SEASON 1997/1998

Rookies for the first and the last time

Another important year in the short history of the club. Advancing to the extraklasa was a great result, and as it proved in the years to come, the team was to be considered "beniaminki" for the first and the last time. Never again have they fell below the regular play.

That is when the changes started to occur - Trefl changed to a Sportowa Spółka Akcyjna, the first such entity in the league. Tadeusz Szelągowski became the new chairman. We started putting focus on foreigners as the strong points in the team. Gary Alexander was a musclebound frontcourt from the US. He used to play for the NBA and quickly became a fan favorite; especially impressive were his dunks. Edgar Padilla from Puerto Rico became the playmaker. Another US player joined the role as a defender - Greg Hillman. Teenagers joined the team as well, Filip Dylewicz among them.

League adaptation of Trefl took some time, and the end result was the 9th place. The priceless experience after three years of operating ensured success in the following years.