By George Orfanakis / info@eurohoops.net
The EuroLeague is the best basketball competition in Europe and on its courts each season we see amazing players from Europe and the other side of the Atlantic.
Of course, the ones who steal the show are the top scorers, who always enjoy the greatest glorification from the fans and the media. But which players were able to combine their individual performance with their team’s success?
Eurohoops searched for and presents here those players who excelled in scoring from 2000 until today, but also their team’s course in each corresponding season.
Alphonso Ford (2000-01, Peristeri)
Point average: 26.00
Total points: 313
Games: 12
One of the best, if not the best, scorers who have graced with his presence the courts of Greece and Europe. The late Alphonso Ford passed away on September 4, 2004, at the age of 32, but before that, he managed to give us some unique moments as he unfolded his rare offensive talent.
His best season offensively was 2000-01, when in the colors of Peristeri he played in 12 games and scored an average of 26 points. In fact, he was the main reason the Greek team advanced to the playoffs with an overall record of 7-3, before being knocked out by Baskonia in 0-2.
It’s worth mentioning the American’s career high in the first game against the Basques. Ford blew up the stats with 41 points (9-for-19 in two-point shooting, 3-for-4 in three-point shooting, 14-for-15 free throws), 9 rebounds, 13 drawn fouls and 45 points in the ranking system. These, of course, are numbers that are difficult to come by nowadays in basketball…
Aside from him, Gregor Fucka was also highly productive and actually found himself at the top of the scorers’ list in terms of the overall number of points. The stats registered 335 points in 17 games (19.71 on average).
Alphonso Ford (2001-02, Olympiacos)
Point average: 24.75
Total points: 495
Games: 20
Different team, same result! Alphonso Ford was born to score and in Olympiacos he did it splendidly.
The American won the EuroLeague’s top scorer award for the second consecutive season (2001-02) after playing in 20 games with an average of 24.75 points. In fact, that season, he managed to stand out both in terms of the point average as well as the total number of points (495), despite the fact that Dejan Bodiroga played in 22 games (441 points, 20.05 on average).
Unfortunately, Ford couldn’t combine this amazing individual performance with a European title, as the Reds didn’t make it to the Final Four in a group that included Panathinaikos, AEK and Olimpija Ljubljana. Olympiacos‘s overall record? 14 wins and 6 losses.
Milos Vujanic (2002-03, Partizan)
Point average: 25.79
Total points: 361
Games: 14
How far would this player have gone if he hadn’t been plagued by injuries to the extent that he had?At just 23 years of age, Milos Vujanic emerged as the top scorer of the EuroLeague by scoring an average of 25.8 points in a total of 14 games in the colors of Partizan.
As is apparent by that low number of 14 games, the Serbian team was not able to make a good run and, as a result, they were eliminated in the first phase of the competition with just 4 wins and 10 losses.
Even so, Vujanic didn’t have a hard time standing out and getting one of the highest point averages in modern history. It’s telling that he had 20+ points in 9 games, 30+ points in 3 games but also a career high of 36 points against Virtus Bologna.
Lynn Greer (2003-04, Slask)
Point average: 25.10
Total points: 351
Games: 14
Lynn Greer had his greatest successes in the EuroLeague playing in the colors of Olympiacos, but the fact that Slask was of a lower caliber gave him the chance to shine and win the top scorer trophy.
The Polish team may have said goodbye to the competition early on with a record of 6-8, but this didn’t prevent the American from driving people wild with his performances. The end of the regular season found him with an average of 25.07 points and a total of 351 points, leaving behind big names like Arvydas Macijauskas (19.45 points on average) and Marcus Brown (18.71 points on average).
Greer was a player with a rare offensive talent that helped him find contracts with – among other teams – Fenerbahce, Unics Kazan and of course Olympiacos, with who he reached the Final Four in Berlin (2009).
Charles Smith (2004-05, Scavolini Pesaro)
Point average: 20.65
Total points: 413
Games: 20
Yet another American on this list, another player who was able to stand out in a season that was full of amazing scorers. Charles Smith played in the colors of Pesaro for only one season (2004-05) and in that time played in 20 European games with an average of 20.65 points and a total of 413.
