After making a stunning debut at Europe's top table last season, the Roca Team is dreaming of big things this year, at both national and continental level.
It has been almost a decade since the Roca Team was reborn and returned to its glory days! Before Sergey Dyadechko arrived as patron of the club, AS Monaco Basket had enjoyed some auspicious periods of success, competing in the elite from 1973 to 1975 and from 1976 to 1991 with stars from the NBA like Robert Smith.
Since 2013, local basketball fans have had reason to smile again as their team achieved successive promotions and titles, climbing from the third division to the top flight and eventually claiming their first European trophy with the Eurocoupe in 2021. That triumph saw the Roca Team qualify for the Euroleague, the pinnacle of European competition. In their first season, the Monegasque outfit managed to claim a place in the play-offs - the top eight teams on the continent - and were only eliminated by Olympiakos after a thrilling five-game series that will live long in the memory. NBA star Kevin Durant still remembers it!
These most recent successes have consolidated the project that began ten years ago with two big targets: the French league title and another appearance in the play-offs. To achieve those goals, AS Monaco Basket has equipped itself with everything it needs: the biggest budget in top-flight history and a hugely ambitious recruitment policy, to ensure long-term continuity and sustainability for the project. The Roca Team's rise is also reflected in the work done at their home venue, the Gaston-Médecin, which has been fully renovated for the coming season and now seats nearly 5,000 spectators!
This 2022-2023 season has already gotten off to a promising start, with the Roca Team having won both its fixtures in the national league and looking in great shape going into the upcoming European matches. Their next home games are on Sunday at 5 pm, against Roanne, and Sunday 9 against Gravelines-Dunkerque. After that, they will host the double reigning Euroleague champions, Anadolu Efes of Istanbul.
Photo credit: AS Monaco