A familiar face to 7DAYS EuroCup fans is checking in from Gran Canaria to tell us about his experiences with the team. Power forward John Shurna is in his seventh season in the competition. He first played in the EuroCup with Valencia Basket and has also suited up for Cedevita Zagreb, MoraBanc Andorra and Gran Canaria. This is his third campaign with Gran Canaria and Shurna hopes the experience they have, both individually and collectively, in the competition helps them challenge for the EuroCup title next spring. Shurna will share the ups and downs of the season, whether from Gran Canaria or on any of the team's long road tips, right here on EuroCupBasketball.com! 

First of all, I have to say it's definitely a plus knowing the EuroCup well and having played in the competition before. Obviously, the format's changed so it is a different mindset. Now, it's more important that we improve as a team week by week, trying to play our best basketball towards the end of the season, during the playoffs, as opposed to the previous format where each game was of higher importance, as you had to make sure you advance to the next round. So it's good to have experience and a lot of my teammates also have experience in the competition. So I think that bodes well for us. 

I've played for some good teams in the EuroCup, but never won the title. It's fun seeing a lot of familiar faces as we play against these different teams, as you grow to have a lot of respect for the teams and the players as well. I think everybody competes their hardest, but there's a fun respect for both sides, so it's fun seeing familiar faces and having some laughs before and after the game. I think that winning the EuroCup would be amazing, but with the new format, more things have to fall into place. Obviously, we have to be healthy and playing good basketball toward the end. And with the single-elimination playoff format, it definitely makes things more exciting, but much more of a coin flip as well. 

"It's more important that we improve as a team week by week, trying to play our best basketball towards the end of the season."

We come off a break in which we didn't play in the EuroCup or the Spanish League. We had a rare weekend without games, but most of the team went to represent their national squads, which is obviously a great honor. I think that it shows the quality and talent on our team. All of them had success with their national teams as well, so that was very exciting. There weren't too many guys here in Gran Canaria, so it was just a couple of us practicing with some of the younger guys who were grateful enough to help us out during the week practicing. 

Gran Canaria has done a good job of developing young talent throughout the program. It's fun now seeing former players returning, whether it be Albert Oliver, who is an assistant coach in the second team, and we have Sitapha Savane as our president now. So there are a lot of guys who want to call Gran Canaria home and want to see the program continue to do well, and that includes the youth players, as they continue to grow and develop. 

John Shurna Top Plays of the 2022-23 Regular Season

John Shurna s top plays until November 2022

We have a former player as head coach, Jaka Lakovic. He had a phenomenal career as a player, winning everything, and as a coach, he has had great success so far as well. So he's someone who knows the Spanish League and had success in the EuroCup with Ulm as well. He's been great. He expects a lot from his players but I think, being a former player and with all the success he has, he is someone that we all listen to and take advice from because he knows what it takes to win at the highest level. And as a point guard, he's been a leader his whole life, basically, so everyone has a lot of respect for him. We are fortunate to have him here as a coach. 

As a point guard, he played for some of the greatest coaches in Europe and being so successful, he is someone who I'm sure made sure everyone was in the right positions when he was playing and winning at the highest of levels. He is a great competitor who wants to win, and some who makes sure our focus is on defense and the scouting reports. In practices, he focuses on finishing the play and things like that. I have nothing but great things to say about him as he's been really good for us. 

"[Coach Lakovic] knows what it takes to win at the highest level."

The World Cup is coming! There is some buzz in the team and of course, I'll definitely be rooting for the USA. I think anytime the World Cup's been brought up in the locker room, I bring up the USA and it merely gets laughed at and they continue on with their national teams. Obviously, we have Nicolas Brussino from Argentina, Vitor Benite from Brazil. Damien Inglis and Andrew Albicy are French and, of course, we have some Spanish guys. These are some of the favorites, so I think they merely laugh at the thought of the USA competing in the World Cup, but I'm going to cheer them on and hopefully they can prove some people wrong. 

The EuroCup will be back soon and we have a lot of road trips in the next couple of months after we play Hapoel Tel Aviv at home. After that, we are on the road, I think, for 10 days. So it's going to be a long road trip, but obviously, I think it's a good test for our team and an opportunity for us to come together, so we are fortunate. There are a lot of great guys in the locker room who work hard and want to have success as a team, too. So hopefully we can come together and it will be a successful road trip for us, and definitely long, coming from Gran Canaria, that's for sure. Most times we fly to Madrid and then to our next destination, and then whether it's another connecting flight or a bus. So it's long travels, but people have to come to Gran Canaria, too!

