By Lefteis Moutis/ moutis@eurohoops.net
Ten years after the biggest win in a final in the Eurolegue history, Maccabi made it again in a different but also historical way. Back then the Israelis beat 118-74 Skipper Bologna and in Milan they prevailed as the underdog over CSKA in the semifinal and Real in the final.
In both cases there is a common fact. Tul Burstein was the first player who had double-double in a Euroleague final in the new era of the competition -he had 17 points and 10 rebounds. After him only Andrei Kirilenko did it (he had 12 points and 10 rebounds), but failed to win the Euroleague against Olympiacos. The next one who had double-double in a Euroleague final and won the trophy was Ale Tyus! The 26 year-old center is the new model in the undersized “Kyle Hines” collection of centers who have invented in the European basketball and conquer. In the final he had 12 points and 11 rebounds (6 of them offensive which is personal best) and was clutch in crucial moments of the game.
Alex Tyus is since Sunday evening European champion but everything could be different if the negotiations with Olympiacos on November would have been completed. Maccabi wasn’t satisfied with him, he was one of the cheapest player in the roster -he received this season about 200.000 euros- and Olympiacos asked for his services. But Maccabi eventually didn’t make the same mistake they did last season, when they let Shermadini go to Piraeus and win the Euroleague.
He stayed in the team, improved and when Shawn James got injured, he stepped up and made the difference. In all the crucial games, in the Top16, the playoffs and the Final Four. Alex Tyus has one more year contract with Maccabi and it’s sure that alongside with Sofo will be also in the next season one of the most complementary and efficient duo of centers in the Euroleague.
See below the table with the players who made a double-double in a Final Four before Tyus.
The table with all the players who made a double-double in a Final Four game
| Season | Player | Game | Double-double | Phase |
| 2013 | Kyle Hines | Olympiacos–CSKA | 13p., 10reb. | Semifinal |
| 2013 | Ante Tomic | Barcelona-Real M. | 18p., 12reb. | Semifinal |
| 2012 | Aleks Maric | Panathinaikos-Barcelona | 13p., 11reb. | 3rd place |
| 2012 | Andrei Kirilenko | CSKA-Olympiacos | 12p., 10reb. | Final |
| 2011 | Felipe Reyes | Real-Maccabi | 15p., 14reb. | semifinal |
| 2010 | Jan Vesely | Partizan-Olympiacos | 13p., 10reb. | semifinal |
| 2010 | Linas Kleiza | Partizan-Olympiacos | 19p., 11reb. | semifinal |
| 2008 | Romein Sato | Siena-Maccabi | 17p., 11 reb. | semifinal |
| 2008 | Terell McIntyre | Siena-Tau | 16p., 12ass. | 3rd place |
| 2008 | Pete Mickeal | Siena-Tau | 16p., 10reb. | 3rd place |
| 2007 | Mike Batiste | Panathinaikos-Tau | 15p., 12reb. | semifinal |
| 2006 | Matjas Smodis | CSKA-Barcelona | 17p., 12reb. | semifinal |
| 2006 | Luis Scola | Tau-Maccabi | 17p., 11reb. | semifinal |
| 2006 | Kornel David | Tau-Maccabi | 12p., 10reb. | semifinal |
| 2005 | David Andersen | CSKA-Panathinaikos | 14p., 15reb. | 3rd place |
| 2005 | Dimos Dikoudis | CSKA-Panathinaikos | 17p., 10reb. | 3rd place |
| 2005 | Mike Batiste | CSKA-Panathinaikos | 28p., 10reb. | 3rd place |
| 2005 | Kornel David | CSKA-Panathinaikos | 11p., 12reb. | 3rd place |
| 2004 | Tal Burstein | Maccabi-Skipper | 17p., 10reb. | Final |
| 2004 | Bootsy Thornton | Siena-Skipper | 26p., 10reb. | Semifinal |
| 2004 | Maceo Baston | Maccabi-CSKA | 11p., 10reb. | semifinal |
| 2004 | Mirsad Turkcan | Maccabi-CSKA | 10p., 10reb. | semifinal |
| 2003 | Mihalis Kakiouzis | Siena-Benetton | 10p., 13reb. | semifinal |
| 2003 | Denis Markonato | Siena-Benetton | 12p., 10reb. | semifinal |
| 2003 | Jorge Garbajosa | Siena-Benetton | 14p., 10reb. | semifinal |
| 2003 | Mirsad Turkcan | CSKA-Siena | 16p., 14reb. | 3rd place |
| 2002 | Nate Huffman | Panathinaikos-Maccabi | 16p., 10reb. | Semifinal |