After six EuroLeague seasons, Hayes-Davis is a champion
MVP Nigel Hayes-Davis gets his deserved reward
Nachrichten
3 Lesezeit
Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul forward Nigel Hayes-Davis has been one of the most inspirational and popular performers in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague for several years, and now his dedication and all-round talents have been rewarded with a well-deserved championship.
Fittingly, Hayes-Davis played a full role in his team’s 70-81 title game victory over AS Monaco, earning the Final Four Most Valuable Player award by leading all scorers with 23 points, also adding 9 rebounds, 2 steals, 1 assist and 1 blocked shot for a game-high PIR of 30.
Those numbers don't show the hustle plays he also produced throughout the game, throwing himself all over the floor to make saves, break up passes, play hard defense, fight for loose balls and grab tough rebounds.
So there's no doubt that Hayes-Davis fully merits all the accolades heading his way, but his immediate reaction was surprisingly understated.
Game Videos
![https://media-cdn.cortextech.io/3b99a03c-d022-4170-800b-b88347c4e412.jpg]()
Top 5 Plays | Championship Game | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
![https://media-cdn.cortextech.io/04aa4f58-ed46-4b37-91b6-955bca48fc83.jpg]()
AS Monaco-Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul | Championship Game Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
- 00:21
![https://dve-images.imggaming.com/original/p/2025/05/25/eAXBjnWUaWF9fRCQnrVp6QLc4bXp3OQ0-1748200959962.jpg]()
Hall throws it down! Motorola Magic Moment of the Night
- 00:09
![https://media-cdn.cortextech.io/ead12edc-7d98-49da-85fe-b742b10e15bf.jpg?crop=838%3A472%3Anowe%3A62%3A85]()
Calathes creates for Diallo! Motorola Magic Moment
- 00:10
![https://media-cdn.cortextech.io/fd34f16b-2dad-4339-9db9-f2d285d05bf0.jpg?crop=1080%3A608%3Anowe%3A110%3A219]()
Hall’s crazy putback! Motorola Magic Moment
- 00:11
![https://media-cdn.cortextech.io/7ca6cbec-7fd6-484d-92da-026125c0ddcb.jpg?crop=869%3A488%3Anowe%3A451%3A129]()
Hayes-Davis denies Theis! Motorola Magic Moment
- 00:19
![https://media-cdn.cortextech.io/39df03a4-6e95-4245-88aa-ad5126b2047c.jpg?crop=1080%3A608%3Anowe%3A75%3A49]()
Diallo beats the buzzer again! Motorola Magic Moment
- 00:16
![https://media-cdn.cortextech.io/2c001000-6b21-44e9-b1f4-f5beeb8b67fe.jpg?crop=1080%3A608%3Anowe%3A97%3A116]()
Diallo beats the buzzer! Motorola Magic Moment
![https://img.youtube.com/vi/H2RQnBcEi1c/maxresdefault.jpg]()
Championship Game Talk with Wade Baldwin
![https://img.youtube.com/vi/RwAr798kiek/maxresdefault.jpg]()
Championship Game Talk with Jaron Blossomgame
![https://img.youtube.com/vi/tacf1HLLQtM/maxresdefault.jpg]()
Mic'd Up: Alpha Diallo and Thomas Walkup | 2025 EuroLeague Semifinals
![https://img.youtube.com/vi/HH12RxnZWKQ/maxresdefault.jpg]()
Mic'd Up: Nigel Hayes-Davis | 2025 EuroLeague Semifinals
![https://media-cdn.cortextech.io/027a4ab4-b48f-4c27-bca9-abffed80979f.jpg]()
Olympiacos Piraeus-AS Monaco | Semifinal Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
- 00:39
![https://dve-images.imggaming.com/original/p/2025/05/23/t89rZ4DDz4HV41CtiOVBJbcyTXiJ4UJ7-1748031659345.jpg]()
Showtime by Monaco! Motorola Magic Moment of the Night
- 00:24
![https://media-cdn.cortextech.io/e3dce2cd-e512-4505-b7b2-2aff9ed8e2e4.jpg?crop=1253%3A705%3Anowe%3A91%3A26]()
James with a sublime dish! Motorola Magic Moment
- 00:18
![https://media-cdn.cortextech.io/dbc52b19-9cc6-4057-8e6d-9c6c3a14250e.jpg?crop=1080%3A607%3Anowe%3A49%3A46]()
Diallo skies for the slam! Motorola Magic Moment
![https://media-cdn.cortextech.io/e7a5a1c1-b935-4c5a-b729-d9315b8cf64c.jpg]()
Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul-Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens | Semifinal Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
- 00:31
![https://media-cdn.cortextech.io/f0de4782-cfcf-47c9-8b2f-aa03e673854f.jpg?crop=1080%3A608%3Anowe%3A128%3A53]()
Hall on the highlight reel! Motorola Magic Moment
- 00:11
![https://media-cdn.cortextech.io/46d42e6d-2adb-43d8-b4a1-39acab57c487.jpg?crop=1080%3A607%3Anowe%3A91%3A107]()
Baldwin feeds Melli for the slam! Motorola Magic Moment
- 00:13
![https://media-cdn.cortextech.io/4383028b-6fe8-42a9-8808-e07a8bef6445.jpg?crop=1080%3A607%3Anowe%3A126%3A138]()
Baldwin drives to dunk! Motorola Magic Moment
![https://img.youtube.com/vi/OlsJXz394xA/maxresdefault.jpg]()
At the Final Four: Devon Hall, Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul
![https://img.youtube.com/vi/Nvyc_M3ObWc/maxresdefault.jpg]()
At the Final Four: Matthew Strazel, AS Monaco
![https://img.youtube.com/vi/GiXHKjBClm8/maxresdefault.jpg]()
Tarik Biberovic joined by two surprise guests on pre-Final Four EuroLeague & Friends podcast
![https://img.youtube.com/vi/P9LzgoGJj8Y/maxresdefault.jpg]()
Mike James appears on the EuroLeague & Friends podcast... with a surprise guest!
