1998-99

With the good taste of the previous season in his mouth, Miki Vukovic's fourth year on the bench brought with it his first season in Europe. Pamesa Valencia participated in its debut in the Saporta Cup, in a year of travels and adventures that ended with a runner-up finish after an unforgettable final in Zaragoza.

The good campaign made it very difficult to keep all the players on the roster, for example, Aaron Swinson left the club for Badalona, and the inside game had to be remodeled. Three new Americans join the club. For the small forward position, Bill Varner arrives, a good three-point shooter who would come to share the position with Berni Álvarez, once Víctor Luengo and José Luis Maluenda occupied the shooting guard position with guarantees. At the point guard position, the pair formed by Nacho Rodilla and César Alonso was consolidated one more year as solvent for the position.

In the inside game, the pair of Americans was renewed. Bernard Hopkins, a power forward of no more than 2 meters and one of the revelations of the championship in his year of arrival, arrived from Gran Canaria. The Baltimore native was in the first of his 5 seasons in Valencia. Along with him, comes the experienced Rod Sellers, coming from Efes Pilsen and with experience in Spain in the ranks of Caceres. Sellers would suffer a month-long injury in February, at which point he would be replaced by Nigerian Ime Oduok. The inside game was completed by Alfons Albert in his second season, as well as Rubén Burgos, in the role of fourth center of the team.

The season in the ACB began irregularly, with the American players trying to fit in with the group, quite the opposite of what would happen in Europe. On September 22, 1998, La Fonteta witnessed Pamesa Valencia's first game in Europe, when they hosted the Latvian team ASK Brocéni with familiar faces such as John Robert Holden and Kristaps Valters. The 98-73 victory was a good omen of things to come.

The Copa del Rey would be hosted by Valencia that year, ideal for defending the title. However, a team would cross, for the first time that year, in the way. Caja San Fernando, led by Andre Turner, would defeat Pamesa Valencia in the quarterfinals, with the Valencians playing with a depleted Sellers, which reduced the chances of victory. From the bitter defeat of the Cup to the final stretch of the Saporta Cup, one more piece of bad news, the injury of César Alonso, who with a complicated peritonitis would miss the rest of the season.

The Saporta Cup went through its phases and the team overcame the obstacles that presented themselves. Undefeated in the Group Stage with 10-0, they got rid of Atomerömü in the round of 32, BC Split in the round of 16, Pinturas Bruguer of a very young Raül López in the quarterfinals and Aris Thessaloniki in memorable semifinals in which Berni Álvarez's three-pointers helped them escape from Hellenic hell. The heroicity was achieved, Pamesa would travel to Zaragoza to face the almighty Benetton Treviso.

And there it came, on April 13, 1999, when 7,000 Valencians filled the Príncipe Felipe stadium in search of the continental throne. In front of them, a powerful Benetton coached by Zeljko Obradovic and with players of the stature of Riccardo Pittis, Marcelo Nicola or Zeljko Rebraca. The game was dominated by the Italians, who took advantage of the Valencian nerves. Little by little the comeback was forged, but it was cut short at the last moment and ruined the Valencian aspirations. Defeat with the head held high and with a standing ovation in the stands.

From there to the end of the season, a return, that of Eric Johnson, the shooting guard came to the club in its third stage in place of an injured Bill Varner, and will be part of the team until the end of the course, when again Caja San Fernando would cross the road and cut the access to the semifinals in a tight tie decided in the fifth and final game.