John Shurna, Gran Canaria: 'Winning the EuroCup would be amazing'

On Wednesday night the London Lions announced the arrival of guard Miye Oni and the farewell of Devon Van Oostrum. Oni (1.98 meters, 25 years old) last played in the Utah Jazz of the NBA, where he appeared in 16 games. He played college ball at Yale from 2016 to 2019, where he was named 2018-19 Ivy League Player of the Year. Selected with the 58th pick in the 2019 NBA Draft, Oni participated in 80 regular season games and logged 10 playoff appearances during his time with the Jazz.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">NEW SIGNING ALERT! 👀✍️ <a href="https://twitter.com/PrinceOni13?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PrinceOni13</a> <br><br>We are thrilled to confirm the signing of British-Nigerian guard Miye Oni! 🇬🇧🇳🇬<br><br>Read more: <a href="https://t.co/icz9Xb0u8K">https://t.co/icz9Xb0u8K</a><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/wearelondon?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#wearelondon</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/londonlions?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#londonlions</a> <a href="https://t.co/WDtinX4q5B">pic.twitter.com/WDtinX4q5B</a></p>&mdash; London Lions (@LondonLions) <a href="https://twitter.com/LondonLions/status/1592955079635898368?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 16, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

London Lions add Miye Oni

The next big thing: Coach Fauthoux

**Coach Frederic Fauthoux left LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne this summer and has found instant success as the bench boss of the only undefeated team in the 7DAYS EuroCup, Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse.**

Frederic Fauthoux has already created a reputation in his first 10 years as a coach. The former player and seven-time French League champion added two more domestic titles as an assistant coach with LDCL ASVEL Villeurbanne before taking the next step as a head coach for Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse.

[MORE...](https://www.eurohoops.net/en/eurocup/1419744/the-next-big-thing-coach-fauthoux/)

In this new series, 7DAYS EuroCup at 20, we will highlight some of the key players and events that have contributed to the rich history of the EuroCup. Today we focus on [Marko Popovic](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/marko-popovic/atp/).

Popovic is one of only 20 players to win the EuroCup twice. He was the EuroCup Finals MVP in the first of his two triumphs, in 2011 with UNICS Kazan. The second crown came four years later with Khimki Moscow Region. He played a total of seven seasons in the competition for four teams: his hometown Zadar, UNICS, Khimki and Fuenlabrada.

In this conversation, Popovic relives some of his best EuroCup memories, tells the stories of how his teams got there and what it all meant to him. "I wanted to win that because you play once in a lifetime finals like that, or 2-3, I don't know, but at the moment, it was the biggest opportunity in my whole career," he recalls of the 2011 championship game. "We showed our character, authority and we won it. I wouldn't say pretty easy, but in a way that nobody else expected."

7DAYS EuroCup at 20: Marko Popovic

This season the 7DAYS EuroCup will crown a champion for the 20th time. In its two-plus decades, the competition has seen a host of world-class players, rising stars and historic clubs leave their marks.

Euroleague Basketball releases new mobile app update!

Fans of the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague, the 7DAYS EuroCup and the Adidas Next Generation Tournament will now be able to access a new Players and Teams tab, including full rosters, statistics and much more – right in the palms of their hands.

The new app takes each competition to greater heights with a dynamic new design, fan personalization features and a new live-game experience enriched by real-time stats and videos of top plays as they happen, making the action more immediate than ever for fans.

Fans are also able to select their favorite team and have exclusive access to personalized content throughout the app, allowing for a very dynamic and exciting fan experience.

The apps are live on the App Store and Google Play, respectively, so don't wait if you haven’t joined us yet! Download the new Euroleague Basketball app now and never miss a moment.

**App Store:** <https://apps.apple.com/us/app/euroleague-mobile/id567716614>

**Google Play:** <https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.july.euro>

U-BT Cluj-Napoca added another weapon to its backcourt with the signing of Nemanja Gordic. 

Cluj signs veteran playmaker Gordic 

U-BT Cluj-Napoca added another weapon to its backcourt with the signing of [Nemanja Gordic](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/players/nemanja-gordic/000531/). Terms of the deal were not disclosed. Gordic (1.93 meters, 34 years old) will mark his 10th season in the 7DAYS EuroCup and Cluj will be his sixth EuroCup side after previously suiting up for Buducnost VOLI Podgorica, Igokea Aleksandrovac, Cedevita Zagreb, Partizan Belgrade and Mornar Bar. Gordic has also played parts of five seasons in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague for four different clubs: Virtus Rome, Partizan, Cedevita and Buducnost.

