Real Madrid solidifies its preseason against Baskonia

The team led by Pedro Martínez used the emotional preseason match as a stage to refine details ahead of the Euroleague Supercup that they will compete in Abu Dhabi in the coming weeks. With practically all their players available, the whites demonstrated evident superiority against a Baskonia team that arrived in León with serious player limitations after having suspended a previous preparatory match due to lack of players.

A Dream Debut for the New Roster

The Real Madrid for the 2024-2025 season showcased its signings authoritatively from the first minutes. Luwawu-Cabarrot, a former Baskonia player, reunited with his old rival under the white colors. Jantunen, the Finnish player who arrived in the summer market, joined a front line that also featured the interior duo of Jones-Sarr, where the latter enjoys the trust of the new youth coach Jaime Pradilla. The Ukrainian forward trained at Colegio Leonés and with NBA experience with the Boston Celtics completed an offensive arsenal that Baskonia could not contain.

The numbers from the first quarter were telling: 46 points for the Madrid team set the tone of the match. The Vitoria team could barely respond with 26 points, hinting that the difference in players would translate into an insurmountable gap on the scoreboard. Although Real Madrid moderated its intensity in the later stages, the momentum had already been set, and halftime arrived with the whites leading 78-39, a figure that spoke for itself about the dominance exerted.

Campazzo Shines in Madrid's Preseason

Facundo Campazzo emerged as the top scorer of the day with 22 points, establishing himself as the MVP of the match and demonstrating his ability to lead the game from the point guard position. The Argentine orchestrated the white attack with precision, taking advantage of opportunities created by a disorganized Baskonia defense due to lack of rotations and available experience. His performance reflected the level that Real Madrid aims to reach in the upcoming European commitments.

Beyond Campazzo, other names contributed to the scoring fest. Shulga added 14 points, including a three-pointer in the third quarter that allowed the whites to surpass the hundred-point mark before the period ended. Feliz and Maledon contributed 13 and 14 points respectively from the rotation, showcasing the depth of a roster with multiple offensive options. Luwawu-Cabarrot capped off his return against his former team with 15 points, while Abalde added 11 in a collective performance that reflected the quality of the whites.

León Recovers Elite Basketball on a Memorable Day

The I Memorial Urbano González was not just a preseason game but a tribute to the late shooting guard who passed away in January after a long battle with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Urbano González represented the spirit of struggle and commitment that characterized the historic Elosúa, a team that shook giants like Milan or Rome in European competition during the nineties and dominated the ACB League. Its municipal palace, now renamed in his honor, hosted a day filled with emotion that brought together family, friends, and fans eager to relive the glorious nights of León's basketball.

León has been living with the nostalgia of elite basketball that disappeared in May 2008 when Baloncesto León was relegated and later dissolved. The city, heir to the Elosúa tradition, has kept the hope alive of recovering that level, and the presence of a highly reliable Real Madrid was a balm for that accumulated hunger. Under the umbrella of the Cultural and Deportiva Leonesa and with the support of Qatar's Aspire Academy, León fans dream since the Segunda FEB that initiatives like this memorial will solidify as an unmissable event in the Spanish preseason.

Baskonia Depleted, Real Madrid Ruthless

Kosner Baskonia arrived in León deeply diminished. The suspension of a previous preparatory match due to insufficient players had already hinted at the difficulties they would encounter against the whites. Duarte, Simmons, Fritch, and Lawson, their main new faces for this season, could do little against the Madrid onslaught. Point guard Lawson scored 13 points, while Spagnolo, from the bench, tried to inject some pride with 19 points in the final minutes, winning the last quarter with 21 points to 15 for the Real Madrid team.

The massive disparity in the scoreboard reflects not only the quality of both rosters but also the particular circumstances of a match where Real Madrid was able to unleash its full potential without any setbacks. The 41-point difference in the final score (121-80) confirmed the supremacy of the whites and Baskonia's inability to compete on equal terms. Although the Vitoria team tried to minimally close the gap in the last ten minutes with standout performances from some of their players, the damage had already been done from the early stages.

The proceeds from this match will be entirely allocated to FUNDELA, the Spanish Foundation for the Research of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, giving a charitable character to a day that combined competitive rigor with memory and social commitment. Real Madrid, with their resounding victory, closed a productive preseason heading towards the Euroleague Supercup in Abu Dhabi while León recovered, if only for an afternoon, the splendor of a basketball that the city does not forget.

This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Real Madrid afianza su pretemporada ante Baskonia