Alba Berlin

1991–2000: Foundation and first championships

Alba Berlin traces its history back to the BG Charlottenburg, a basketball club in western Berlin which was founded in 1989. In 1991, when the global recycling company, Alba AG, agreed to a significant basketball sponsorship, BG Charlottenburg changed its name to Alba Berlin.

Shortly thereafter, under the direction of head coach Faruk Kulenović, Alba Berlin became runner-up at the German Championship. In 1993, the Serbian Svetislav Pešić took over as coach, and the club gained successes that no other German basketball team had previously accomplished. Winning the Korać Cup in 1995 was the first international title of a German club team in basketball.

In 1996, shortly after moving the club from the Sömmeringhalle to the Max-Schmeling-Halle, Alba Berlin finally beat series champion Bayer Leverkusen and won its long-awaited first German Championship. In addition to winning the Korać Cup and other successes at the European level, in his seven-year career as head coach, Pešić won four German championships and one German Cup.

2000–2008: Professionalization and national success

Under head coach Emir Mutapčić the team recorded three German championships and two German Cup victories, but particularly at the European level no significant progress could be made. As a reaction to the time without titles, the team was largely rebuilt for each new season. In 2004 and 2005, Berlin eventually was kicked out of the national playoffs semi-final series. Organizationally, the club created the new position of team manager, which was occupied by Henning Harnisch. Further, the professional section of the club was transformed into a GmbH on 1 September 2005.

In the season 2005–06, under new coach Henrik Rödl, Alba Berlin won another German Cup. As winner of the regular season, the team advanced to the finals series of the championship, in which they lost to RheinEnergie Köln. Köln was coached by Saša Obradović, who had helped Berlin win the FIBA Korać Cup in 1995. The following season, 2006–07, however, Berlin was once again winner of the regular season but was eliminated in the quarter finals by the Artland Dragons. This event triggered the dismissal of Rödl and the signing of a new head coach Luka Pavićević, followed by another major remodeling of the team. After injury problems in the preparation and the course of the season the season 2007–08, (including the loss of Goran Jeretin for the entire season and Aleksandar Rašić for the play-offs) in January 2008 Berlin took advantage of the insolvency of the Cologne 99ers and signed their major players Immanuel McElroy and Aleksandar Nađfeji. Led by the league MVP Julius Jenkins, the team was superior to all other competitors in the play-offs and won the championship again after five-year hiatus.

In the 2003–04 season, Berlin achieved its last master qualification to participate in the highest European League, the EuroLeague. Between the seasons 2004–05 and 2007–08, the team was able to present itself "only" in ULEB Cup, the second-highest European league. Here, only in the 2006–07 season the team made it beyond the first round and where it was eliminated in the second round.

2008–2016: Current era

Alba logo used till 2015^[2]

With the move into the new 14,500-seat O2 World Berlin, the then reigning champion Alba Berlin opened a new chapter in the club's history. Berlin was the first team in German history to ever average more than 7,000 fans in attendance per game. Thus, Alba's manager Marco Baldi and Supervisory Board Chairman, Axel Schweitzer, decided to take the next step towards a permanent presence in international competition and appropriate presentation options. The Anschutz Group, owner of the O2 World Berlin, and Alba Berlin agreed to a 15-year contract until 2023, with an option for another 10 years.

As the reigning German champion, Alba participated in the 2008–09 Euroleague. There, the team reached the Top 16, where it could not hold its ground against European elite clubs like FC Barcelona, Real Madrid, and Maccabi Tel Aviv. Yet, Alba had Europe's highest attendance at 11,264 spectators in the O2 World Berlin. In addition, the club gathered 14,800 spectators in the main round home game against Union Olimpija, a record crowd at a European Cup game in Germany. While at the national level in the cup final, Alba defeated Baskets Bonn. Later, Alba was beaten by the same team in the play-off semi-final series in five games.

