By Stelios Toromonides/ info@eurohoops.net
Three days of the Final Four, one game, a distinction, an impressive performance, a lead, a play, a shot. Anything can make the difference and give a team the trophy.
In the 16 Final Fours that have come before, there have been seven different European champions. Panathinaikos celebrated four times (2002, 2007, 2009, 2011), CSKA Moscow (2006, 2008, 2016) and Maccabi Tel Aviv (2004, 2005, 2014) three times each, Olympiacos (2012, 2013) and Barcelona (2003, 2010) two times each, while Fenerbahce (2017) and Real Madrid (2015) have one each.
Some of these successes were accompanied by achievements that have made history. Besides, climbing to the top of Europe is a feat, and the “garnish” of this feat is made with all the records that were broken for it to take place.
10. Olympiacos – Vassilis Spanoulis (2013 Final Four)
Arena: O2 Arena (London)
Accomplishments: 1. Olympiacos: They won back-to-back EuroLeague trophies.
2. Vassilis Spanoulis: Third EuroLeague trophy and third Final Four MVP award in three appearances.
They were the defending European Champions, but once again they were the outsider of the Final Four against Barcelona, CSKA Moscow and Real Madrid. This particular role fits them perfectly, as was once again shown. Olympiacos defended their title by playing total basketball, with which they prevailed over the Army Team in the semifinal (69-52) and the Whites in the final (100-88).
At the same time, the leader of the Piraeus team, Vassilis Spanoulis, tied an amazing record held by Toni Kukoc from the three-year period between 1989 and 1991. In his third appearance in the Final Four, he won his third MVP award and his third EuroLeague trophy. To this he added the MVP of the season, to cap a legendary season.