The Final Four MVPs

By Antonis Stroggylakis/ info@eurohoops.net

After the Final we will not have only a new Euroleague champion, but also a new Final Four MVP.

Ten different players have won this distinction since 2002, when the first Final Four of the modern day Euroleague was organized in Bologna, Italy. Although the criteria and reasons behind each MVP selection differ, the single truth that connects all of these players and the one characteristic they share, is that their game has been incomparably decisive for their teams, on these two games that decide who will wear the Euroleague crown.

Some of them have been voted as MVPs for being prolific scorers or tactically masterful play-makers. Sometimes, perhaps both! Others for displaying a diverse game output, finishing plays on both ends of court that turned the tide of a game or intervening in a timely fashion to save the day.

So here they are, all the players that have been voted as Final Four MVPs, from 2002 in Bologna to 2015 in Madrid.

Bologna 2002 – Dejan Bodiroga (Panathinaikos)

If Panathinaikos was considered as the big underdog in the Final Four, then Virtus Bologna, the team that the Greens met in the Final, was exactly the opposite. They were the grand favorites, since they were incredibly talented, played at home and all odds were in their favor. But for all the things that the Italian team proud itself on, it lacked a player such as Dejan Bodiroga.

After playing a sensational semifinal game against Maccabi Tel Aviv, Bodiroga then undertook the heavy task of leading his team in the Final. Although the game didn’t start well at all for the Greens, the Serbian forward’s action could not be stopped by Bologna and became the key to victory. Apart from scoring in any way imaginable, he created a ton of imbalances in Bologna’s defense, opening paths for his teammates who struck as Panathinaikos came back in the second half and ultimately won the third European championship in its history.

Barcelona 2003 – Dejan Bodiroga (Barcelona)

Back to back Euroleague trophies for Dejan Bodiroga and back to back Final Four MVP awards. This time the Serbian star didn’t write history just for himself but for Barcelona as well. Thanks to his help, the Catalans won their first ever European championship after five previous failing efforts.

His leadership, experience and know-how on how to win titles was vital for Barcelona. As always he frustrated everyone who tried to guard him, particularly in the last minutes of the fourth quarter where he scored six crucial points in a row to give his team the edge towards victory.

Tel Aviv 2004 – Anthony Parker (Maccabi Tel Aviv)

Maccabi began its modern Euroleague dynasty in 2004 and did so in front of its fans, in Tel Aviv. Anthony Parker was named MVP first by greatly helping his team overcome the obstacle of CSKA Moscow in the semi-final and then by being the protagonist during the show against Skipper Bologna in the title game.

Parker managed to outshine all of his teammates in the most impressive offensive display we have ever seen by a team in a Euroleague final. That alone speaks volumes of what the American player achieved, in a highlight-packed performance. He averaged 32.5 points in the index rating, more than any player’s Final Four output in the history of the competition.

Moscow 2005 – Sarunas Jasikevicius (Maccabi Tel Aviv)

Lithuanian magic! Sarunas Jasikevicius was the one to lead the charge of Maccabi‘s tremendous back-to-back achievement in Moscow 2005. While he mainly showcased his play-making brilliance in the semifinal against Panathinaikos, Saras saved the best for the grand Final against ambitious Baskonia.

No-one among his opponents could put a leash on him. Jasikevicius’ all-around prolific action in offense could not be contained by anyone as he scored for himself and set up his teammates with opportunities to shine.”He is the biggest leader in Europe”, Nikola Vujcic said about him after the game.

Prague 2006 – Thodoris Papaloukas (CSKA Moscow)

If CSKA Moscow worked like a perfectly structured computer in the Final Four, then Papaloukas was definitely its state of the art CPU. In an orchestra he would be the maestro that would swing his baton and then the music would flow in perfect harmony. That’s how much, “Teo” benefited the complete spectrum of his team’s offense, coming from the bench, as usual, in the Final Four of Prague.

In the semi-final against Barcelona his points where invaluable in a moment when CSKA faced severe problems to make buckets, while in the final against Maccabi Tel Aviv, his smart drives, his assists and of course the cross-passes that disoriented the opposing defenders, greatly hurt the reigning champs. Such was his effect in his team’s game, while CSKA won its first European championship after 35 years of drought.

Athens 2007 – Dimitris Diamantidis (Panathinaikos)

In the semifinal he was mainly the core around which the Panathinaikos‘ defense that suffocated Baskonia evolved. But in the final against CSKA Moscow he was simply… everywhere. Not just in “3D” quality, but in basketball levels that were too multidimensional to be described in a statistics’ sheet.

Five years after the triumph in Bologna, Panathinaikos returned to the top of Euroleague thanks to this all-around leadership of Dimitris Diamantidis. It was the sweetest birthday… ever for the Greek point guard who made a massive impact for the Greens especially in the third quarter, helping his team transform the 50 – 51 into 60 – 54 with sequences of plays on both ends that bore his signature.

Madrid 2008 – Trajan Langdon (CSKA Moscow)

The American gunslinger was the star of the 2008 Final Four, leading CSKA Moscow to its sixth Euroleague title and second in three years. His star performance in the Final game against Maccabi Tel Aviv left little doubt when it came to if he would be named MVP of the tournament, since Langdon was definitely the man of the hour in the title game.

