pic credit: lore-flics

Time has really flown by for guys like current Eintracht Frankfurt Skyliners NBBL players Ivan Crnjac, Maxi Peters and Rephael Edward since their magical JBBL season Another player that witnessed that emotional final was German/Dutch forward Chris Widmer (198-F-2007). In 2022-2023 they reached the JBBL Top 4 in Frankfurt and faced off against top team Alba Berlin, but lost a tough 93-85 nail bitter. “Playing at home against Alba Berlin in the JBBL final in front of the home crowd gave me such a unique feeling that I will never forget. Guarding Grujicic and getting a few key stops made me very proud to be part of that team”, remembered Chris Widmer. Nobody will forget the fierce battle between Alba Berlin guard Matthieu Grujicic and Ivan Crnjac who combined for 93 points as it reminded some of the older folk of the classic 1988 NBA playoff duel between Larry Bird and Dominique Wilkins. “I was amazed by their performances. That was one of the best JBBL finals of all-time that went to double overtime. They both played extraordinary games and both teams fought to the end”, said Chris Widmer. He like the rest of his JBBL teammates then went through 3 fruitful seasons helping the NBBL team move back to the A group, lose to ratiopharm Ulm in the playoffs last season to reaching the Top 4 this season. This time Widmer and his teammates are seeking revenge on Alba Berlin, but will have to beat them this time in their living room. “I’d definitely say that reaching the 2026 NBBL Top 4 is one of my highest accomplishments so far and it’s great to have reached it with this team. To play against the best players in Germany is a great chance to prove yourself. Also being in the Top 4 for the second time is really special”, stressed Chris Widmer.

Eintracht Frankfurt Skyliners had a solid NBBL regular season reaching the playoffs and showed real grit, determination and heart as they overcame 4 do or die games against IBAM and Science City Jena to earn the ticket to Berlin. Who could ever forget game 3 against Science City Jena that was played in a loud and boisterous BCM living room of Frankfurt. Frankfurt couldn´t hit the ocean in the first half having a lousy 0/16 shooting from the parking lot. Czech Rebublic guard Luka Smazak finally stopped the shooting drought making that first trey and soon Ivan Crnjac nailed 3 in a row sparking the come back and later in crunch-time, Crnjac scored again as did Smazak that heled pave the way to the win. “We knew at some point that the shots were going to fall. Of course we had to adapt to the fact that we missed all of our 3s but as we all saw the important shots were made in crunch time”, remembered Chris Widmer. After 40 minutes, the score board read 68-64 for Eintracht Frankfurt Skyliners. One couldn´t hold back Ivan Crnjac who must have had very tired arms as his fist pumping and celebrating in the seconds after must of made him extra pooped after leaving his heart on the court like all the rest of his teammates. Did Frankfurt want it a bit more than Jena at the end? “Both teams were definitely fighting and also Jena played a very tough game so props to them. We made the deciding shots and came up on top. We were not going to lose game 3 at home”, warned Chris Widmer. Frankfurt developed fighting spirit after the sensational 3 game series win over IBAM and heightened it a bit more during the exciting 3 game series win over Science City Jena. But they also proved some other things to themselves. “We overcame adversity and believed in ourselves especially when we faced difficult situations. We came back in the first round of the playoffs and stood our ground in the second. We proved ourselves to be one of the best teams in Germany”, expressed Chris Widmer.

The success of Eintracht Frankfurt Skyliners was all about team as it has so many special players like German prospect Jamie Edoka who unfortunately injured himself last week in a easyCredit BBL game in Chemnitz and won´t be able to suit up. His teammates will miss him dearly. “Jamie Edoka is an excellent player, he proved himself multiple times in several competitions. But the most important thing is that he has our backs at anytime, regardless the circumstances which makes him an even better teammate. He’s able to create a lot on his own, which opens up more opportunities for the offense. Using this and our other abilities such as shooting and defensive presence, we can harmonize pretty well. I’m confident to say that he can reach anything, also the NBA”, warned Chris Widmer. One guy who will definitely play in Berlin will be the universal genius Ivan Crnjac who will surely have that JBBL final loss to Alba Berlin in the back of his mind. “Ivan is also a fantastic player. As you say his shooting ability helped us in the deciding moments but his leadership role is as important for the team. And I think it’s needless to say that he is finishes with solid numbers around the basket making him pretty versatile”, added Chris Widmer. One player that will deem even more key will be long player Maxi Peters who is a mix between Kevin Durant, Jayson Tatum and Johannes Voigmann. His input will be even more valuable with Edoka out. “Maxi can play multiple positions, as he plays the 4 and also 5. He has a strong presence around the basket but also can hit 3s consistently. He often also leads in rebounding throughout the games in this season. He is very important for the team”, said Chris Widmer. The team also has another very special player named Rephael Edward who is as undersized as they get at 190cm who has to play center. He isn´t a second Jeff Gibbs, but he has qualities that is seldom seen. It is fair to say that no one has a bigger heart than him. “Raffy as we call him is without a doubt our hustle player and as you say plays with such a determination that it´s safe to say he has the biggest heart. He does a great job rebounding and playing defense. In the game against Jena he made very important defensive plays”, warned Chris Widmer.

The journey in Berlin to win 2 games against top competition with teams like Alba Berlin, ratiopharm and the Young Rasta Dragons doesn´t become any easier when 2 starters like Jamie Edoka and Julius Messer are out. Eintracht Frankfurt Skyliners are clearly the underdog in Berlin. But all the Frankfurt kids are competitors and won´t be going there just to see the arena and be happy that they made it there. “I mean of course we are ready to go against any team. They always show up as a solid team and we want to do everything to defeat the home team. With the players that we have, I’m confident to say that we have a chance for the title”, stressed Chris Widmer. Often when a club makes that big upset, there is less left in the second upset game simply because that first game donned like a final. Do Eintracht Frankfurt Skyliners have what it takes to make 2 upsets? “The key factor for us is to stick to our game plan and especially to stay calm when we face adversity. If we play solid defense and deliver on the offensive end it won’t be easy for the other teams to stop us”, commented Chris Widmer. With 2 key players out, other guys will have to step up and Chris Widmer will be exactly one of those players. He averaged 12 minutes more in the NBBL than the Pro B and averaged 5/2 in the NBBL. What exactly will fans see from his game in Berlin? “I myself can play on multiple positions. If the team needed me on 5, I did. If I was more needed as a wing player, I did. I always try to play with high intensity and am able to defend any type of player. For the team I simply adapt to what is needed from me and go from there. Of course I’m able to deliver on the offensive end too”, warned Chris Widmer. It isn´t only the players that will have to give all they have, but also head coach Thore Bethke will have to produce all he has from the sidelines. He always looks so calm no matter during a game or not. Can he get loud when needed? “Our head coach has a very balanced personality but of course can give us a push when we need one. And of course he guided us through the number of games reminding us that we had the upper hand regarding the series and we just had to stick to our game”, stated Chris Widmer. It will be interesting to see if Eintracht Frankfurt Skyliners will have a very special weekend in Berlin. One thing is for sure, if they can pull off 2 upsets, then it could be one of the biggest weekends ever in the history of the Skyliners youth program.