If one considers that, in that same season in the EuroLeague there were names such as Anthony Parker (17.96) and Arvydas Macijauskas (17.86), then his accomplishment becomes even greater. In fact, the Italian club managed to qualify for the playoffs of the competition with a 7-7 record, though didn’t go any further than that.
It’s worth noting that Smith was the first winner of the Alphonso Ford Trophy, which started in the 2004-05 season and continues to this day.
Drew Nicholas (2005-06, Benetton)
Point average: 18.45
Total points: 369
Games: 20
One of the best shooters in the modern history of the EuroLeague and winner of two titles (2009, 2011) in the colors of Panathinaikos. Drew Nicholas had the most productive season of his career in the colors of Benetton (2005-06), scoring an average of 18.45 points in a total of 20 games.
The American didn’t need a lot of time to adjust to European standards as that was his first season on the courts of the EuroLeague. He was, of course, the big leader of the Italian team that easily qualified for the Top 16 with an 8-6 record, before being knocked out of the playoffs in a triple tie with Panathinaikos and Efes, two of his future teams.
As you may have noticed, in the first 6 seasons, the top scorer trophy ended up in American hands…
Juan Carlos Navarro (2006-07, Barcelona)
Point average: 16.77
Total points: 369
Games: 22
No special introductions are needed here, are there? Juan Carlos Navarro was bound to be the top scorer at least once, which happened in the 2006-07 season.
One of the best shooters of all time in the EuroLeague, he counts a total of 4152 points, 369 of which he scored in this particular season. “La Bomba” helped Barcelona reach the playoffs of the competition, where they were knocked out by Malaga.
At this point, however, there is a very important detail. Navarro (16.77 points) beat Igor Rakocevic (16.44) only marginally, with the difference that the latter played in the Final Four in Athens for Baskonia. There, his average dropped lower than the Spaniard’s. The organizers gave the Alphonso Ford trophy to Rakocevic since traditionally the games of the Final Four are not taken into account.
Marc Salyers (2007-08, Roanne)
Point average: 16.77
Total points: 305
Games: 14
Marc Salyers’ name is unknown to most EuroLeague fans since he played in the top European competition for only one season, in the colors of Roanne.
The French club didn’t do well and, as a result, they were eliminated as early as the first phase with a 4-10 record, but the same cannot be said about the player. Salyers was “hot” in the 14 games he played and he managed to emerge as the top scorer of the 2007-08 season, with an average of 16.77 points.
In terms of the total points scored, though, Nikola Pekovic was the one who stood out with 378 (16.43 on average), as he put up some amazing performances before getting transferred to Panathinaikos and celebrating a EuroLeague title.
Igor Rakocevic (2008-09, Tau Ceramica)
Point average: 17.95
Total points: 377
Games: 21
Igor Rakocevic was an amazing scorer and he proved it in the most emphatic way during the 2008-09 season, when he scored an average of 17.95 points, leaving Siena’s Terrell McIntyre (17.26 points) in second place.
In fact, the Serbian guard was also first in total points scored with 377, since Tau Ceramica got within reach of the Final Four but got knocked out by Barcelona in 3-2.
On January 8, 2009, Rakocevic got a career-high 31 points against Lottomatica Roma.
Linas Kleiza (2009-10, Olympiacos)
Point average: 17.14
Total points: 377
Games: 22
Linas Kleiza was one of the Angelopoulos brothers’ biggest signings in their great effort to get Olympiacos back into the elite of European basketball.
The Lithuanian forward fully justified the money of his hefty contract by scoring an average of 17.14 points, which is slightly more than second in line, Qyntel Woods (16.85). It’s telling that Kleiza scored a double-digit number of points in 21 of the 22 games he played with the Greek team.
At the same time, the Reds had an amazing run to the Final in Paris, where they saw a superior Barcelona team celebrate the trophy.
Igor Rakocevic (2010-11, Anadolu Efes)
Point average: 17.21
Total points: 241
Games: 14
The great Igor Rakocevic changed teams but not habits. For the second time in three seasons he emerged as the top scorer of the EuroLeague with an average of 17.2 points in a total of 14 games.
