Luuk van Bree from Helmond was almost single-handedly responsible for perhaps the most bizarre denouement in the history of Dutch basketball last week. He thus gave his club ZZ Leiden the national title. In the final phase of the final, his team made up 16 points behind Donar from Groningen, of which Luuk scored 13 points.
“I had to look back at the game a few times to get everything straight,” says the 27-year-old professional basketball player. He was not even comfortable in the game, but he scored 13 points in the last two minutes. The winning ball was thrown through the basket in the very last second.
“Our hall exploded after the final whistle. Supporters came onto the pitch screaming with joy. No one in the stands expected us to win this.”
Luuk explains how the denouement came about: “Negative thoughts are of no use to you and we started playing very opportunistically. I started to focus on taking the ball away as quickly as possible, making personal mistakes and throwing three-pointers. But that we won in the end I didn’t immediately notice.”
“Negative thoughts are of no use to you.”
The 27-year-old Helmond professional sees this championship as the highlight of his career. “I’ve played a lot of matches and watched a lot more on television, but I’ve never seen such a bizarre ending.”
After the game, he received a lot of reactions: “Even from people who normally don’t watch basketball. The game will be broadcast often in the future and my name will remain connected to this historic achievement. I am proud of that.”
Despite his heroic role, the 2.03 meter tall man from Brabant remains modest. “You are only as good as your last game. Of course we celebrated the championship well, but now we also want to win the joint championship of Belgium and the Netherlands. The final place is almost in, that should not be a problem. Although you never know, we have shown that.”
“You’re only as good as your last game.”
Luuk played in Spain and America for five years, after which he joined his current club in 2020. He still has a one-year contract there. Then he takes into account a new foreign adventure.
“A longer stay in the Netherlands or Belgium is also possible, because things are becoming more and more professional here. But abroad can also be interesting, if the offer suits me sporty and financially.”
