The FIBA Intercontinental Cup has a new champion after the G League United secured an 86-89 victory against Rytas in Beijing. The narrow win in the final ended a two-year title streak held by Spain’s Unicaja and marked the first time a club from the United States has won the international tournament since 1974.
G League United Edges Rytas in Beijing Final
The representatives of the NBA G League claimed the trophy in the Chinese capital following a tense title match against the Basketball Champions League champions, Rytas. Throughout much of the contest, the American side held comfortable leads, but the Lithuanian club mounted a fierce fourth-quarter comeback. Rytas fought back to level the score at 78-78 with just two minutes remaining on the clock.
In the game’s decisive final moments, guard Sean East II and center Eric Dixon delivered critical plays for the winning squad, which is coached by Mahmoud Abdelfattah. Sean East II finished the match with a team-leading 19 points alongside three rebounds and three assists, while Eric Dixon contributed 18 points. Meanwhile, Kay Bruhnke earned the game’s highest efficiency rating as the most valuable player of the encounter, posting 15 points and nine rebounds for Rytas.
Path to the Championship and Third-Place Playoff
Before securing the trophy in the final, the G League United dominated their earlier fixtures in Beijing. They advanced past the Basketball Africa League 2026 champions, the RSSB Tigers of Rwanda, with a commanding 95-114 scoreline. In that dominant outing, Lester Quiñones starred with a 29-point performance—a player whose name circulated in summer transfer links with Real Madrid.
On the other side of the bracket, Rytas earned their spot in the title match by defeating Boca Juniors 77-70 in the semifinals. The Argentine club, which entered the tournament as the champion of the Basketball Champions League Americas 2025/26, subsequently captured third place.
Ending a Half-Century Drought for American Basketball
The victory in Beijing carries historical significance for United States club basketball on the international stage. Prior to this campaign, no team representing the United States had captured the Intercontinental Cup in over fifty years. The last American winners were the Maryland Terrapins, who lifted the trophy back in 1974.
The triumph ends the recent dominance enjoyed by Unicaja. The Spanish club won back-to-back Intercontinental Cup titles during appearances in Singapore, establishing the tournament as a core piece of their international prestige. With the title passing from Málaga to the American developmental league side, the G League United takes home a piece of silverware that spent the previous two seasons housed in Andalusia.
Worth a look
