Unicaja players Nihad Djedovic, Olek Balcerowski and Tyler Kalinoski analyze the team's condition before facing the Copa del Rey Valencia 2026, in which they will debut in the quarterfinals next Thursday, February 19, against Real Madrid (9:00 p.m., broadcasted by DAZN and Unicaja Baloncesto Radio).
Unicaja Baloncesto was honored at the 38th Gigantes Awards Gala, receiving the award for Best Fans. The 20th anniversary of their gold medal at the 2006 FIBA World Championship in Japan was also commemorated with a reunion of many of the players from that national team, including our legends Berni Rodríguez and Carlos Cabezas.
It's Copa del Rey week, a time of celebration and excitement in Spanish basketball and, of course, at Unicaja. The Malaga-based team arrives at the 2026 Valencia Cup as the current competition champions, but without any pressure. Their quarter-final opponent, Real Madrid, is the clear favorite to win the title, but Unicaja is once again aiming to upset one of the big teams. Excitement and ambition in a week that is always full of expectations.
The team coached by Manolo Bazán will kick off the final phase of the 2026 edition of the Minicopa Endesa at the Fuente de San Luis Pavilion on Wednesday 18 at 2:00 p.m. against Valencia Basket, which qualified as the host team. After the ‘taronja’, Unicaja's youth team will face the winner of the preliminary phase, Real Madrid, and Occident Bàsquet Manresa.
Unicaja was unable to secure a victory against Real Madrid in a game that served as a prelude to their Copa del Rey clash next Thursday in Valencia (92-96). In a thrilling, back-and-forth game, the team's lack of depth in the final stretch proved costly against an opponent that capitalized on its superior shooting accuracy and physical dominance in the closing minutes to snatch a win in the final seconds. Emir Sulejmanovic was the team's standout player tonight (18 points, 3 rebounds, 19 PIR).
