DUBAI (United Arab Emirates) - Shabab Al Ahli are never afraid to make changes if they see fit.
And the tweaks they have done over the past few months should feel the most rewarding, as it finally led the long-time UAE League Basketball powerhouse to historic success in the FIBA West Asia Super League (WASL).
"We made some changes and now, I think we [have found] all the pieces to the puzzle," said Qais Alshabebi.
The star forward offered as much shortly after the club from Dubai snared their maiden WASL-Gulf League crown following a sweep of Ittihad Club in the best-of-3 Final, taking Game 2 by way of a 90-83 result in Jeddah.
Yes, they accomplished as much on their foes' home floor but the triumph was not only about getting the job done on the road, but a culmination of their quest for gold in a league which they were a pioneer of.
For starters, Shabab Al Ahli were among the first 16 competitors that made up WASL's inaugural edition, but found it difficult to bring home a title from the pan-regional competition in the first two seasons.
While their Gulf League contemporaries in Manama and Kuwait Club placed themselves in league annals, they could only look from afar as the team struggled to book a ticket to the Big Dance.
Perhaps the closest they've gotten was during the 2022/2023 inaugurals. They reached the Semi-Finals before getting swept by Kuwait Club, who went on to win the first of their two titles in the Sub-Zone League.
"For us, it was very tough in the first two years," reflected Alshabebi, who was part of the Shabab Al Ahli batch that played in the first season. "We had a different situation every year we played WASL."
And so, they tried to find the best possible mix that could lead to the outcome they've been wanting. The team began by switching head coaches in 2023, letting go of Zoran Zupcevic by bringing in Oualid Zrida.
But Zrida would be replaced as well just before 2024 ended when the top brass decided to hire the services of Miodrag Perisic when he became available after parting ways with another UAE team in Al Wasl SC.
Along with the coaching changes came the acquisition of new faces, particularly reinforcements. That included signing up Sir'Dom Pointer, who helped Manama capture the 2023 WASL championship in Dubai.
But this season, they went their separate ways, and Shabab Al Ahli then inked Deshawndre Washington, Jamelle Hagins, and Chris Crawford, who played for Beirut Club briefly in the 2022/2023 WASL-West Asia League.
So, with a new man at the helm in Perisic and the three new guys, plus of course the constants in Alshabebi and guards Hamed Lateef, and Saeed Alajmani, the success they've long been dreaming of materialized.
Now they're the 2024/2025 WASL-Gulf League titlists, a victory made all the more significant by them proving that their runner-up finish in the first BCL Asia last year was no fluke - but that's for another story.
That's why their lead big man couldn't be any prouder of what they've achieved.
"You can finally look and watch us as a team," gladly said the 33-year-old bruiser, who starred in their Game 2 victory with a solid double-double of 21 points and 11 rebounds, along with a pair of steals.
"Either the players on the court or from the bench, everyone comes and chips in," furthered Alshabebi. "This is what got us to the Final. This is what got us to win this WASL championship."
And this major win definitely makes him confident of their chances in the highly anticipated FIBA WASL Final 8 2025, which will be held on May 10-18 at the Stade Nouhad Naufal in Zouk Mikael, Lebanon.
"It gives us the confidence to go and compete. But there are different teams from West Asia ... then there's gonna be another two teams. It's a different level, a different competition," he said. "We got to be ready."
FIBA