BC VEF Rīga

VEF Rīga is the name of a professional basketball club that is based in Riga, Latvia. The club plays their home domestic league games at Olimpiskais Sporta Centrs in Riga. VEF Rīga is the oldest professional basketball club in Latvia and the Baltic region. The club name VEF came from the radio manufacturing company VEF which founded VEF Rīga basketball club in 1929. During the 2010-2011 BBL season, VEF Rīga caused surprise when they eliminated the Lithuanian club Lietuvos Rytas at the BBL quarter-finals, beating them 79:68.^[1] This made it the first time that one of the BBL finalists wasn't Lietuvos Rytas. However, VEF Rīga lost in the final to Lithuanian basketball club Žalgiris, with a final score of 69:75.^[2]

History

Despite being a virtually unknown team to most young European basketball fans in Europe, VEF Riga has been one of the best Latvian clubs since its founding in 1958. Some of the best players in Latvian history, such as Valdis Valters, Igor and Raimons Miglieniks, Gundars Vetra, Karlis Muiznieks, Ainars Bagatskis, Janis Krumins, Cezars Ozere, Bruno Drake or Juris Kalnins, have played for VEF from 1958 until the club disappeared in 1992, after many years of being one of the standard-bearers in the Soviet Union. For more than a decade, Valters was the heart and soul of the team, helping VEF to get back to the Soviet Union elite in 1977 and representing the club in the Soviet Union national team as its starting playmaker. Refounded in 2007 with Valters now as head coach, VEF has a chance to play the Eurocup if it downs Panellinios in the qualifying round. As one of the fastest-rising teams in Europe, VEF is ready to match its own tradition.

Despite having the chance to become a Eurocup newcomer, VEF Riga is actually as old as European club competitions. Founded in 1958, the club has been home to some of the best Latvian players - if not the very best - for more than five decades. With Cezars Ozere as its superstar, Alfreds Krauklis as head coach and players like Drake, Kalnins, Merksons, Taiga Eglitis and Edmunds Dobelis, VEF Riga soon started to compete in the Soviet Union League. Back in those days, Latvia was a reference in Soviet and European basketball, as ASK Riga was the best team in the continent, winning three consecutive European Cup titles from 1958 and 1960 with stars like Krumins, Maigonis Valdmanis and head coach Aleksander Gomelskiy. ASK's tremendous success overshowed VEF's achievements. VEF finished third in the 1960 Soviet Union League. Ozere made it to the Soviet Union national team that reached the Olympics title game against the United States in Rome 1960.

VEF Riga confirmed its status as a Soviet Union League regular, keeping its name in the first division and becoming a hard-to-beat team at any level. The lack of a second continental club competition, however, prevented VEF from proving its value against teams all around Europe. VEF had its first golden age throughout the sixties, with Merksons, Kalnins, Jurgensons, Ozers, Taiga Eglitis and Drake as its core players. A major addition had taken place, too, as Krumins, the most dominant player in Europe for many years, decided to finish his legendary career at VEF, joining the club in 1964. Olgerts Altbergs replaced Krauklis as head coach and had a sudden impact, helping VEF to finish fourth in 1965. Kalnins won a silver olympic medal with the Soviet Union in 1964, becoming the second VEF player to do so. The team did even better in 1966, finishing third in its domestic competition for the second time in club history. With Krumins aboard, VEF had increased its reputation all around the country.

Coach Altbergs, Ozers and Drake left the club in 1968 and the club's golden decade came to an end. Despite keeping Krumins, VEF was 11th in the 1969 Soviet Union League and went down to the second division. Krumins retired soon after that and Alvils Gulbis, a three-time European Cup champion with Krumins in ASK - had stepped in as head coach. VEF returned to the first division in 1970 only to fall back to the second a year later. Several years of obscurity followed as VEF Riga looked for its new superstar. It didn't have to wait too long, however, as an 18-year-old point guard joined the first team in 1975 to change VEF's history forever, none other than Valters. Creative, with outstanding court vision and incredible poise, Valters was a tall playmaker way ahead of his time.

With Valters aboard and Armands Kraulins as its new head coach, VEF did not have to wait too long to return to the first division. Despute having strong opponents like BC Žalgiris, Stroitel Kiev, Kalev/Cramo and BC Dynamo Moscow, VEF managed to book a spot for the 1978 Soviet Union League. Valdmanis had joined VEF's coaching staff, Ivars Zvigurs had rejoined the team and Valters was already proving to be the best young point guard in the country. VEF kept its name in the Soviet Union league until the country broke up in the early nineties. Playmaker Miglieniks and scoring ace Vetra joined the team when Valters was already a superstar, the starting point guard in the Soviet Union national team that won the 1986 World Championships and also lifted the EuroBasket trophy in 1981 and 1985, reaching the title game in 1983 and 1987. Valters left the national team when Sarunas Marciulionis became a superstar but still played for VEF until 1990, with Valdmanis as head coach. With arguably its best roster ever - that also included Kralis Muiznieks, one of the best Latvian coaches nowadays - VEF was fifth in the Soviet Union League in 1985 and ranked sixth in 1987 and 1988.

Vetra and Miglieniks led VEF to finish third in the 1991 Soviet Union League, a historical season in which the club made its debut in European club competitions. VEF downed ICED Bucuresti but fell against Iraklis in the 1991 Korac Cup second preliminary round. VEF went one step higher in 1992, taking part in the Saporta Cup. The club knock off Braunschweig but VEF registered two narrow losses against Union Olimpija in the next round to step down before the group stage. Despite its good season, VEF ceased to compete at the highest level when it was over. The club was re-founded in 2007 with Valters as the head coach of his alma mater exactly 30 years he led it back to the Soviet Union elite in 1977. With an experienced, professional staff ready to live up to their club's tradition, VEF started to compete in the Latvian League and the Baltic League second division.

It all paid off right away, as VEF Riga made it to the Baltic League second division title game in 2008 and 2009, earning the right to join the first division in 2009-10. VEF showed its talent to find young, great players like Evgeniy Kolesnikov, Maxim Sheleketo, Rolands Freimanis and Ronalds Zakis. Back at home, VEF reached the Latvian League semifinals in each of the last two seasons, always with Valters as its courtside boss. VEF will have the chance to reach the Eurocup in a two-game series against Panellinios. Due to its tradition, fighting spirit and ever-growing fan base, expect VEF to battle hard for a Eurocup spot.

Current roster

Notable player(s)

• Patrick Sanders
• Artsiom Parakhouski
• Raitis Grafs
• Derek Williams
• Ivan Nelyubov
• Mārtiņš Laksa
• Cheyne Gadson
• Bojan Bakič

Honours

League

• Latvijas Basketbola līga: 1

2010-11

Season by season

References

External links

• Official VEF Rīga Site (Latvian)
• VEF Rīga VTB-League.com (English) (Russian)
• VEF Rīga LBL.lv (Latvian)
• VEF Rīga BBL.net (English)
• VEF Rīga EuroCupBasketball.com (English)