Last season Gordic averaged 12.2 points and 5.2 assists in 17 Adriatic League games for Mornar Bar. With Cluj, Gordic has the chance to reach several EuroCup milestone. He is eight appearances away from 100 and 15 three-pointers away from the century mark. With 279 career assists, he is 17 behind Anton Ponkrashov for 20th place in competition history.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">How was your weekend? We brought a surprise with it!<br>Welcome to the U family, Nemanja Gordic! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/haideU?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#haideU</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/cluj?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#cluj</a> <a href="https://t.co/BrHknmkSmE">pic.twitter.com/BrHknmkSmE</a></p>&mdash; U-BT Cluj-Napoca (@UBTCluj) <a href="https://twitter.com/UBTCluj/status/1592068818666405888?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 14, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Hapoel Tel Aviv bulked up in the paint by signing Chinanu Onuaku, who was the Israeli League MVP last season with Bnei Herzliya. Onuaku (2.08 meters, 26 years old) averaged 15.7 points, 9.4 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 1.7 steals and 1.4 blocks per game. He was the league leader in rebounds and PIR (21.6) and ranked fifth in blocks, sixth in steals and eighth in scoring. Onuaku helped Bnei Herzliya win the Israeli Cup.

Onuaku started this season with Dinamo Sassari and averaged 13.2 points and 7.3 rebounds in the Italian League. He began his professional career with Houston in the NBA and has also played for Rio Grande and Greensboro in the G-League, Wonju in Korea and Zadar in Croatia. He helped Zadar to the Croatian League and Cup double in 2021.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="iw" dir="rtl">שחקן העונה - חוזר לישראל!<br><br>מועדון הכדורסל הפועל ויגן פרנדלי ת&#39;&#39;א שמח להודיע על צירופו של הסנטר האמריקני צ&#39;ינאנו אונואקו (2.08, 26). <br><br>להודעה המלאה -&gt; <a href="https://t.co/fz42wFPC6u">https://t.co/fz42wFPC6u</a> <a href="https://t.co/cyx8ncPHgP">pic.twitter.com/cyx8ncPHgP</a></p>&mdash; Hapoel Tel Aviv BC (@HapoelTLVBC) <a href="https://twitter.com/HapoelTLVBC/status/1591814166670712834?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 13, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

“From the position of a winning team, we chose to take a risk and strengthen ourselves in the paint with Chinanu," Coach Danny Franco said. "There are probably not many players we would take at such an early stage of the season and in the near term we face a difficult task of adjustments, connection and chemistry, but Chinanu's availability presented us with a great professional and mental challenge. We will benefit from the move in the long run."

Hapoel lands Israeli League MVP Onuaku

The Club Scene: London Lions

A lot has been said about trying to turn Britain into one of the new powerhouses of European basketball and one team looking to put the island on the map is the London Lions. Now in its maiden season in the 7DAYS EuroCup, a competition that has not featured a British team since the Guildford Heat in 2007, London has lofty ambitions and has come a far way since its inception nearly a half-century ago. 

Despite only having been known as the London Lions since 2012, the club was originally founded back in 1977 as the Hemel Hempstead Lakers, a reference to the legendary Los Angeles Lakers. Just like the Lakers, Hemel Hempstead played in purple and gold jerseys.

After entering the National Basketball League's Division 2 in 1977, the team finished with a 10-10 record, which was good enough for fifth place out of 11 teams. The following season, however, Hemel Hempstead came in second with a record of 15-3 and gained promotion to Division 1. In the elite of British basketball, the team made an immediate impression and became one of the forces in the league, finishing third in 1981 after losing out to Crystal Palace in the semifinals at Wembley Arena, 88-86.

A few years later, in 1985, the club's first name change would arrive, as the Hemel Hempstead Lakers converted into Hemel Royals. This period would see a number of very impressive American players hop across the pond to play for Hemel, including the likes of Dick Miller and Harvey Knuckles, who are still considered to be among the best players British basketball has ever seen.

During the 1989-90 season, Hemel took the decision to drop down to the British second division. Curiously, in this campaign, the team also featured in the Korac Cup, but it lost both at home and on the road (53-45, 60-65) in its first-round tie against KR from Reykjavik, Iceland. One year later, Hemel returned to the British first division, yet a 4-29 record in the 1992-93 season saw it drop down once again. However, for 1993-94, Hemel was reinstated to the top flight and therefore featured in the rebranded British Basketball League (BBL).

That salvation did not offer much in the way of success, though, as Hemel regularly finished in the bottom three in the BBL. Yet, with promotion and relegation no longer being a part of the league, Hemel retained its top-flight status. 

Another change to the club name came in 1996 after years of failure on the court and a venue that was becoming more decrepit by the day. Suddenly, the Hemel & Watford Royals were born, with Watford Leisure Centre becoming the club's new home in 1997 after 20 years at the Dacorum Leisure Centre.

