By Stelios Toromanides/ info@eurohoops.net
There are three European players, two from the American continent, an African and an Australian in the best league in the world who have a EuroLeague trophy on their list of achievements.
In fact, one of them has an NBA championship ring as well. These are excellent players with a lot of talent and most of them have been able to stand out with their performance in the best league on the planet.
A common feature of all seven is that they left Europe either as soon as they became EuroLeague champions, or one season later. The city of Utah could be characterized as a “hangout” for former trophy winners in the top club competition on the Old Continent, since three of them are playing in the colors of the Jazz.
Before we start counting down our list – on the basis of the successes and the career of each player – we should highlight that the only coach who has won the EuroLeague as head coach (with Virtus Bologna and CSKA) and is on the staff of an NBA team is Ettore Messina, who, for the last few years, has been Gregg Popovich’s close associate in the San Antonio Spurs.
7. Salah Mejri
Position: Center
Country: Tunisia
Current team in the NBA: Dallas Mavericks
Seasons in the EuroLeague: 2 (2013-2015)
EuroLeague trophies: 1 (2015)
Team with which he won the EuroLeague: Real Madrid
The first Tunisian basketball player in the history of the EuroLeague as well as the NBA. The 2,18m-tall giant played for two seasons in the top club competition in Europe in the colors of Real Madrid before leaving for the “magical world.” Even though he wasn’t a starter in the Whites’ excellent team, he was on the court for almost 10 minutes per game and contributed 3.7 points and 2.8 rebounds. He played in the final in both seasons, winning the trophy the second time against Olympiacos.
Then he moved to the USA for the Dallas Mavericks, where he has a similar role to the one he had in Real in terms of his playing time. Whenever he is given opportunities he shows the different aspects of his talent, which, after all, is what is keeping him in the best league in the world for the third consecutive season.
Some plays from Mejri’s career so far:
6. Joe Ingles
Position: Small forward
Country: Australia
Current team in the NBA: Utah Jazz
Seasons in the EuroLeague: 4 (2010-2014)
EuroLeague trophies: 1 (2014)
Team with which he won the EuroLeague: Maccabi Tel Aviv
What he couldn’t do in three seasons with Barcelona (2010-2013) he did with Maccabi Tel Aviv in the 2013-2014 season, when he won the EuroLeague trophy, only to move to the NBA immediately after.
He’s one of the few basketball players who play better in the “magical world” than they did in the EuroLeague, as his stats show. The excellent shooter is having his best season in the top league in the world as a starter for the Utah Jazz. In 31.5 minutes per game, he counts 11.5 points, 4.3 rebounds and 2.6 assists, and looks like he’s a perfect fit for his team’s aspirations.
Some plays from Ingles’s career so far:
5. Ekpe Udoh
5. Ekpe Udoh
Position: Center
Country: USA
Current team in the NBA: Utah Jazz
Seasons in the EuroLeague: 2 (2015-2017)
EuroLeague trophies: 1 (2017)
Team with which he won the EuroLeague: Fenerbahce
“I came, I saw, I conquered” could’ve been the title of Ekpe Udoh’s stint in the EuroLeague. The American center was transferred to Fenerbahce in the summer of 2015 with the aim of reaching the top. After two seasons, he did by being a dominant big man with a huge contribution to the achievements of Zeljko Obradovic’s team. After all, he was the MVP of the Final Four in Istanbul in 2017 by dominating both keys in the semifinal as well as the final.
Immediately afterward, he returned to the NBA for the Utah Jazz. He’s in his first season in Salt Lake City and his fourth overall in the best championship in the world, though without a role like the one he had last season with the European champions.
Some plays from Udoh’s career so far:
4. Bogdan Bogdanovic
Position: Guard
Country: Serbia
Current team in the NBA: Sacramento Kings
Seasons in the EuroLeague: 5 (2012-2017)
EuroLeague trophies: 1 (2017)
Team with which he won the EuroLeague: Fenerbahce
His talent could already be seen from his first steps in the EuroLeague with the colors of Partizan Belgrade (2012-2014), but then he also worked hard and improved. A complete player with a multifaceted contribution, he was Fenerbahce’s leader on the road to the first EuroLeague trophy in the team’s history.
Seeing that his potential is enormous, Europe could not “hold on” to him any longer. He moved to the USA in the summer of 2017 and that’s where he continues to impress in the colors of the Sacramento Kings (11.6 points, 3.3 assists), being one of their key members. In fact, he won the MVP title in the Rising Stars game during the NBA’s All Star Weekend.
Some plays from Bogdanovic’s career so far:
3. Ricky Rubio
Position: Guard
Country: Spain
Current team in the NBA: Utah Jazz
Seasons in the EuroLeague: 4 (2006-2007, 2008-2011)
EuroLeague trophies: 1 (2010)
Team with which he won the EuroLeague: Barcelona
He was the boy wonder of Spanish basketball when in the 2005-2006 season, at the age of 14 he became the youngest basketball player ever to play in the ACB with the colors of Badalona. From the beginning of his career he became known for his excellent passing and it didn’t take him long to become one of the best players in Europe, his greatest achievement being winning the EuroLeague with Barcelona in 2010.
The dream of the NBA became a reality in the summer of 2011, two years after he was drafted with the No 5 pick by the Minnesota Timberwolves. He plays in the “magical world” to this day and he’s one of the best passers in the league, while he now competes in the colors of the Utah Jazz, having an excellent season with the team with 12.7 points, 5.4 assists and 4.5 rebounds.
Some plays from Rubio’s career so far: