By Antonis Stroggylakis/ info@eurohoops.net
EuroLeague Basketball has now unveiled the full All-EuroLeague 25 Team, with the last batch of five players completing the list Tuesday.
These 25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague greats all have a large number of spectacular performances in their résumés, so Eurohoops has picked the best games from each player.
What does “best game” mean exactly? Not necessarily their career nights, their most prolific ones with the biggest numbers or full stats sheet. We picked the outings that mattered, that were championship-winning, iconic, historic, season-defining, highly memorable or – in many cases – all of them together.
1. Dejan Bodiroga – Panathinaikos Athens, Barcelona, Lottomatica Roma
The 2002 championship game between Panathinaikos and Virtus Bologna
Any of Bodiroga’s championship-game performances could’ve been picked, but we’ve opted to go with his masterpiece in the 2002 championship game of Panathinaikos vs. Virtus Bologna. The Serbian legend had 21 points, 7 rebounds and 4 assists while dealing with the full attention of his opponents. He kept the Greens in the game in the first half and continued torturing the Bologna defense in every manner to lead his underdog team to the third championship in club history.
2. Dimitris Diamantidis – Panathinaikos Athens
The 2011 championship game between Panathinaikos Athens and Maccabi Tel Aviv
This game was the epitome of what made Dimitris Diamantidis the legend he is. He initiated the offense for his teammates (9 assists), for himself (16 points), and was involved in rebounding (5), all while defending multiple positions and helping all over the place in the rearguard as if there’s no tomorrow. Thanks to this fantastic all-around performance by Diamantidis, Panathinaikos beat Maccabi Tel Aviv to win its sixth EuroLeague title as “3D” claimed another Final Four MVP after 2007.
3. Luka Doncic – Real Madrid
Round 15 of the 2017-2018 regular season
Luka Doncic came close to registering a triple-double in the EuroLeague multiple times and perhaps the most impressive of these occasions arrived in this game. Then an emerging superstar, the Slovenian player had 20 points, 10 assists and 8 rebounds to lead an injury-plagued Real Madrid past then-reigning champion Fenerbahce 77-79 on the road.
With 2017 EuroLeague MVP Sergio Llull still out due to injury, Doncic had been carrying Real Madrid on his shoulders for the large part of the season and this game was a fine example of the leadership he displayed at just 18.
4. Vassilis Spanoulis – Panathinaikos Athens, Olympiacos Piraeus
The 2013 championship game between Olympiacos and Real Madrid
Scoreless at halftime and with Olympiacos down 40-42 to Real Madrid, Spanoulis entered “Kill Bill” mode with 22 points in the second half to push the Reds toward a second EuroLeague title in a row. He opened the third period with three triples in less than three minutes, dismantling the Madrid defense. Later, after setting up his teammates multiple times, he drained the dagger from almost the logo, putting his team up 90-79 with 1:42 remaining. The end of the game found the Greek club celebrating its third EuroLeague trophy and V-Span holding his second straight Final Four MVP and third overall in his hands.
5. Kyle Hines – Brose Bamberg, Olympiacos Piraeus, CSKA Moscow, Olimpia Milano
Game 4 of the playoffs between Olympiacos and Montepaschi Siena in 2012
Olympiacos led the series 2-1 and was without starting center Joey Dorsey due to injury ahead of Game 4. Kyle Hines knew that he had to work overtime and he delivered in impressive fashion with 19 points, 7 rebounds and 4 blocks, dominating all of his battles against Siena’s stacked and more experienced frontline on both ends. The Reds took the win before their miracle run toward the championship title was completed at the Istanbul Final Four.
6. Giorgos Printezis – Olympiacos Piraeus, Unicaja Malaga
The 2012 championship game between Olympiacos and CSKA Moscow
The most iconic winning basket in the modern EuroLeague era would’ve been enough to pick this match as the most standout Giorgos Printezis game. But even before he hit the near-buzzer-beating floater that handed Olympiacos the title, he had 6 points in the last five minutes to push his team toward completing a historic comeback from down 19 early in the third period. Sure, the final tally of 12 points is peanuts for Printezis but it’s all about quality, not quantity.
7. Nikola Vujcic – ASVEL Villeurbanne, Maccabi Tel Aviv, Olympiacos Piraeus, Anadolu Efes
The 2006-07 Round 6 game against Union Olimpija
Nikola Vujcic was the only “Mr. Triple-Double” in the EuroLeague for more than 12 years before Nick Calathes became just the second player to reach that achievement. The Maccabi legend had two triple-double performances and we’ll pick his most impressive one, when he posted 27 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists in merely 26:15 during a 110-87 win over Olimpia in one of the most bountiful displays ever seen in the history of the competition.
8. Theo Papaloukas – Olympiacos Piraeus, CSKA Moscow, Maccabi Tel Aviv
The 2006 championship game between CSKA Moscow and Maccabi Tel Aviv
After several disappointing Final Four trips, CSKA Moscow finally got its first EuroLeague title since 1971 courtesy of Theo Papaloukas. In the title decider against a Maccabi Tel Aviv team that was coming off back-to-back championships and seemed unbeatable, the Greek point guard posted team highs of 18 points and 7 assists, putting on a playmaking clinic which the stats sheet doesn’t do justice to. Considering that the game was such a low-scoring affair (73-69), his numbers were big indeed.