An upturn in results failed to arrive, however, with the Royals going 3-33 and finishing bottom of the 13-team league in 1997-98. Two years after the decision was made to relocate the team to Watford, although this only came to fruition one year later in 1997, negotiations were opened about moving the Royals once again, this time to Milton Keynes.

In 1998, the Watford Royals became the Milton Keynes Lions, following a commitment that a purpose-built arena would be built in Milton Keynes. Having had many years of pain in terms of results, things finally seemed to turn around just over 60 kilometers north in Milton Keynes. 

By the time that the millennium came about, the Lions were up and running. The team managed to reach the semifinals of the National Cup in 2000, while that same year it booked its place in the playoffs for the first time in eight seasons.

Fast forward two years and Milton Keynes was into its first major final, as it took on the Chester Jets in the BBL Trophy. But, it came up short, losing 90-89. For the fans of the Lions, the important thing was that this competitiveness remained true in the following years, with the team regularly making the playoffs in the league. There was a semifinal appearance in the BBL Cup in 2005, too, but it lost out to the Brighton Bears, 78-68.

The arrival of the 2007-08 season marked a change for the Lions because owner Vince Macaulay-Razaq was appointed as the team's head coach. The club managed to bring in guard Yorick Williams in the offseason, which generated a lot of excitement, while there was also a rebrand, with the purple and gold jerseys of the past being changed for a black, gold and white look.

On the court, things went better than expected, as the Lions were one of the teams competing for the league title at Christmas. Then Milton Keynes won its first piece of silverware after downing the Newcastle Eagles 69-66 in the BBL Cup final. It entered the playoffs in the league as the fourth seed after having a record of 19-14 and it made its way all the way to the final, but the Guildford Heat took home the trophy, winning 100-88.

The success of the 2007-08 campaign was not matched in the subsequent seasons while growing uncertainty arose over the construction of the team's arena, which was part of why the team originally moved to Milton Keynes. The Lions failed to make the playoffs in the 2010-11 and 2011-12 seasons and, having played in three different arenas in as many years, the team moved to London, where it took on the name of the London Lions. In London, the team would wear the purple and gold uniforms of the past.

London Lions at the Crystal Palace Arena in 2013

Following the conclusion of the 2012 London Olympics, the Lions knew that they had a potential home waiting in the form of Copper Box Arena, where the team plays to this day. Some alterations had to be made to the arena at first, which saw the Crystal Palace National Sports Centre become the team's home on a temporary basis, but since 2013 London has made use of Copper Box Arena. 

London was eliminated at the quarterfinal stage of the league playoffs in 2013-14, but one year later it went on to play the Newcastle Eagles in the final, with Newcastle winning 96-84 in front of a 14,700-strong crowd at the 02 Arena. Some more playoff heartache followed in the subsequent years, but in 2017-18 it returned to the final, this time failing to get past the Leicester Riders.

Alex Owumi, London Lions, 2017 - Photo: Graham Hodges

After failing to get over the hump on several occasions, the arrival of the 2018-19 season saw London finally clinch its first BBL league title by beating the Newcastle Eagles 99-80 in the final. This success would lead to 777 Partners buying the team in 2020 and since then the Lions have gone from strength to strength.

London first played a European game with its current name in 2020-21, falling 77-73 at the hands of KK Neptunas of Lithuania in the first qualifying round of the FIBA Champions League. The team was supposed to play in the FIBA Europe Cup, but several COVID-19 tests saw them forfeit their three group-stage games. 

It was a similar story in the following season, as London lost 62-89 at home to Universo Treviso Basket in the 2021-22 Champions League first qualifying round, which saw it fall down to the Europe Cup. After advancing through the regular season, it failed to reach the quarterfinals. 

Now, following a summer that saw London make several splashes by signing the likes of Sam Dekker, Kosta Koufos and Ovie Soko, as well as appointing Ryan Schmidt as head coach, it is in its debut campaign in the EuroCup. Its first home game at Copper Box Arena saw the Lions end Britain's 18-year wait for a win in the EuroCup, as London downed Dolomiti Energia Trento 80-75 on the back of a standout performance from Soko. London has lofty expectations, and it will hope to make plenty of noise throughout the 2022-23 7DAYS EuroCup Regular Season.

Trademarks: Just the beginning for U-BT Cluj-Napoca

U-BT Cluj-Napoca are making their own basketball revolution taking their city and their country by storm.

Head coach Mihai Silvasan has been with U-BT Cluj-Napoca for two decades. Silvasan, 37, first arrived as an ace three-point shooter and after calling it quits on his playing career in 2015, was roaming the sidelines in a suit and tie a year later. No one quite understands the growth of the club like he does.

[MORE...](https://www.eurohoops.net/en/eurocup/1416908/this-is-just-the-beginning-for-u-bt-cluj-napoca/)