FAB Flournoy's personal quest for the Holy Grail will come to an end on Sunday if the Newcastle Eagles lift the British Basketball League Cup.
The Eagles player/coach takes his side to Birmingham to take on the London Towers in the BBL final in the hope of winning the only title to evade his grip in ten years in the British game.
Flournoy has won both the BBL Trophy and play-off crowns but this weekend's match represents the closest he has come to getting his hands on the cup.
"It gives me an opportunity to look back on my career and say 'I have won them all'," said Flournoy yesterday. "There would be nothing worse than looking and saying 'I've done them all but that one has eluded me'.
"I have been in this league since 1994/5 and in that period I have never got this close to winning this trophy. I have never even got to the semi-final stage. I made it to the quarter-final and that was it."
After winning the BBL Play-off Final and BBL Trophy last season, the Eagles, who progressed to the final courtesy of a 95-68 victory over the Chester Jets, go into the game against the Towers as firm favourites.
"There is always pressure when you are a successful team, especially when you win trophies like we did last year," Flournoy said. "Everyone expects us to do the same this year. They expect it to be that much easier because of what we have already accomplished.
"Everyone knows our team - we have only changed two players from last season - and people are already putting us down to win something this year.
"That pressure is always there. When you reach the top of the mountain, which we did last season, it's a fact that people are always ready to knock you off.
"It's something we have to ignore. I ignore it as a coach and I think, over the last few years, my players have learned to ignore it as well. Anything worth having is worth working for. Nothing will be handed to us, we are going to have to go there and work and get it."
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