- 00:16
![https://dve-images.imggaming.com/original/p/2025/05/06/JUaf9UxlyP7u6LS4dvzV5IbMqDHJKeZu-1746566201071.jpg]()
Diallo posterizes Parker! Motorola Magic Moment of the Night
- 00:44
![https://dve-images.imggaming.com/original/p/2025/05/06/h3ExZExKrqyFSIN4i1skJRyFkyoHWi0q-1746562626879.jpg]()
Mike James: 'We like to make it tough'
- 01:00
![https://dve-images.imggaming.com/original/p/2025/05/06/gEaB6NexMzjMMuKNXZ2icVMWRfiYOdjA-1746562569260.jpg]()
Georgios Papagiannis: 'I was staying ready'
![https://media-cdn.cortextech.io/c12a0edd-d88c-4409-b77c-e8d4d43c31a7.jpg]()
AS Monaco-FC Barcelona | Playoffs Game 5 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
- 00:10
![https://media-cdn.cortextech.io/b4200e75-1dd0-472b-bfb9-3776124cc037.jpg?crop=1080%3A608%3Anowe%3A84%3A105]()
James & Papagannis connection! Motorola Magic Moment
- 00:12
![https://media-cdn.incrowdsports.com/d8ba6266-e8bd-45d8-9708-a94b956c8087.jpg?crop=1217%3A684%3Anowe%3A79%3A61]()
Papagiannis dunks off a James dish! Motorola Magic Moment
- 00:13
![https://media-cdn.cortextech.io/ec551911-6602-4721-be48-12c17e6d4d36.jpg?crop=1080%3A608%3Anowe%3A123%3A158]()
Blossomgame flies for the put-back slam! Motorola Magic Moment
- 00:10
![https://media-cdn.cortextech.io/40171041-2639-45ec-bc25-5f0efd28dafb.jpg?crop=1080%3A608%3Anowe%3A58%3A88]()
Diallo turns defense to offense! Motorola Magic Moment
![https://media-cdn.cortextech.io/a808e080-40c9-4d61-85df-3a62ecb274f5.jpg]()
FC Barcelona-AS Monaco | Playoffs Game 4 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
- 00:20
![https://dve-images.imggaming.com/original/p/2025/05/02/E2jE1FhKXxWGowT6lp8lUBHRABQWb054-1746220519769.jpg]()
Diallo's big dunk! Motorola Magic Moment of the Night
- 00:13
![https://media-cdn.cortextech.io/4facf830-7c30-41b8-8277-3d9219923fe8.jpg?crop=3401%3A1914%3Anowe%3A476%3A149]()
James finds Theis! Motorola Magic Moment
- 00:10
![https://media-cdn.cortextech.io/18b44212-7737-497c-834f-4598a3ad0902.jpg?crop=1080%3A608%3Anowe%3A136%3A65]()
Blossomgame's two-handed dunk! Motorola Magic Moment
![https://img.youtube.com/vi/ixVNKzRorFI/maxresdefault.jpg]()
FC Barcelona-AS Monaco | Playoffs Game 3 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
- 00:15
![https://media-cdn.cortextech.io/c3ba4c5c-5d27-481b-a456-33bb7c43fe26.jpg?crop=1080%3A608%3Anowe%3A99%3A117]()
Diallo's big block! Motorola Magic Moment
- 01:10
![https://dve-images.imggaming.com/original/p/2025/04/29/reA1qfqdrrBw9L9EceFn8n86xQn4mo71-1745961564965.jpg]()
Nigel Hayes-Davis: 'We look forward to Abu Dhabi'
- 01:53
![https://dve-images.imggaming.com/original/p/2025/04/29/UVcR0ZVeh2qV5AsoUcBIwbXbbR5z3Qoo-1745961619961.jpg]()
Tarik Biberovic: 'I worked all my life for these moments'
![https://media-cdn.cortextech.io/31ce77cd-3f54-487a-a938-3513960940d1.jpg]()
Paris Basketball-Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul | Playoffs Game 3 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
- 00:10
![https://media-cdn.cortextech.io/7f892dc3-63b2-4523-b797-2ab5a38cff93.jpg?crop=1080%3A607%3Anowe%3A135%3A158]()
Pierre and Birch combine to perfection! Motorola Magic Moment
- 00:14
![https://media-cdn.cortextech.io/9b9a7b13-9e29-4f36-9eef-57fab78e1e07.jpg?crop=1080%3A607%3Anowe%3A205%3A31]()
Fener’s perfect team play! Motorola Magic Moment
- 00:56
