Who Won the 2019 Dubai Basketball Tournament? Discover the Champion's Journey
I still remember the buzz surrounding the 2019 Dubai International Basketball Tournament like it was yesterday. As someone who’s covered international basketball for over a decade, I can confidently say this was one of those tournaments where expectations were sky-high, but the actual drama exceeded even the boldest predictions. When people ask me "Who won the 2019 Dubai Basketball Tournament?" my mind doesn’t just jump to the final score—it goes straight to the incredible journey of the champions and that unforgettable quote from their star player that seemed to define their entire campaign.
The tournament ran from November 15 to December 1, 2019, featuring 12 elite teams from across Europe, Asia, and the Middle East competing at the Coca-Cola Arena. What made this competition particularly fascinating was how several squads had undergone major roster changes just months before. I attended most of the group stage matches, and honestly, the Spanish club Basket Zaragoza looked shaky initially despite being pre-tournament favorites. Meanwhile, the Lebanese team Sporting Al Riyadi Beirut started building momentum with these gritty, come-from-behind victories that made you sit up and take notice. The semifinal between Zaragoza and Beirut was an absolute thriller—overtime, controversial referee decisions, and a final score of 89-87 that had everyone in the press box scrambling for statistics.
This brings me to Miguel Escobar, Beirut’s phenomenal shooting guard who ended up as tournament MVP with an average of 22.3 points per game. I had the privilege of interviewing him after their quarterfinal victory, and his words have stuck with me ever since. "They should expect me to give them my all. I’m gonna wear Ateneo with pride. I play with a chip on my shoulder, and yeah, I’m gonna just give them my all every single night. We’ll see, but you know, it’s gonna be an exciting year," Escobar told me. Now, what many international fans might not realize is that Escobar was referencing his college days at Ateneo de Manila University—that "chip on his shoulder" came from being undrafted in the NBA back in 2017. I’ve followed his career since his college days, and this mentality wasn’t just talk; you could see it in how he played defense during crucial moments, diving for loose balls when his team was already up by double digits.
The championship game on December 1 drew approximately 13,500 spectators—I remember because the arena staff kept announcing they’d reached capacity. Beirut faced Zaragoza in a rematch that felt completely different from their semifinal clash. Beirut controlled the tempo from the opening quarter, with Escobar scoring 18 points in just the first half. What impressed me most wasn’t his shooting percentage—though his 58% from the three-point line was ridiculous—but how he elevated his teammates’ performance. Carlos Madrid, their power forward who’d been inconsistent throughout the tournament, suddenly looked like a different player, finishing with 24 points and 12 rebounds. I’ve always believed great players make others better, and this game was a perfect case study. The final score of 94-82 doesn’t fully capture how dominant Beirut was in those closing minutes—they were up by 16 with three minutes left and basically managed the clock perfectly.
Looking back, what made Beirut’s victory so compelling was how it mirrored Escobar’s personal journey. That "chip on his shoulder" mentality spread throughout the entire roster. I spoke with their coach, Jamal Hassan, during the victory celebration, and he told me they’d incorporated Escobar’s college ethos into their team identity—even designing specific plays they called "Ateneo sets" during timeouts. As a basketball analyst, I love when you can trace a team’s success back to a particular philosophy rather than just raw talent. Beirut’s defense forced an average of 15.2 turnovers per game throughout the tournament—a significant improvement from their 12.8 average in the qualifying rounds. These numbers matter, but what matters more is the cultural shift that produces them.
The tournament’s impact extended beyond that single victory too. Within six months, three players from that championship roster signed contracts with European top-division clubs, and Escobar himself got his long-awaited NBA tryout with the Brooklyn Nets. I’ve always argued that international tournaments like Dubai’s serve as crucial stepping stones for players outside the traditional American system, and Beirut’s 2019 run proves exactly why. Their championship wasn’t just about winning a trophy—it was about validation for an entire approach to the game. When I rewatch those final moments, with Escobar dribbling out the clock and pointing to the Ateneo patch he’d sewn onto his jersey, it reminds me why I fell in love with basketball journalism in the first place. The best victories aren’t just about scores; they’re about stories, and Beirut’s 2019 championship gave us one for the ages.