 86-72.
Energa Basket Liga and Polsat television have signed a new, seven year agreement on league`s TV rights – was announced in a common press conference on Thursday, March 23.
PLK games will be broadcasted until 2030 and the clubs will receive TV money for the first time in league`s history – starting from 2024/2025 season.
The new contract includes the matches of the Polish Cup and the Polish Supercup, as well as a TV magazine and a season Gala event.
Polsat, starting from 2023, will broadcast 4-5 matches in every PLK round.
The other matches will be streamed via Polsat Box Go, replacing Emocje TV.
Polsat will pay a total amount of 3 000 000 PLN – around 600 000 EUR – to the clubs, starting from 2024.
Łukasz Koszarek is the new president of the PLK, replacing Radosław Piesiewicz.
Zastal Zielona Gora was founded in 1946 and for the first time entered the Polish top league in 1983.
Zielona Gora returned to the PLK (Polska Liga Koszykówki, also Energa Basket Liga) in 2009/2010. It marked the start of the most famous era in club`s history.
As of today, Zielona Gora is a five time Polish Champion (2013, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2020), a two time runner-up (2014, 2021) and a bronze medal winner (2012).
The Boars also won the Polish Cup three times (2015, 2017, 2021).
Zielona Gora has a remarkable international experience too.
The Polish team has played in EuroCup and Euroleague (2012-2016), the FIBA Basketball Champions league (2016-2018) and the VTB United league (2018-February 24, 2022).
Zielona Gora reached the EuroCup quarterfinals in 2016 after beating UNICS Kazan 139-126.
The club also made the Basketball Champions league Top 16 in 2018 and entered the VTB league playoffs in 2021.
Zastal Zielona Gora is well known for its coaches – Slovenians Andrej Urlep and Sašo Filipovski, the NBA champion Žan Tabak from Croatia, Igor Jovovič from Montenegro.
A Serbian coach, born in Skopje, Oliver Vidin took the coaching reins on May 19, 2021, and stayed at the helm for two seasons.
David Dedek became the new Zastal coach on July 17, 2023.
He signed a three season contract.
A 52 year old Slovenian has worked in Poland from 2003 until 2021.
Dedek has coached at Włocławek, Gdynia, Koszalin and Lublin.
The famous former players include a Polish legend Łukasz Koszarek, the Polish national team captain Mateusz Ponitka and a Danish star Iffe Lundberg.