![https://dve-images.imggaming.com/original/p/2025/04/25/5MDZZUMWmSnDeXB3gejIcDzwOa4WPMo2-1745619717657.jpg]()
Alpha Diallo: 'It's really hard to beat us'
- 00:27
![https://dve-images.imggaming.com/original/p/2025/04/25/sj48gClWyAbmzcz6b4EWrdbLAyfZX8YF-1745613987862.jpg]()
Monaco Showtime! Motorola Magic Moment of the Night
- 01:15
![https://dve-images.imggaming.com/original/p/2025/04/25/7kYjLtcGcqMcb5sJaePlCTtQpFGBDyqB-1745619612632.jpg]()
Mam Jaiteh: 'If we play like this defensively, we will do good'
![https://media-cdn.cortextech.io/c434196f-2c3b-4a3c-9e75-9bb1358ab5db.jpg]()
AS Monaco-FC Barcelona | PO Game 2 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
- 00:12
![https://media-cdn.incrowdsports.com/705e4bf7-41aa-4a89-adf0-50b286b7a92f.jpg?crop=532%3A299%3Anowe%3A318%3A72]()
Tarpey’s big driving dunk! Motorola Magic Moment
- 00:28
![https://media-cdn.cortextech.io/6f250613-2b31-4806-8f7a-043b7c847f44.jpg?crop=527%3A297%3Anowe%3A582%3A187]()
Jaiteh’s poster dunk! Motorola Magic Moment
- 00:17
![https://media-cdn.cortextech.io/e2437211-bc12-4b44-b537-c347d9b8bdcf.jpg?crop=1080%3A607%3Anowe%3A125%3A109]()
From defense to slam-dunk offense! Motorola Magic Moment
Usually a charismatic and entertaining interviewee, on this occasion he appeared a little overwhelmed when he faced the EuroLeague TV cameras a few minutes after receiving his MVP award and personal championship trophy.
But he revealed there was a good reason for his relatively low-key reaction, explaining: “I’ve worked very hard in the last three or four years trying to be present, and I’ve played this moment out in my mind for the last month, this past year. So now that I’m here, it kind of feels like I’ve already done it.
“I don’t look as excited as I am, but I’m extremely happy, extremely proud. We worked very hard all year, a lot of ups and downs like every season, but it’s tremendous to be a champion.”
One striking stat from Hayes-Davis’s performance in the title game was his nerveless free throw shooting, making all 14 of his attempts from the foul line.
That was nothing new because he has been an outstanding free throw shooter all season, making 90.1% of his attempts (129 of 142). And he gave an intriguing insight into that aspect of his game, explaining: “I’ve really taken a step in how big mental preparation and manifestation is.
“I saw a video of [Cristiano] Ronaldo. He says a little phrase to himself before he takes a free-kick. Once I found out what he said, I just changed it from football terms to basketball terms.
"So if you watch me at the free throw line, I have the same speech routine I give myself. I go up and shoot the free throw, and I’m glad I made all of them today.
“The most important thing to my mother is that I make my free throws. If I miss them she’s pissed, so as long as I keep making them she’ll be happy!”
A few minutes later, Hayes-Davis also joined the live postgame show on the EuroLeague YouTube channel, and for once strayed away from his usual modesty by allowing himself a few words of self-indulgent congratulations.
“You don’t always get what you work for,” he said. “Kids grow up hearing that you work hard and you get what you work for. That doesn’t always happen. But you keep working, you keep working, you keep working, and now I’m the best.
“I’m the MVP, I’m the champion. My hard work paid off, I earned it and I deserve it.”
And nobody will argue with that.