SBL MVP & STORYTELLER GUSTAV HANSSON

When Steve Nash won back-to-back MVP in 05 and 06, many people claim that he wasn't the best player, he was just in a really good system that suited his game. It doesn't really make sense, but it's simmular to this years MVP in SBL Herr.

First time I met Gustav wasn't that many years ago, but during the off season in 2019 him and his brother Daniel used to come the gym where I'm coaching my sons team. In Stockholm more or less all gyms are closed during the summer, but our gym is a regular for many players to come and play pick-ups. I'd seen him play a couple of times, but mostly I knew him as Daniels brother. For some time I actually thought he was the younger brother because Daniel was having a bigger role, and I thought he was more established from experience. And they came with National Team starter Denzel Andersson, and it was some really good runs that summer. Gustav and Daniel was matched up on opposite teams and both are really good shooters. They shot so many swish bombs, that they tore the nets on both baskets, every fucking day. So after the open gym hours, I had to change nets. Every day, for a week. True story.

Gustav started to play ball for Täby Basket as a kid, but he's most known from his Alvik days, where he played for my coaching colleague and Swedish basketball legend Fred Drains. Fred always tells me how Gustav was great and very coachable back then, and he's not at all surprised that Gustav had a break out year this year. He's 100% doing the LeBron capping, but I get what he's saying. Gustav has great character, and Solefounder Pontus used to coach him on the U20 Nationals, where he made a name for himself as a great shooter. When his coach in Superettan, Swedish basketball legend Torbjörn Gherke, took the job as Head Coach for Jämtland Basket in the top league, he brought Gustav with him.

Gustav became a steady back up in Jämtland for 6 seasons, and one in Köping. His best season was in 20-21 when he averaged 8 points and 3 assists. And if you'd ask me back then, I'd probably say he'd stay like that for his career. But in the offseason in 2021 he signed with Umeå BSKT to play for Solecoach Boris Balibrea.

Umeå has signed Demarco Dickerson, an American guard who's nickname is Showtime. A 6'5" Detroit native with crazy athleticism who can score and go 1-1 with anyone. So when I heard he signed to play alongside off him, I thought Gustav would either ride the bench or not see the ball at all. Until I joined the team for a preseason tournament. I spent a week close with the team, and got to know Gustav and the guys pretty well. I noticed how him and Boris clicked and they spent countless hours working out. Boris is one of the best skills coaches in the nation, and I could tell Gustav was getting way better than the runs when we played. He ended the season with career highs in all categories, almost doubling his ppg to 15.6 with 6.2 assists. But the team were the 8th seed and lost in the first round of the playoffs.

During the offseason Umeå resigned Gustav and one day I was talking to Boris and he told me they signed Daniel Hansson. I asked how he was going to play both of them, together or separately. As he said he was going to start both, he explained his idea and I thought he was crazy. Once again I joined the team for the preseason tournament, and I saw them play 3 games. Gustav and Daniel were clicking, but the team didn't play too well together. Yet.

When the season started, I was at practice with my new team as me and Fred had just signed on for a new club. After practice, I looked at my phone and saw that Umeå won the opener against the storied franchise SBBK. And then I opened the box score and thought there was a major fuck up. There's no way Gustav scored 46 points? Once again Fred turned into LeBron and said "I knew he was going to have a great scoring game".

Ok, everyone can have a great game. But Gustav kept going, and this time Umeå were winning games. I joined the team for a road game in Stockholm, and the W had them in 2nd place in the standings for the x-mas break. But then starting center Will Butler went down with a season ending injury, and they lost some games and ended the season as the 4th seed. Gustav finished the season with new career highs, winning the scoring title and 2nd place for assists per game. Who would've thought Gustav Hansson was gonna have a 22-7 season a couple of years ago, except Fred Drains...

In the first round they draw BC Luleå and went up 2-0 in a best-of-five series. The third game up in Luleå was a great game. With the game tied and Umeå had the ball for the final possession, Gustav dribbled the clock down and made his drive to the basket, went up, got fouled and made the shot as the buzzer sounded. The refs put some 0.5 back on the clock and Gustav had a free throw to seal the win. Umeå won and advanced to the semis for the first time in the clubs history. I've never seen Gustav show so much emotions as he did when the buzzer went off for the second time. I was happy to see the team turn things around, and even more happy for my friend to see him really break out.

In the Semifinals Umeå was facing regular season champions Borås Basket, who went undefeated at home. In the first game on the road, Gustav came out on fire, scoring 15 of the teams first 17 points in the first quarter. But Borås is such a great and deep team, and Umeå couldn't hold on to the early lead and fell down 0-1. Game 2 was a blow out win for Borås and the series shifted up to Umeå.

I went up to Umeå for the two final games, as Borås swept and advanced to the Finals. But it was great to see my friends play in a sold out gym, in the second round of the playoffs. They came along way from that preseason tournament when we first became friends. Gustav was named Guard Of the Year, Boris was named Coach Of the Year and the Club got the award for Best Improvement (Årets Lyft). Some days after the season was over, I sat down with Gustav to do an interview. In the end, I was supposed to ask him about the Guard Of the Year, and handed him a trophy case. He knew his mom had the award back in Stockholm, so he looked at me funny, and didn't want to interrupt the recording so he played along and thought maybe I was using Boris award as a prop. I asked him to open the box and read what the award said, and as he was reading it out loud, he started to laugh and said "what the fuck is this, did you set me up or something?"

You can watch the reveal below.

It was a cool moment, and I'm glad he got this recognition. He's the MVP, and well deserved. Not just because of the situation or system. Because of the hard work.