Maccabi Tel Aviv hosts CSKA in Euroleague play on Tuesday at 21:05 as the Yellow & Blue look to get back onto the winning track after falling in three straight continental games. CSKA finds themselves in second place with a 17-8 record while Maccabi are in 14th place with a 10-14 record as they try to stay in contention for a spot in the playoffs.

Every Euroleague season has some surprises in it. Whether it’s a team that comes out of nowheres to challenge for the playoffs or even the Final Four to a player who has a breakout campaign that wasn’t expected to do so. But players moving to a Euroleague team in the middle of the season and making an immediate impact is something that just doesn’t happen everyday.

However, that was the case of Iffe Lundberg who burst on the scene for CSKA Moscow in a razor thin 75-74 victory on the road against Olympiacos. How well did Lundberg fit in? How about to the tune of 13 points, 4 rebounds and 3 assists in over 26 minutes. Not bad for a Euroleague debut, not bad at all.

“I felt good. I was happy to come out and play again and I hadn’t played in 10 days as my last game was the Polish Cup Final (a game that Lundberg led all scorers in with 21 points and 5 assists to help Zielona Gora take the title). Now I’m with a new team, new coach, new teammates with a few practices and things just figured itself out. It’s great to be back on the court.”

13 pts | 4 reb | 3 ast

A debut to remember for @IffeLundberg pic.twitter.com/WaUMvCTyYk

— Turkish Airlines EuroLeague (@EuroLeague) February 26, 2021

Stepping into a team like CSKA Moscow who find themselves with a 17-8 record and in second place in the Euroleague certainly isn’t simple. A veteran core of players including Mike James, Toko Shengelia, Darrun Hilliard and Nikita Kurbanov as well as head coach Dimtris Itoudis who have won at the highest level could be intimidating for any player. But so far Lundberg’s arrival has been seamless.

“I like coach Itoudis and he seems to be a really good coach who pays a lot of attention to details and demands 100% focus and concentration which is something I respect. I went up against these guys a few times, but to be around them now day in and day out is fun and makes me want to go harder and appreciate the situation that I am here in my short career. I am happy to be here and happy to compete.”

Lundberg began the season with Zielona Gora in the VTB League after having played three seasons in Spain with Tenerife and Manresa a move that he explained was critical to his development and to where he finds himself today.

“I made the move to the Zielona Gora in order to make the jump that I just did. It was never a doubt in my mind and I needed a platform where I wasn’t being held down. A place where I could showcase my skills and abilities. The combination with me and coach Zan Tabak was great. We had talked before I signed and he said that I am aware of what you’re capable of and your ceiling is high. Come here and do what you’re supposed to do and you can go anywhere you want. The VTB is a great league with great exposure which is recognized all over Europe.”

I still can’t believe that I’m actually here. Blessed🙏🏼 pic.twitter.com/kxZyNtp4W7

— Gabriel Iffe Lundberg (@IffeLundberg) February 18, 2021

Although it looked so simple for Lundberg to make the midseason move to CSKA, in reality it was more of a surprise as everything aligned just perfectly during the month of February “I didn’t expect this to happen during this season for sure. I had several offers already during this season and my team didn’t want to let me go so I kind of figured it wasn’t going to happen.”

“When I got the call from my agent I was really surprised. At first I didn’t want to believe it because I figured the club wouldn’t let me go regardless. I was like ok, it’s another team that is interested in me, but ultimately wasn’t going to get me. But then he said that the two parties had been talking for weeks and had already reached a verbal agreement. I was like what? Now we’re here. It happened to fast. Whenever I see the CSKA gym and the facilities I’m kind of getting used to but it’s still a little bit weird because everything happened so fast. I’ve adjusted pretty quickly especially on the court and that’s what is most important.”

🥲 | A great player and even better person, Gabriel Iffe Lundberg. Thanks for everything! pic.twitter.com/OglvfU5N29

— Enea Zastal BC Zielona Góra 🇵🇱 (@basket_zg) February 16, 2021

Lundberg impressed with Zielona Gora in the 18 VTB games he featured in under former Maccabi Tel Aviv coach Zan Tabak scoring 20.4 points, dishing out 5.4 assists and grabbing 3.8 rebounds in 33 minutes per game. Against CSKA at the beginning of February, Lundberg and Gora downed the Euroleague club 93-90 as the guard went off for 26 points in the victory. Perhaps this is what set Itoudis over the edge to snatch Lundberg before the Euroleague siting deadline.”It could be as I was told they had been looking at me for a couple of months. After that game it could be that it definitely had a huge part in it.”

