The latest matchup in our quest to crown the greatest All-EuroLeague First Team of all time pits 2003 against 2019!
Vote for the best All-EuroLeague First Team in history: 2003 vs. 2019
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Each season, the top five players in Europe’s premier basketball competition are recognized with All-EuroLeague First Team honors. Over the past quarter century, these elite selections have showcased a who’s who of basketball legends, from rising stars to Hall of Famers and everything in between.
This summer, we're putting them all head-to-head to answer one big question: Which All-EuroLeague First Team stands above the rest?
We’ve seeded all 24 teams into a bracket created by our panel of in-house EuroLeague experts. Several times a week, we’ll reveal a new matchup on the official EuroLeague Instagram account, where you can vote for your favorite.
Right here on the official EuroLeague website, you’ll find a quick breakdown of each matchup – and which team we think deserves the edge. This time it's 2003 vs. 2019.
Let the debates begin. Let the voting begin. Let the best team win!
2003
- Tyus Edney, Benetton Treviso (age 30)
- Alphonso Ford, Montepaschi (age 31)
- Dejan Bodiroga, Barcelona (age 30)
- Jorge Garbajosa, Benetton Treviso (age 25)
- Victor Alexander, CSKA Moscow (age 35)
2019
- Nick Calathes, Panathinaikos (age 30)
- Kostas Sloukas, Fenerbahce (age 29)
- Will Clyburn, CSKA Moscow (age 29)
- Brandon Davies, Zalgiris (age 27)
- Jan Vesely, Fenerbahce (age 29)
This matchup pits quintets with very different styles. Overall the 2003 team features speed in the backcourt and power in the paint, with very high basketball IQs all around. The 2019 has more size overall and a longer and more athletic frontcourt, with a backcourt that features a pair of heady playmakers.
The backcourt edge has to go to 2003. While Calathes's excellent defense could be enough to put a damper on Edney or Fard, depending on how they match up, it’s hard for me to imagine Sloukas denying the other. And Edney's speed could be a game-changer. And don’t forget, he shot 52.4% of his threes that year, so the backcourt scoring potential is off the charts.
Bodiroga – who was the 2003 Final Four MVP – was at his peak and would have been able to contend with Clyburn. The frontcourt is a bit more interesting as Davies has the heft to bang with Alexander, while the matchup between Vesely and Garbajosa would be a clash of styles. In the end, I think the firepower in the 2003 backcourt opens things up for three more intelligent and efficient players and thus I choose that team… What do you think?