Basketball Cup Finals

At home for the title! “Who knows how long I’ll play”

Moritz Lanegger stays on the ball.

(Bild: GEPA/GEPA pictures)

Where his basketball career began many years ago, he will be going for a national title at the Cup Finals this weekend: Moritz Lanegger. The Graz veteran and former team player talks about his roots, his new home in Traiskirchen and a very eventful career.

Basketball and Moritz "Momo" Lanegger - you can't have one without the other. Especially not in Styria. Now 34 years old, the Graz native started out as a junior player at UBSC and made his debut in the national league in Kapfenberg at the age of 16. Including the cup title in 2007.

The young "Momo" in Kapfenberg.

(Bild: GEPA/GEPA pictures)

A great career began via Kapfenberg. Klosterneuburg (Lanegger became Austrian champion and cup winner with the Dukes), Güssing, Klosterneuburg again, Vienna's Timberwolves, now Traiskirchen. "After the financial relegation at the Timberwolves, I wanted to play in the Bundesliga, I'm not ready for the second division yet," laughs "Momo". "In Traiskirchen, it's also about winning titles! That suits an ambitious athlete like me."

Lanegger, who has 486 Bundesliga games and 91 national team appearances to his name, has also won titles in his international career. The Styrian played in England, Denmark and Spain. "In Denmark, we won the cup and came back from a big deficit with one and a half minutes to go. That was something unique."

Mr. Lanegger-Rest, as Momo is known after marrying his wife Katharina last year, will also be competing for the Cup title in the Graz Sportpark on Saturday. "I've played in completely different halls in Graz," the guard gloomily recalls of the "small Union Hall". Even though Lanegger is at home north of Vienna, the Final Four at the Sportpark is still special. Moritz is now a family man and plays in front of his family, who live in Graz. "Even if it's late and not everyone can be there. But I'm proud that my daughter can still see me play. Who knows how long I'll be doing this." 

Basketball Cup Finals, Sportpark Graz

Saturday, January 18th

• Slot 1:
• 12:00 pm | Women's Semifinal 1 | DBB Wels - BK Duchess Klosterneuburg
• 2:45 pm | Men's Semifinal 1 | Flyers Wels - BBC Nord Dragonz Eisenstadt
• Slot 2:
• 5:30 pm | Women's Semifinal 2 | UBI Graz - Basket Flames Vienna
• 8:15 pm | Men's Semifinal 2 | BK Dukes Klosterneuburg - Traiskirchen Lions
• 🎉 Ö3 DJ on Tour: Aftershow party of the Basketball Austria Cup Finals at Kottulinsky Graz
• Sunday, January 19th
• 1:30 pm | 8TF FlinkStones Graz - Sitting Bulls Klosterneuburg
• 16:30 | Women's final
• 19:15 hrs | Men's final

Click here for ticket information

Momo Lanegger was a pioneer of 3x3 in Austria.

(Bild: Basketball Austria)

After the adventure in 3x3 basketball, which Lanegger helped set up in Austria and in which he only narrowly failed to qualify for the 2021 Olympics, the veteran will now go for the final on Sunday in the 5 vs. 5 semi-final against former club Klosterneuburg on Saturday. Anything is possible. "There are currently a lot of teams at a similar level in Austria," promises Lanegger, who takes care of basketball projects as a sideline after completing his training in the European association.