Israeli coach Erez Bittman is the Denmark National Team coach, a team that Lundberg has been able to make his mark as arguably its best player during the Eurobasket qualifiers where the guard averaged 25.3 points, 5.8 rebounds and 4.3 assists in 35 minutes per game.

“Coach Bittman has been a huge part of our success and ever since we got him we started winning. We have a winning record since he joined us and that speaks a lot to his value for our national team. As for myself, he just lets me play the way I know how to play the best. He believes in me and he has a lot of confidence to let me be me. That was the same in Poland under Zan Tabak and the same here with CSKA. Of course, I’ve only played one game but the coaching staff just told me to be me and that is what I intend to do.”

Just letting Lundberg be Lundberg or as he says, let me be me is the key to his success as the Cppenhagen native has been able to do just that and expects that to be the case going forward with his new team as they strive to take home yet another Euroleague title.

“There is only three and a half months left in the season and a team of their (CSKA) nature doesn’t spend money on just to not use him, at least that is how I think. That combined with them telling me just to be me, of course my performance this season is what let me be here in the first place. The team is really dynamic with a lot of great pieces and I think I fit well in the team structure both offensively and defensively and the style we play.”

Denmark just narrowly missed out on making history and qualifying for the Eurobasket Tournament after Lundberg was unable to play in the final games against Belgium and Lithuania just a week after joining CSKA as their games overlapped. Falling to Lithuania by just one point 77-76 was especially difficult for a helpless Lundberg as all he could do was watch the games and cheer his team on from afar.

“It was a killer and especially the last game against Lithuania to see how it ended was really tough for me to watch. I wanted to be there and play but the situation wouldn’t allow it. We could have made history. One possession away from it. I don’t think that anyone will ever look down and disrespect Danish basketball again as we have made so much noise and came close to making the EuroBasket. You see how a team like Bakken Bears has been playing in European play and advancing as well. The future is really positive.”

Two players who have ties to Israel, Hanan Colman and Philip Hertz were born in Denmark and played for the National Team as well. “I’ve know Hanan my whole life he is like a brother to me, I am really happy that he just signed in Israel. Phillip I know really well as we are teammates on the National Team and have played together in the domestic league. Both are really good guys.”

While Lundberg credits his brother for hooking him on the game of basketball, he also has enjoyed watching the likes of LeBron James on the court, “LeBron is so all around and versatile. He plays basketball the right way and that is something that I thrive and strive to do. I also really like to watch Damian Lillard and Steph Curry who have great shot making abilities.”

Another player who made an impact on Lundberg was former Lakers guard and European great Marcelinho Huertas whom he played with at Tenerife last season. The 37-year old Brazilian is known to be a consummate professional after stints with Baskonia, Barcelona and Bologna. “It was nice to play with him and he’s such a great guy and so down to earth. He played at the highest level and goes out to compete every game. He brought the most energy of anybody and he was the oldest guy. I learned so much from him and I have never seen anyone play the pick and roll better than him. I guarded him at practice and it was so hard to guard him and his signature jump shot move. I was constantly picking his brain and I now see how soon some of those things are paying off.”

While Lars Hansen may have been the first and only Danish born player in the NBA to date with the 1978/79 Seattle SuperSonics, Hansen moved to Canada at the age of two and played under the Maple Leaf while also being inducted into the Canadian Basketball Hall of Fame in 2006. Lundberg wants to eventually make his mark in the world’s greatest league and fly Denmark’s flag high despite interestingly enough near having yet visited the United States, “That is my goal and my dream to be the first Dane in the NBA. My goal is to help CSKA win as many games and to compete for the Euroleague title at the end of the season. Reaching the NBA is my dream and ultimate goal.”

As for the upcoming game against Maccabi Tel Aviv, Lundberg is just happy to be getting back out on the court and playing the game he loves. “I’m first looking forward to playing another game and I love playing basketball. Playing against Maccabi will be an experience but it’s not what I am focussing on, but I am focusing on how I can help this team and how we can come out of there with a W. The team is in a situation where we really need this game and we understand that it will be a battle particularly with their firepower in the backcourt. It will be a battle but it will also be very fun.”