Records are made to be broken. Even those that seem impossible. This year’s EuroBasket has an even bigger importance for some of the players who will try to enter their names in the history books of this tournament in even bigger letters. Eurohoops notes the most important of these records.
1. Top scorer of the tournament
Tony Parker (996 points in 59 games) and Dirk Nowitzki (983 points in 44 games) are expected to surpass Nikos Galis, who is at this point the top scorer in total points with 1030 in 33 games. Also, Pau Gasol (814 points in 42 games) is in eighth place of the scorers list but by the end of the tournament he might be in fourth as he’s only 134 points behind the current number four Kamil Brabenec (968 points in 62 games).
The battle for first place is expected to be very interesting, since only 13 points are between Nowitzki and Parker, with the Frenchman having a slight advantage. It’s not out of the question that the first place will be decided in the very last game of the tournament.
2. Number of games and participations in the tournament
In case France advances in their group, something that is probably going to happen, then Tony Parker will go up to second place in number of games played as he’s only 5 games behind the Romanian Mihai Nedef (64 compared to 59). In first place we have the Yugoslavian Kresimir Cosic with 69 games! This, though, will not be the only distinction for the Frenchman who, with his participation this year, will reach 8 EuroBasket competitions, only one behind Cosic who is in first place with 9!
3. Most times top scorer of the tournament
Dirk Nowitzki is after a tough record, which is becoming the top scorer of the tournament for the fourth time! The other three were in 2001, in 2005 and in 2007! Only Nikos Galis has been the top scorer four times in the EuroBasket (1983, 1987, 1989, 1991). Usually when Nowitzki becomes the top scorer of the competition Germany goes a long way into the tournament. This will be the first time – and possibly the last – that the German superstar is going to compete in the colors of the national team in front of his compatriots.
4. Win as a coach and a player
Sasa Djordjevic will try to become the first coach after Panagiotis Giannakis (1987, 2005) to win the EuroBasket as a player as well as a coach. The onetime great Yugoslavian playmaker has won the EuroBasket three times in the past as a player (1991, 1995, 1997). In fact, in 1997 he was the MVP of the tournament. Serbia is one of the favorites of the tournament and the challenge for the new Panathinaikos coach is huge!
5. MVP of the tournament
Dirk Nowitzki (2005), Pau Gasol (2009) and Tony Parker (2013) have the chance of becoming, for the second time in their career, the MVP of the tournament, something that only Kresimir Cosic (1971, 1975) has done in the past. If Tony Parker pulls it off he will be the only player who’s done it in two tournaments in a row, since the San Antonio Spurs playmaker was the MVP of the 2013 EuroBasket.
6. The most medals
Spain has high hopes and they are one of the big favorites for winning the gold medal. Furthermore, Pau Gasol – who decided to support the national team this year as well, despite the tough season he had in the NBA – has the chance to go even higher on the list of players with the most medals. The Bulls’ center has 5 (2 gold, 2 silver, 1 bronze) and with one more he will find himself in second place behind Belov and Cosic (7).