SOLECOACH - BORIS BALIBREA
In 2017 Boris came to Sweden to coach in the second league, and first time I actually saw him and heard his name was when he was coaching Wetterbyggden and they were playing Djurgården up in Stockholm. I had some friends on Djurgården and before the game my friend André told me Wetterbyggden were supposed to be much better that season than the previous, because they had some Spanish imports and a new Spanish coach. It took me just a couple of possessions to understand why their new coach was liked by the players, as he was very intense on the sideline. They finished the season second place, and advanced to SBL Herr (the top league) and in 2018-19 Boris was named Coach Of the Year while leading the club to the playoffs as a 5th seed in their debut in the first league. Not bad in two years.
In 2020 I was doing photos for the Final 4 of the Swedish Cup, and Wetterbyggden was one of the four teams. I was assigned to join each team before the games and halftime, and as I introduced myself to Boris he asked me what I needed from him. I told him he should just focus on the game and I'd try to do my share without being a distraction. As they had their pregame talk, he stopped, and introduced me and told his team that it's important that they show me respect and make sure I get what I need, and that nobody's job is more important than the others. That was the first time I met Boris.
They finished 3rd in the Swedish Cup and then Covid shut the league down, and Boris decided to move on to coach in Umeå BSKT, who at the time was one of the bottom teams in the league. Today the 2022-23 season has ended, but it was a historical season for the club. They were a top 2 team for the first half, and then starting center Will Butler had a season ending knee injury, and the team fell down to 4th place. It's easy to see what impact Boris has had. Wherever he's been, the team has won and got better. Even tho Umeå got swept by Borås in the Semifinals 4-0, they still advanced to the semis for the first time in club history, and Wetterbyggden missed the playoffs. In the second league.
Last two years I've had the privilege to work with Boris and his team Umeå BSKT. The first time I took my girlfriend to her first game last season, it was Norrköping vs Umeå. And At halftime I asked her what she thought, and she said "I like their coach, he's so intense and fun to watch." Little did she know that Boris was the one we came to meet. As I got to work with Boris more, I also got to know him as a person and today we're good friends. One thing I learned early tho, is his passion for individual work outs. When I'm in Umeå, he's always working with his players between practices, and during the last couple of summers he's been working with Solesquad member Ludde Håkanson in the mornings before Luddes camp starts. And the guys I know who played for Boris, all developed more while playing for him in more ways than I thought they would. Front runner for MVP Gustav Hansson is no exception.
I've know Gustav for a couple of years now, and he's always been a really good shooter. But that was more or less it. Of course he's more than just a shooter, but that was what he was known for. A good role player who could knock down open shots, and maybe create for himself on a good day. But this year, he leaped out from even being questioned why he had such a big role in Umeå last year, to winning the Scoring title and being one of the top candidates for MVP. Of course Boris plays a big part in that development.
With that being said, I'm really glad to say this. Congratulations Boris to being named Coach Of the Year in SBL Herr 2022-23, well deserved and we're glad to have you on our team.
