The Italian Basketball Supercup, also known as Zurich Connect Supercoppa for sponsorship reasons, is a professional basketball super cup competition that opposes the latest winners of the LBA – the top-tier Italian national domestic league – and the winners of the Italian Cup, the top-tier national cup competition in Italy. Created in 1995, it is organised by the Lega Basket – who run the LBA and the Italian Cup – in partnership with RCS Sport, and it traditionally opens the season.
History
The 2014 edition of the Supercup was played on October 4and 5, at Sassari's PalaSerradimigni, in a final four format. Italian League and Italian Cup runners-up Montepaschi Siena, did not participate, after declaring bankruptcy over the summer. Italian League champions EA7 Emporio Armani Milano, comfortably dispatched Enel Brindisi, by a score of 71-59, in the first semifinal, on the back of Linas Kleiza's and Joe Ragland's long-distance shooting, in a mistake-strewn game. The other semifinal saw cup-holders Banco di Sardegna Sassari, have an easy 89-73 win over Acea Roma, with the hosts always leading, and Sassarihead coachRomeo Sacchetti, rotating his squad. The final saw Sassari add a second title to their prior cup win, by downing Milano 96-88. The Sardinians started the game on the front foot, leading the first quarter, 29-14, while Milano struggled to score. They continued to drive the game at the start of the second quarter, but Milano found a way back into the game, thanks to stronger defense and a stellar MarShon Brooks, to answer with a 15-0 run from, 36-18 down, with Sassari then finding their scoring shoes to finish the half 50-40. Three's from Ragland and Kleiza helped Milano claw back at the lead, but Brooks missed the shot to equalise, with the quarter ending on 72-68. Sassari would stay in front for the rest of the game, with Supercup MVP Jerome Dyson entertaining the fans. Brooks led all scorers with 26 points, followed for Milano by Ragland and Kleizia, whilst Dyson paced the winners with 25, and three other players had 14 points. The 2015 edition took place in Turin's PalaRuffini, on 26 and 27 September. It pitted Banco di Sardegna Sassari against Grissin Bon Reggio Emilia and EA7 Emporio Armani Milano against Umana Reyer Venezia in the semifinals.
Format
In 2000, the Supercup was organised on a bigger scale, with all but one of the Serie A and Serie A2 teams participating, with the league and cup holders already qualified for the semifinals. The next year, the four best-ranked teams in the league took part in a Supercup final four. The 2014 edition saw the Supercup contested by four squads, with the league champion playing the runner up of the cup, and the cup winner playing the league regular season runner-up. The format was confirmed for the following editions.
Media scrutiny
Some observers have derided the Italian Basketball Supercup as a, "minor trophy", in contrast to the Italian Cup. Journalist's such as the Corriere di Bologna's, Daniele Labanti, and Panorama's Paolo Corio, reacted to the low spectator turnout at the 2014 edition, organised in Sassari, by unfavorably comparing its appeal to that of the top level Italian league, the top level Italian Cup, and the EuroLeague. The formula and venue was also criticised, with calls to organise a single final, in a city bereft of a professionalclubbasketball, or even abroad, in the manner of the Italian football Supercup.
Title holders
are the record-holders with seven cups, Treviso have participated in the most finals and follow with four titles, Cantù and Fortitudo Bologna won the cup twice whilst Fortitudo's rivals Virtus Bologna reached eight finals but only won the cup once.