Not only did he score 21 points with exceptional shooting missing only one field goal (2/2 two-point shots, 4/5 three-pointers) but he also grabbed 7 rebounds, an impressive feat, considering the fact that, well, we are talking about a guard. He also gathered registered 33 evaluation points, which makes it the second best achievement in a Euroleague Final, after Anthony Parker’s 345 in 2004.

Berlin 2009 – Vassilis Spanoulis (Panathinaikos)

Although it was the first Final Four tournament of his career, Vassilis Spanoulis jumped in the fire not afraid of getting burned, but being ready to tame it make it his own. He had an explosive entry in the semi-final with Olympiacos, showing not only his rich scoring skills, but also his leadership qualities, as the Greens proceeded to down their arch-rivals, reaching the Final against CSKA Moscow.

Once again he set the pace for Panathinaikos with 7 out of his 13 points in the first quarter of the game. Although he silenced his guns, he had one bullet left in his caliber, making it 68 – 60 with three minutes to go, in a moment when CSKA Moscow was making its comeback charge.

Paris 2010 – Juan Carlos Navarro (Barcelona)

When the crowd began to chant “MVP – MVP” near the end of the Final between Barcelona and Olympiacos, there was little doubt if they would be right on their prediction . They knew who win the Euroleague in 2010, and of course who would be voted as the most valuable player of the Final Four tournament.

But Juan Carlos Navarro had already scored the bulk of his points in the first three quarters sinking 3-pointers at will and dropping “bombas” in any way it suited his tastes. The future top Euroleague scorer shot with great confidence and certainty throughout the whole game, one of the most memorable of his career.

Barcelona 2011 – Dimitris Diamantidis (Panathinaikos)

It was a Euroleague season that defined “perfection” for “3D” since, even before the Final Four, he had already being voted as member of the All-Euroleague First team, Defensive player of the year and season MVP. However all these were not enough for the captain of Panathinaikos who gave a playmaking, and not only, clinic in both of the Final Four games in order to make the Euroleague championships of Panathinaikos six and double his Final Four MVP awards.

Diamantidis made a record for most assists dished in a Final Four, finishing each game with 9 (!). By being the designer of one of the most lethal pick n’ roll combinations that European basketball has ever seen, and with Mike Batiste being the main recipient of his impeccable assists, he made short work of Siena’s defense in the semi-final and of Maccabi in the final. His most crucial assist arrived late in the game, when with one minute to go, he sent a laser pass to Batiste who scored for the 71 – 74. The 2011 Final Four MVP then said “game over”, stealing the ball during the next play to pave the way for Panathinaikos’ triumph.

Istanbul 2012 – Vassilis Spanoulis (Olympiacos)

The ultimate leader of the team that delivered the biggest upset in Euroleague Final Four history, doubled his MVP awards in Istanbul as Olympiacos also doubled its European trophies. In the semi-final against Barcelona the “Most Vassilis Player” was the top scorer and top passer of the Reds, saving the best for the very last minutes of the match when he drained an enormous 3-pointer and then gave an assist to Joey Dorsey for a basket that sealed the win for his team.

After struggling for the majority of the Final vs CSKA Moscow, Olympiacos completed an epic comeback to bring themselves behind the score with only one point, 60 – 61 with seconds to go. The ball for the last play of the match went naturally, to Vassilis Spanoulis’ hands who got rid of Alexey Shved, forcing Andrei Kirilenko to rush for the help defense and then feeding the open Giorgos Printezis with the assist for perhaps the most memorable floater ever in Euroleague history.

London 2013 – Vassilis Spanoulis (Olympiacos)

The challenge for the repeat spoke loud to the heart of Vassilis Spanoulis. Although not very impressive in the semi-final against CSKA Moscow he would go lit in the Final vs Real MADRID leading Olympiacos to the prestigious “back-to-back” achievement, with a second half performance for the ages.

It was after the halftime break that Spanoulis dropped all of his 22 points over the Madridistas. He entered the third quarter by banging three consecutive 3-pointers he didn’t only give his team an edge but forced Real Madrid to completely change its defensive behavior, making everything much easier for Olympiacos. Late in the match, he put the cherry on top of his performance with a basket from the parking lot.

With this MVP award the only player alongside Toni Kukoc to win the honor three times. However he remains the only one who also won the title in each Final Four tournament he was named most valuable player.

Milano 2014 – Tyrese Rice (Maccabi Tel Aviv)

Admit it. You didn’t see him coming. And neither did CSKA Moscow in the semifinal and Real Madrid in the final. Tyrese Rice became an overnight sensation in the Final Four of Milan as Maccabi Tel Aviv reached the end of the road by downing down the teams who were considered heavy favorites to win the title.

The game-winning lay up in front of Milos Teodosic that sent his team to the Final was just a prelude of what he would do in the Final. Rice entered the fourth quarter with only five points, dropping seven before the match went into overtime. During the extra period he added 14 (!) with two 3-pointers and being perfect from the free-throw line. The MVP award was his to take.

Madrid 2015 – Andres Nocioni (Real Madrid)

Anders Nocioni brought a lot more than an average of 12 points and 6.5 rebounds in the Final Four of 2015 for Real Madrid. He provided the “Whites” with exactly the elements what they lacked in the previous Final Four tournaments and prevented them from reaching the end of the road.

The Argentinian veteran was the one to bring toughness, strength and fighting spirit, the kind of which makes the difference when you want to claim such a title. His energy and passion to win allowed him make to complete huge plays on both ends of court. Whether it was a basket, rebound, block or a simple defensive help, Nocioni was there to give it.