Efes‘s course, however, was not as good. The Turkish club advanced to the Top 16 of the competition but there they weren’t able to go the extra mile and were knocked out in 2-4.
At this point, it’s worth mentioning that Rakocevic is the only European who has won the Alphonso Ford trophy more than once. To be precise, this was the third distinction if we take into account the fact that, in the 2006-07 season, the trophy ended up going to the Serbian guard instead of Juan Carlos Navarro.
Bo McCalebb (2011-12, Siena)
Point average: 16.88
Total points: 287
Games: 17
A big battle with the winner being Bo McCalebb! The Alphonso Ford trophy was back in American hands, with Siena’s point guard taking part in 17 games and counting 16.88 points on average.
At the same time, the Italian team’s journey was cut short in the playoffs, where Olympiacos got the qualification for the Final Four in 3-1.
For yet another season, the battle for the trophy was very close, as Vassilis Spanoulis got close to the top with an average of 16.67 points. He did get to the top in terms of the total points scored (350), though, and also won the EuroLeague trophy in one of the most thrilling finals of all time against CSKA Moscow.
Bobby Brown (2012-13, Siena)
Point average: 18.83
Total points: 452
Games: 24
Bobby Brown had no rival! In the 2012-13 season, the American guard scored at will and, as a result, he put up the impressively high average of 18.83 points. In fact, this was the second consecutive season that the EuroLeague’s top scorer came from Siena.
Despite this, the Italian team once again wasn’t able to celebrate in the end. On the contrary, this time they didn’t even get to the playoffs since their journey was once again cut short in the Top 16 with a 7-7 record.
Brown said goodbye to the EuroLeague as top scorer in order to try his luck in China and the NBA, before returning to the competition in the colors of Olympiacos.
Keith Langford (2013-14, Milan)
Point average: 17.56
Total points: 439
Games: 25
Keith Langford is a nightmare for any rival defense. The 34-year-old shooter has won the Alphonso Ford trophy two times, and the first of those came in the 2013-14 season when he was still playing in Italy with Armani Milan.
With an average of 17.56 in a total of 25 games, he left his compatriot, Justin Dentmon (16.79), in second place, and Vassilis Spanoulis (15.08) a bit further behind, while he also had the highest total of points scored with 439.
Milan got to the playoffs of the EuroLeague but was knocked out in 3-1 in what was the Italian team’s last successful run in the competition.
Taylor Rochestie (2014-15, Nizhny)
Point average: 18.90
Total points: 397
Games: 21
Who could forget Nizhny’s amazing accomplishments in the 2014-15 season? The Russian team played an attractive and very aggressive basketball that gave their leader, Taylor Rochestie, the opportunity to emerge as the top scorer.
With an average of 18.90 points, the American left behind his compatriot, Andrew Goudelock, and boosted his worth. Nizhny’s run was pretty good too as they reached the Top 16 of the competition, surpassing initial expectations.
Nando De Colo (2015-16, CSKA Moscow)
Point average: 19.44
Total points: 525
Games: 27
The Europeans strike back! CSKA Moscow made one of the biggest signings of the decade and Nando De Colo fully justified the money the management spent to bring him to Russia.
The French guard was enjoyable throughout the entire season and with 19.44 points he comfortably won the MVP award but also the top scorer trophy. It’s telling that, second in line, Malcolm Delaney, and third, Milos Teodosic, were pretty far behind with 16.26 and 16.10 points, respectively.
De Colo’s amazing feats were combined with CSKA Moscow’s triumph as they returned to the top of Europe after an 8-year absence.
Keith Langford (2016-17, Unics Kazan)
Point average: 21.75
Total points: 609
Games: 28
A mythical season for Keith Langford! The American blew up his stats in the 2016-17 season, exceeding a total of 600 points and maintaining the unbelievably high average of 21.75 points per game.
Unics Kazan’s free mode of basketball but also the way they were set up around Keith Langford, helped the charismatic scorer unfold the entirety of his talent. The stats registered 28 out of 28 games in which he scored a double-digit number of points, 18 games with 20+ points as well as 36 points scored in one game!
On a team level, things didn’t go as well, with Unics getting left out of the running for the qualification in the EuroLeague’s new format.
Photo Credit: Eurokinissi