By Lefteris Moutis/ moutis@eurohoops.net
Pau Gasol played like an “alien” in the 2015 Eurobasket and earned a distinction that will be difficult to be broken! He became the player with the most MVP Awards and the most participations in the best five in the history of international tournaments.
He made the beginning in the 2006 Mundobasket and what was followed was his declaration as the MVP in the 2009 and 2015 Eurobasket tournaments, respectively. No other player has claimed so many MVP awards, while he has also been included five more times into the best five (in four Eurobaskets and one Mundobasket).
Kresimir Cosic and Sergey Belov were among the best in a FIBA competition seven times in total and then with four participations in the best five come Dirk Nowitzki, Nick Galis, Drazen Dalipagic, Arvidas Sabonis and Dragan Kicanovic.
| Player | MVP | Best Five |
| Pau Gasol | 2006, 2009, 2015 | 2001, 2003, 2007, 2011, 2014 |
| Kresimir Cosic | 1971, 1975 | 1969, 1970, 1973, 1978, 1979 |
| Sergei Belov | 1969 | 1967, 1971, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1979 |
| Dirk Nowitzki | 2002, 2005 | 2001, 2007 |
| Nikos Galis | 1987 | 1983, 1989, 1991 |
| Drazen Dalipagic | 1977 | 1975, 1978, 1981 |
| Arvydas Sabonis | 1985 | 1983, 1986, 1995 |
| Dragan Kicanovic | – | 1978, 1979, 1981, 1982 |
In the meantime, the 35-year-old Spaniard became the second player in the history of all European tournaments, who was declared the Most Valuable Player in the competition for a second time. Until now, only Radivoj Korac had achieved that.
His declaration as the top scorer of the tournament brought him into a closed club of players, who have achieved something similar for a third Eurobasket in their career. Nowitzki was the top scorer in the 2001, 2005 and 2007 Eurobasket tournaments, Korac was the top scorer in 1959, 1961, 1963, but on top of the list is Nick Galis, having scored the most points in a Eurobasket tournament four times in his career (1983, 1987, 1989, 1991)!
Apart from that, Pau Gasol climbed to the second place with the players who have claimed the most medals in Eurobasket tournaments, having earned three gold medals, two silver ones and one bronze! Belov and Cosic are ahead of him with seven medals in total.