Louisville basketball: Peyton Siva a champion once again

Former Louisville basketball star Peyton Siva is a champion, again.

Nearly seven and a half years ago playing in his final season as a member of the Louisville basketball program, Peyton Siva was apart of one of the most special runs in the history of the school ultimately winning the 2013 National Championship over Michigan.

This week after nearly four months off due to injury and the pandemic, Siva is a German league champion.

The lack of live sports due to the ongoing pandemic has limited the number of storylines, especially when it comes to wins & losses, but thanks to the BBL German Basketball League getting back to action we have news; and good news at that.

We typically don’t cover much European basketball, but once again we’re living in a strange world thanks to COVID-19 and its impact on sports. The German basketball league returned back to play within the last few weeks putting their own “bubble guidelines” in order and was able to successfully play their league playoffs and championship doing so without fans present.

It’s been an interesting year for Siva who is playing his fourth season for ALBA Berlin, one of the top teams in Germany and even all of Europe. Siva signed an extension last year to stay in Germany through 2021 after a season in which he averaged 10.7 points and 6.4 assists over 24 total games. This season, however, Siva dealt with injuries and was forced to miss several months after a hot start that saw the team capture another German Cup. However, he did get to compete in the EuroLeague for the first time in his ALBA Berlin career, the most notable league in Europe, before his injury led to missing time.

After having several months to heal up, Siva was thankfully able to return to action and was a huge part of helping ALBA get back to the mountaintop (BBL Domestic Championship)  in Germany for the first time since 2008.

You’d never know Siva was returning from injury as he averaged more than 12 points and five assists and had multiple highlight plays that were essential to the Berlin run. Siva scored in double digits in all but one of the eight games he appeared in during the team’s final stretch, highlighted by his 19 points against Oldenburg.

As if it wasn’t enough, Siva also gave us one of the most iconic championship pictures like only he knows how following the 2-0 sweep of Ludwisburg including the 75-74 finale.

Siva is nearly eight years removed from playing at Louisville and while his NBA career never took off, he’s had an incredible run as a player in Germany for ALBA Berlin.

He’s become a fan favorite (because how could he not?) and it appears he’s found his long-term basketball home. We’ve known this since the first day he stepped foot on the court wearing the red and black for Louisville and it remains true, Siva is a champion and bonafide winner.

Also, bearded Peyton is the best Peyton.