Napoli Claims Italian Basketball Cup Victory After 18 Years

The Generazione Vincente Napoli team emerged victorious in the Italian Cup’s Turin final, marking their second win in the tournament’s history, with their first victory dating back to 2006 in Forlì. The match took place against the favored EA7 Emporio Armani Milano, and despite being a tense and closely fought contest, Napoli managed to secure a 77-72 win. The competition, which unfolded in the Inalpi Arena, drew a crowd of over 40,000 spectators across four days of competition, indicating a more than 10% increase compared to the 2023 tournament. In front of 12,112 witnesses, the triumphant Napoli team hoisted the cup high into the sky.

The Azzurri dominated the game from the very beginning, with standout performances from Tyler Ennis, who scored 21 points and 7 rebounds. He was ably supported by Pullen, with 14 points, Sokolowski, with 13, and Zubcic, with 11, all of whom played a pivotal role in leading Napoli to victory. On the other hand, Milan, who were on the backfoot throughout the match, had to rely on Melli, who scored 20 points, and Mirotic, who managed 19. Despite grabbing 41 rebounds, Milan fell short of the mark, unable to match Napoli’s heart, technical skills, competitive spirit, and overall performance.

Reflecting on the victory, coach Milicic remarked, “Yesterday, I wanted to talk about the tale of Cinderella, and it seems the Neapolitan fans liked this story. We came here to Turin and defeated a formidable team like Milan. We maintained control over the game from start to finish. In the end, I couldn’t be prouder of my players and staff, who raised their game during these Final Eight. Winning three games in four days is a monumental challenge. We were not only good but also smart. The perfect blend of tactics and energy guided us to victory.” With this win, the Neapolitan team now shares the honor of two tournament triumphs with Dinamo Sassari and VL Pesaro. This victory also marks coach Igor Milicic’s first Italian title in his debut competition.

Meanwhile, a disappointed coach Ettore Messina of Milan said, “Congratulations to Napoli on their well-deserved win. They maintained the lead throughout the game. Unfortunately, we didn’t choose the best day to regress in terms of our quality of play. Our defense was mediocre at best, and our offensive strategy of dribbling and passing the ball was disappointing. We were consistently outplayed by their quality and trailed behind in the entire match.”