BBL: Bamberg Baskets win in emotional Tadda farewell

With a passionate 86:73 victory against Rasta Vechta, the Bamberg Baskets not only end the season but also an era: Captain Karsten Tadda retires after 640 BBL games – celebrated by 4830 fans, companions, and teammates.

Both teams started the game intensely. Filip Stanić scored the first points for Bamberg, who appeared motivated under coach Anton Gavel and took the lead for the first time through Ronaldo Segu. Vechta, led by Tyger Campbell, countered and narrowly led 20:17 after the first quarter. In the second quarter, Vechta extended the lead, but Bamberg caught up after a timeout. Noah Locke equalized shortly before halftime and, together with Stanić, ensured a 36:34 lead at the break. Bamberg dominated the game, especially after the break, after emotions boiled over at the beginning of the third quarter. Bamberg's playmaker Ronaldo Segu was fouled hard and unsportingly by Lloyd Pandi in front of the Vechta bench. Segu wanted to confront Pandi – and got into a scuffle with guest coach Martin Schiller, who theatrically threw himself to the ground. The questionable consequence: disqualification for Segu. But this was the spark for the Brose Arena: fans and the Gavel team turned the arena into a cauldron, and the hosts used the emotional boost to pull away decisively. Top scorer Noah Locke and the strongly performing Moritz Krimmer benefited from the clever playmaking of the 20-year-old Adrian Petkovic: the young player distributed the ball very well and put Bamberg on the winning track with three impressive hits in the third quarter. With a forced offensive foul in the best "guard dog" manner, Tadda wrote the last chapter of his unique professional career seconds before the end of the game. 89 seconds before the end of the season, the Gundelsheimer was substituted under standing ovations – a dignified departure after an 18-year Bundesliga career with 640 games, 2,426 points, 1069 rebounds, 931 assists, and 389 steals.

After the last game of the season, there will be another opportunity to celebrate with the team in Strullendorf on Tuesday, 13.5. There will be an autograph session, honors, a raffle, as well as free drinks and food for the fans. The event starts at 17:00.