9. Shane Larkin – Baskonia, Anadolu Efes
The 2019 semifinal between Efes and Fenerbahce
The obvious choice would be to go with the 49-piece he had dropped on Bayern Munich in 2019 to shatter the EuroLeague single-game scoring record back then. However, it seems more fitting to pick the show he put on during the 2019 semifinal when he dropped 30 points, grabbed 7 rebounds and dished 7 assists in a win over Fenerbahce Beko. To this day, the 43 PIR he accumulated remains the most in any Final Four game.
Efes lost to CSKA Moscow in the final, but the foundations for the back-to-back championship team of 2021 and 2022 were laid at that Final Four.
10. Mike James – Baskonia, Panathinaikos Athens, Olimpia Milano, CSKA Moscow
2020-21 Round 13 game between CSKA and Khimki Moscow
The ‘what if Mike James’s breakup with CSKA Moscow didn’t happen in 2021’ is a big one, especially considering how ferocious the American superstar was during that season before his exit from the club. In the team’s Round 13 away win at Khimki Moscow, he delivered one of the most epic individual performances ever seen in the EuroLeague with 36 points (6-7 triples), 10 assists and 9 rebounds, coming so close to an elusive triple-double.
11. Rudy Fernandez – Joventut Badalona, Real Madrid
2014-2015 Round 6 of the Top 16 between Real Madrid and Barcelona
A winning performance in the Clásico always goes down in history and what Rudy Fernandez did versus Barcelona in that game was no exception. A superb all-around display of 22 points, 9 rebounds, 5 assists and 3 steals for an important dub that paved the way for Real Madrid to secure the first seed ahead of the playoffs. Los Blancos ended up winning the whole thing at home for their first EuroLeague title since 1995.
12. Mike Batiste – Charleroi, Panathinaikos Athens, Fenerbahce Beko
The 2009 semifinal between Panathinaikos and Olympiacos
One of the most memorable editions of the Derby of the Eternal Rivals in the EuroLeague took place in the 2009 semifinal, where Panathinaikos and Olympiacos clashed. Mike Batiste, already very experienced in this particular battle, produced a strong performance of 19 points and 6 rebounds, with every piece of his contribution being invaluable in what was a very close 84-82 win.
13. Vasilije Micic – Bayern Munich, Crvena Zvezda, Zalgiris Kaunas, Anadolu Efes
The 2021 championship game between Efes and Barcelona
Out of the many options to choose from, Vasilije Micic’s performance in the 2021 championship game win for Anadolu Efes against CSKA Moscow seems like a no-brainer. With the score tied at 69-69 and five minutes remaining, the Serbian star scored 10 points in the remainder of the contest, finishing with 25 points, 5 assists and 3 steals as his team claimed the title. This win was the start of Efes’s back-to-back run in 2021 and 2022, where Micic also repeated as the Final Four MVP.
14. Nando De Colo – Valencia, CSKA Moscow, Fenerbahce Beko, ASVEL Villeurbanne
The 2016 semifinal between CSKA Moscow and Lokomotiv Kuban
How is the semifinal picked over the championship game? Easy, CSKA Moscow was coming off three consecutive semifinal defeats in 2013, 2014 and 2015 and needed to break that kind of “curse” before lifting the big one in the title decider. Enter Nando De Colo, who produced 30 points and 4 assists against Lokomotiv Kuban to push his team to the final. There, he’d help CSKA end its drought and celebrate the EuroLeague title.
15. Sergio Llull – Real Madrid
Game 2 of the 2015 playoffs between Real Madrid and Efes
The game-winners (like the one of the 2023 championship game), crazy buzzer-beaters from all over the court and the Mandarinas are all beautiful, but let’s give our flowers to Sergio Llull the playmaker. In Game 2 of the 2015 playoffs against Anadolu Efes, Llull delivered a double-double of 18 points and a career-high 12 assists to lead Real Madrid from down 17 late in the third period to a tough 85-80 win and a precious 2-0 lead in the series. The Spanish powerhouse would end up winning the quarterfinal matchup 3-1 in Istanbul.
16. Milos Teodosic – Olympiacos Piraeus, CSKA Moscow, Virtus Bologna, Crvena Zvezda
The 2016 championship game between CSKA Moscow and Fenerbahce
Entering the 2016 Final Four, Milos Teodosic had tasted all the bitterness of upsets in the 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015 tournaments. He wasn’t about to see it happen again, putting on a brilliant performance in the championship game against Fenerbahce Beko with 19 points, 7 assists, 5 rebounds, 2 steals and just 2 turnovers in 34:43 as CSKA Moscow prevailed in overtime to win the title.
