It starts again: On Thursday morning the Bayern Basketball team officially started their preparation for the new 2019/2020 season. Coach Dejan Radonjic welcomed his players on the court of the Audi Dome 39 days before the BBL kick-off at home against the Hamburg Towers (30.9 - 20:30 CEST). The group included new signees, Greg Monroe, TJ Bray, Josh Huestis and Diego Flaccadori. The US pros arrived in Munich last weekend and Flaccadori has been exploring the city for two weeks.
On Monday and Tuesday the German champion pros completed their medical checks, individual units and an internal Media Day. Paul Zipser in his second stint with the team and captain Danilo Barthel were also able to be briefly present with the DBB team after the Supercup. These two, Maodo Lo and other national players, Vladimir Lucic (Serbia) and Mathias Lessort (France) will only join the team after the World Cup in China (August 31st - September 15th/all games of the tournament can be seen LIVE and free on MagentaSport). The FCBB talents Jason George, Matej Rudan (both 18) and Sasha Grant, 17, from the Bavarian U19 championship team as well as ProB-Youngster Erol Ersek, 20, will take part in the preparation.
"We are happy that it finally starts again," said coach Radonjic. "This time we have several new players and only some of our talents with us. We're also missing the five national players during the World Cup. So it won't be an easy preparation, but we are used to such things and will continue to pursue our goals ambitiously this season".
(Picture: The New Bavarians Josh Huestis (left) and Greg Monroe stretching in the Audi Dome // Credit: Rauchensteiner)
Exhibition games and "BayWa Basketball Tour"
The Munich team will play their first practice game against the NCAA team of the renowned Stanford University in the Gabor Hall in Rosenheim, tip-off at 18:00 next Tuesday, August 27th. They will play another - not public - game on Friday (30.8.) against Weißenfels. On Monday, September 2nd the Bavarians will meet the Shanghai Sharks from the Chinese CBA in the Audi Dome, a date reserved exclusively for season ticket holders.
On September 10th the champion will then set off for the USA and Uruguay as part of the "BayWa Basketball Tour 2019". After a stay in Miami, the FCBB will take part in the top-class "NBA G League International Challenge" (18 - 22 September) in Montevideo.
The starting line-up includes an elite selection of the NBA G League, which is coached by former NBA coach and US national coach Jeff Van Gundy, the current champion of the intercontinental Liga de las Américas, the Argentinean serial champion and capital club San Lorenzo de Almagro, Brazil's reigning champion Flamengo Basketball, the Capitanes from Mexico City and Uruguay's national team.
The NBA has already set the schedule: The Bavarians will open the tournament against C.R. Flamengo (18.9, 18:30 local time), game 2 in group A follows the following day (19.9., 18:30 local time) against C.A. San Lorenzo de Almagro. The semi-finals with the respective group top two teams will take place on September21st and the final on Sunday, September 22nd.
(Photo: The new Bavarians Greg Monroe (left), Diego Flaccadori (centre) and Josh Huestis (right) during strength training in the Audi Dome // Credit: Rauchensteiner)
BBL kick-off on September 30th against Hamburg in Audi Dome
On Monday, September 30th starting at 20:30 the Bavarians will start the new Bundesliga season with a home game in the Audi Dome against Hamburg. Three days later, on Thursday, October 3rd the new EuroLeague season will begin in the Audi Dome against Armani Olimpia Milan (20:30).
TICKETS
FCBB schedule overview
Tue, August 27th, 18:00 (in Rosenheim): FCBB - Stanford University
Fri., August 30th: FCBB - Mitteldeutscher BC (not public)
Mon, September, 2nd 16:00: FCBB - Shanghai Sharks (for season ticket holders only)
September 10th - 24th: "BayWa Basketball Tour 2019"
NBA G League International Challenge (in Montevideo):
18.9. (23:30 German time), FCBB - C.R. Flamengo/BRA
19.9. (23:30 German time), FCBB - C.A. San Lorenzo de Almagro/ARG
Mon, September 30th 20:30: FCBB - Hamburg Towers (1st gameday BBL)
Thu, October3rd 20:30: FCBB - Olimpia Milan (1st Gameday EuroLeague)
Sun, October 6th 15:00: Frankfurt - FCBB (2nd gameday BBL)
Thu, October 10th 19:00: ZSKA Moscow - FCBB (2nd gameday EuroLeague)
Sat, October 12th 20:30: FCBB - Braunschweig (3rd gameday BBL)
Thu, October17th 20:30: FCBB - Asvel Villeurbanne (3rd gameday EuroLeague)
(Photo credit: Rauchensteiner)