Chima Moneke: 'I know the ending is near and will always remember Manresa in positive way' / News - Basketnews.com

Credit: FIBA Credit FIBA

BAXI Manresa's forward Chima Moneke left it all.

Player of the Game EFF 20 Marcelinho Huertas Points 13 Accuracy 6-10 Rebounds 3 Assists 14

In the Basketball Champions League final against Lenovo Tenerife, Moneke finished the game with 24 points (5/6 2PT, 2/3 3PT, 8/10 FT), 8 rebounds, 1 turnover, and 27 EFF.

During the game, he suffered two hard falls, one of them resulting in a clearly visible bruise on his face. After another one, it took time for him to get up, which he did and fought until the end.

Despite all his effort, Manresa lost 87-98.

"We lost," Moneke sighed after being asked about his performance. "We lost. Overall, I'm happy how our season went, getting (regular-season) MVP is amazing, but we lost."

Manresa's Cinderella story is pretty well-known to many European basketball fans. Just four years ago, they played in the second Spanish division, but now they have made BCL history – for the very first time, two teams from the same country competed in the final.

However, everything comes to an end, and Moneke gave a hint that he's ready to fly from Manresa's nest.

"Happiness," Moneke told after being asked about what Manresa means to him. "A lot of good memories. I don’t want to think about the ending, but I know it's near. I will always remember Manresa in a positive way."

Is it goodbye to Manresa and the team's fans?

"I will remember Manresa very positively no matter what happens," Moneke repeated.

One of those positives is fans. A few thousand Manresa's supporters took 550 kilometers trip to support their team and made them feel at home in the Bilbao arena.

"It's amazing. They're the best fans in Europe," Moneke said about the support his team received. "I said it before and will always say it. It's what I expected from them, and it made it even more emotional. It's even more disappointing that they couldn't celebrate the win," Moneke concluded.

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