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The shortlisted teams and ambassadors for the 2023-24 One Team Awards |
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The 2023-24 season once again saw every team competing in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague and BKT EuroCup put a lot of efforts into their One Team programs, so now it’s time to reward those clubs and the One Team Ambassadors that went above and beyond over the course of the campaign.
Eight clubs have been shortlisted for this year’s edition of the One Team Awards, with three prizes set to be given out during the One Team Annual Workshop in Barcelona, Spain, in September: trophies for the One Team Gold Program, the One Team Silver Program and the One Team Bronze Program.
The key elements that go into deciding the winners of these awards are the planning and delivery of the clubs’ One Team programs, the involvement of ambassadors during the sessions, as well as the marketing and communications activities that were implemented and also the participation of commercial partners.
In addition to the club-based awards, the work done by the One Team Ambassadors will also see the One Team Ambassador Award handed out. Seven ambassadors, in particular, stood out with their efforts off the court during the previous campaign, which led to a real difference being made in their teams' communities.
thinkBeyond, a social impact and sustainability consultancy that supports leaders and organizations to make a positive impact on the world, will again be involved in the judging process for the 2023-24 One Team Program Awards.
One Team Shortlisted Teams
Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz: Baskonia celebrated the 10th anniversary of its One Team program by putting on an event that featured its current participants – 16 children aged between five and twelve who were the sons and daughters of the women supported by Gizarterako Association – and players past and present, including this year’s One Team Ambassador, Khalifa Diop.
Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana: Focusing on helping young people with disabilities through basketball and sport, Cedevita helped four to 12 children aged between seven and 13 who received mental health support and learned skills that were relevant to the group, while the participants were able to go to a road game against Umana Reyer Venice and take part in a One Team session with their Reyer counterparts.
EA7 Emporio Armani Milan: Supporting 20 at-risk children across two groups on a weekly basis, Milan put on a joint event during the Milan Marathon and were able to raise extra funds for the program’s efforts as merchandise sponsor Scalo Milano, other partners and One Team employees took part in the run, with the Italian club also praised for being very communicative while seeking new ideas and improvements.
FC Barcelona: Barcelona worked with 15 to 20 men aged between 18 and 24 as it looked to support and fund the reinsertion of the center’s residents back into society by using basketball as a tool for education and learning values, with the club putting on a number of different events to aid the participants’ future employability skills, fostering respect for teammates and offering platforms for dialogue and exchange.
LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne: Sixty-five participants with intellectual disabilities aged between seven and 52 were split into groups for 90-minute weekly sessions as ASVEL looked to encourage integration using sport, which was particularly clear following a video that detailed a trip to Germany that saw the participants go behind the scenes at FC Bayern Munich before seeing their team face the German side at Audi Dome.
Olympiacos Piraeus: Olympiacos helped 19 at-risk youth and refugees aged between nine and 12 with its program, which focused on building personal responsibility, communication skills and self-confidence, and during creative sessions put on by the One Team Coaches, they were able to learn about basketball, social skills and sustainability.
Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens: Keen to help its participants identify their strengths and potential, Panathinaikos’s 12-week program featuring 15 participants with intellectual disabilities aged between 18 and 45 particularly focused on social skills, self-development, leadership and gender equity, with the club posting news and videos about its One Team efforts.
Umana Reyer Venice: Reyer supported a group of 10 to 15 refugees aged 14 to 17 when it came to integrating them into society thanks to a variety of core skills, while there was also a joint session with Cedevita’s One Team participants, the involvement of the first team female players, and local media had the chance to get to know more about the program and play with participants.
One Team Shortlisted Ambassadors
They are all well-known for their play on the court, but the seven individuals in the running for the One Team Ambassador Award each impacted their communities and had a positive impact influence on the One Team participants. Below, you will see a description of what each of the nominees got up to with their respective clubs.
Edo Muric, Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana: He went the extra mile for the participants, not only attending four sessions but leading one of his own sessions and inviting his coaches (should this be teammates?) to come and watch, which allowed them to get to know the children. He was viewed as a mentor by the participants, with Muric buying sweets for them, spending time with the children during league games and even buying presents for them around Christmas.
Gauthier Denis, Paris Basketball: He attended six sessions and was keen to promote the One Team program. The French player showed his personal side, too, sharing his life stories and delivering motivational speeches to the participants. He took part in the exercises, acted as a coach, and reposted One Team stories on Instagram.
Gigi Datome, EA7 Emporio Armani Milan: The Italian attended three sessions, talked to the partiicpants about his roles, and demonstrated his commitment inside and outside the court. He made videos, participated in the Milan Marathon, and joined in with the One Team Games. Additionally, he reposted One Team activities and stories on X.
Juancho Hernangomez, Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens: Having received glowing feedback as an ambassador, he attended all the sessions and additional activities. He fully understood and contributed to the drills, spoke warmly about the One Team program to his teammates. On top of that, Juancho bought gifts for the participants and also gave a signed photo to One Team, all while promoting One Team on social media.
Khalifa Diop, Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz: Having attended the sessions four times, he showed plenty of interest in the club’s One Team program and built a positive rapport with everyone involved. Diop even contributed gifts to the participants and shared Baskonia’s One Team activities on his personal social media account.
Kostas Papanikolaou, Olympiacos Piraeus: A One Team Ambassador for eight years, he has demonstrated his dedication to the program and was involved in four sessions. He also spread the good word of One Team to fellow teammates and on social media, in addition to partnering with Coca-Cola for a video dedicated to One Team.
Oscar da Silva, FC Barcelona: He demonstrated in-depth knowledge about the club’s program and paid a visit on five occasions. He demonstrated a genuine interest in the program and proactively conversed with the participants in the sessions. What’s more, the German player came up with a new idea to tackle food waste and also shared the message and activities of One Team on social media.
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