In 2009 and 2015, the manager of Alba Berlin, Marco Baldi, was honored by Euroleague Basketball Company executives with the EuroLeague Executive of the Year Award.^[3]

On 8 October 2014 Alba Berlin defeated the defending NBA champion San Antonio Spurs, 94–93, on a buzzer beater by Jamel McLean.^[4]

In the 2014–15 season, Alba returned to the EuroLeague and reached the Top 16. In the Bundesliga, the team had another disappointing season: the team finished in second place but was eliminated in the semifinalist. In the 2015–16 season, Alba had one of its worst seasons in history as the team managed to finish only in 7th place in the regular season. In the playoffs, the team was eliminated in the quarterfinals.

Retired numbers

Alba Berlin retired numbers
No	Nat.	Player	Position	Tenure
4		Henrik Rödl	SF	1993–2004
12		Wendell Alexis	PF	1996–2002

Current roster

Alba Berlin roster
Players	Coaches
Pos. No. Nat. Name Ht. Age G 7000100000000000000♠1 Saibou, Joshiko 7000188000000000000♠1.88 m (6 ft 2 in) 28 – (1990-03-07)7 March 1990 PG 7000300000000000000♠3 Siva, Peyton 7000182000000000000♠1.82 m (6 ft 0 in) 27 – (1990-10-24)24 October 1990 PG 7000400000000000000♠4 Hundt, Bennet 7000181000000000000♠1.81 m (5 ft 11 in) 20 – (1998-08-20)20 August 1998 SF 7000500000000000000♠5 Giffey, Niels 7000200000000000000♠2.00 m (6 ft 7 in) 27 – (1991-06-08)8 June 1991 G 7000900000000000000♠9 Mattisseck, Jonas 7000195000000000000♠1.95 m (6 ft 5 in) 18 – (2000-01-16)16 January 2000 PF 7001100000000000000♠10 Schneider, Tim 7000208000000000000♠2.08 m (6 ft 10 in) 21 – (1997-09-01)1 September 1997 PG 7001150000000000000♠15 Hermannsson, Martin 7000190000000000000♠1.90 m (6 ft 3 in) 24 – (1994-09-16)16 September 1994 C 7001160000000000000♠16 Nikić, Krešimir 7000215000000000000♠2.15 m (7 ft 1 in) 19 – (1999-04-16)16 April 1999 G 7001250000000000000♠25 Ogbe, Kenneth 7000200999999999999♠2.01 m (6 ft 7 in) 23 – (1994-11-16)16 November 1994 SF 7001310000000000000♠31 Giedraitis, Rokas 7000200999999999999♠2.01 m (6 ft 7 in) 26 – (1992-08-16)16 August 1992 C 7001420000000000000♠42 Clifford, Dennis 7000216000000000000♠2.16 m (7 ft 1 in) 26 – (1992-02-22)22 February 1992 PF 7001430000000000000♠43 Sikma, Luke 7000202999999999999♠2.03 m (6 ft 8 in) 29 – (1989-07-30)30 July 1989 G 7001440000000000000♠44 Peno, Stefan 7000198000000000000♠1.98 m (6 ft 6 in) 21 – (1997-08-03)3 August 1997	Head coach Aíto García Reneses Assistant coach(es) Israel González Thomas Päch Legend (C) Team captain (DP) Development player Injured Roster Updated: 27 July 2018

Domestic competitions

• German League

Winners:1996–97, 1997–98, 1998–99, 1999–00, 2000–01, 2001–02, 2002–03, 2007–08

• German Cup

Winners: 1996–97, 1998–99, 2001–02, 2002–03, 2005–06, 2008–09, 2012–13, 2013–14, 2015–16

• German Supercup

Winners: 2008, 2013, 2014

European competitions

• FIBA Korać Cup

Winners: 1994–95

• EuroCup

Runners-up: 2009–10

Notable players

Alba Berlin's home games at Mercedes-Benz Arena (formerly O₂ World) are among the most attended of any European basketball club.