Spanish basketball season tips off with Supercup

Spanish basketball looks to tip off the new season in Bilbao over the next two days in what should be a celebration of the country's recent success in the sport. The Spanish were crowned as European Champions just two weeks ago and several of those champions will be involved in the Supercup, which this year is held in Bilbao on Friday and Saturday. The top four teams from the Endesa Liga ACB go head to head in two semi-finals on Friday with the two winners proceeding to the final on Saturday. The first semi-final sees home side Bizkaya Bilbao Basket play Caja Laboral, from the nearby city of Vitoria, in a Basque derby. Bilbao Basket were the surprise package last season, defeating Real Madrid to reach the final of the end of season play-offs and big things are again expected of a squad which has signed former Spain international point guard Raul Lopez to accompany players such as Axel Hervelle, Alex Mumbru and Josh Fisher. Caja Laboral meanwhile are one of the traditional heavyweights of the Spanish game and the team coached by hard-man Dusko Ivanovich, who will have to overcome the injuries suffered by Reggie Williams, Maciej Lampe and the doubt hanging over the presence of Thomas Heurtel. Although the home fans may beg to differ, the second semi-final is the one everyone wants to see as last year' s Champions, Regal Barcelona go head to head with bitter rivals Real Madrid. As in football there is no escaping the Barcelona - Madrid rivalry and the game throws up a duel of European Champions to boot. Real Madrid have signed Spain international shooting guard Rudy Fernandez from the Portland Trail Blazers. Fernandez will be with Madrid for the duration of the NBA lockout and is the media attraction for the ACB at the moment. He will be up against Juan Carlos Navarro: nicknamed 'The Bomb' Navarro was the hero for Spain in the European Championships in Lithuania and was voted the MVP in the competition. It will be a baptism of fire for new Madrid coach Pablo Laso, who was not a popular choice to take over at the club, but he will place his confidence in Rudy and Sergi Lluch and hope the words of the song by famous punk band "the Clash" ring true "Rudy can't fail".