17. Edy Tavares – Real Madrid
The 2023 semifinal between Real Madrid and Barcelona
In one of the most commanding performances ever by a big man in Final Four history, Edy Tavares manhandled the entire Barcelona frontline with 20 points, 15 rebounds and 4 blocks to push Real Madrid to the championship game. Thanks to Sergio Llull’s game-winner versus Olympiacos two days later, Los Blancos won the title and the Cape Verdean center added the Final Four MVP to his rich collection of trophies.
18. Ramunas Siskauskas – Benetton Treviso, Panathinaikos Athens, CSKA Moscow
The 2007 championship game between Panathinaikos and CSKA
In his first-ever appearance at the Final Four, Ramunas Siskauskas had a team-high 20 points, 5 assists and 4 rebounds as Panathinaikos Athens beat CSKA Moscow to claim the championship and begin a new golden era for the team with titles also arriving in 2009 and 2011. In a way, this performance was also a preview of things to come for Siskauskas with CSKA as he joined the Russian powerhouse the next summer and helped them win the EuroLeague in 2008.
19. Anthony Parker – Maccabi Tel Aviv
The 2004 semifinal between Maccabi and CSKA
Maccabi Tel Aviv was a menace back in the mid-2000s and it all began in the 2004 Final Four. The Yellows had to overcome CSKA Moscow in the semifinal and Anthony Parker took care of business with 27 points, 6 rebounds and 2 steals. With momentum from this win, Maccabi rolled over Skipper Fortitudo Bologna in the final for the first of the two back-to-back titles.
20. Sarunas Jasikevicius – Barcelona, Maccabi Tel Aviv, Panathinaikos Athens, Fenerbahce, Lietuvos Rytas, Zalgiris Kaunas
The 2005 final between Maccabi and Baskonia
Sarunas Jasikevicius delivered many jaw-dropping performances throughout his career but perhaps none was equally productive and important as the championship game of 2005. Against a Baskonia team that had just brought down the mighty CSKA Moscow, Saras had 22 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists and 2 steals as Maccabi won its second straight title, with the Lithuanian guard claiming the Final Four MVP.
21. Kostas Sloukas – Olympiacos Piraeus, Fenerbahce Beko, Panathinaikos Athens
The 2024 final between Panathinaikos and Real Madrid
The sequence in which Kostas Sloukas drilled two consecutive three-pointers that put Panathinaikos up 79-71 with five minutes to play in the 2024 championship game was the highlight of one of the most impeccable scoring performances ever seen in the history of EuroLeague Finals. The Greek guard took over in a timely fashion, finishing with 24 points overall on 6-for-6 shooting from the field and 8-of-9 free throws to push the Greens to their first title since 2011 and seventh in the club’s history. Thanks to his big buckets he won his first Final Four MVP to conclude a fairy-tale debut season with the team.
22. Manu Ginobili – Virtus Bologna
Game 3 of the 2001 finals between Virtus and Baskonia
Virtus Bologna fell behind from the get-go in its best-of-five finals against Baskonia after the latter took a 65-78 road win in Game 1 of the series. With the finals tied at 1-1, Manu Ginobili stepped up with 27 points, 4 rebounds and 3 steals to lead Virtus to an 60-80 away win that gave it a 2-1 lead and saw it reclaim home-court advantage.
Baskonia tied the series at 2-2 but then Virtus made the most out of Game 5 being held in Bologna to win the finals and celebrate the championship. Ginobili was named Finals MVP.
23. Bogdan Bogdanovic – Partizan Belgrade, Fenerbahce Beko
Game 2 of the 2017 playoffs between Fenerbahce and Panathinaikos
“This guy is like Drazen Petrovic,” a friend – and Panathinaikos fan – told me as Bogdan Bogdanovic was torching his favorite team in the playoff series versus Fenerbahce. It was the first time he was actually watching Bogie play and his first spontaneous thought was how he reminded him of the late Croatian legend.
Then again, Bogdanovic’s performances in both Games 1 and 2 of the series were indeed legendary. We pick his feats in Game 2 as the absolute best: 25 points, 8 rebounds and 6 assists in a 75-80 away win that gave Fener a 2-0 advantage. The Turkish team would continue to win all of its games in the remainder of the season to claim the first-ever EuroLeague trophy for the club and the country.
24. Sergio Rodriguez – Estudiantes, Real Madrid, CSKA Moscow, Olimpia Milano
The 2019 semifinal between CSKA and Real Madrid
Out of the many memorable games that Sergio Rodriguez had in his career before his retirement in 2024, this is a very obvious pick. Chacho put up 23 points and 4 assists, helping CSKA get a comeback win from down 14 over his former and future team, Real Madrid. The Final Four would end with a EuroLeague title for CSKA, the eighth in its history.
25. Juan Carlos Navarro – Barcelona
The 2010 final between Barcelona and Olympiacos
Barcelona had arguably been the top team in the EuroLeague all season long and was looking to confirm its superiority at the Final Four. Juan Carlos Navarro scored 21 points and got 5 rebounds in the championship game against Olympiacos, setting the tone early as Barca got a lead, then hitting all sorts of crucial buckets to push back any comeback attempt by the opponent. There was no one more deserving of the Final Four MVP award, the first in his career.