It has taken persistence for Sasha Vezenkov to arrive at the summit of European basketball.

Star turn: Sasha Vezenkov, Olympiacos Piraeus

After starting his career in his native Cyprus, Vezenkov became a first-team regular with Aris Thessaloniki at the age of 16. He was named the Greek League's best young player for three seasons running, also taking the league's MVP award in the last of those, 2014-15, while still a teenager.

Those exploits precipitated a move to FC Barcelona, which seemed to be a launchpad to greatness. Vezenkov averaged 5.1 points over 65 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague appearances with Barca between 2015 and 2018, but his time there coincided with a difficult period for the team.

A new opportunity came with Vezenkov's return to Greece in 2018 to join mighty Olympiacos Piraeus. And after spending the first couple of seasons gradually establishing himself, in the last two Vezenkov has truly started to fulfill all his potential.

The 2.06-meter forward averaged 11.5 points and 5.4 rebounds during the 2020-21 season, but really stepped up to an elite level in the current campaign with averages of 13.7 points and 5.8 rebounds. His 17.8 performance index rating average proved to be the sixth-best in the competition. 


Vezenkov's importance to Olympiacos is reflected by the fact that he started all 36 games this season, totaling the third-most minutes (1,081) of any EuroLeague player. His talents earned wider recognition as he was chosen the MVP for February.

At 26, Vezenkov is approaching the prime of his career with an already deep cache of EuroLeague experience – 186 games and counting – that puts him in a great position to not only maintain but also build upon the form he has shown in the last 24 months. Combining good size and athleticism, he is versatile enough to shoot from outside, create on the perimeter, or drive inside to score tough baskets from close range with the same toughness and competitive spirit that make him an excellent rebounder.

One of the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague's most experienced young stars anchored his team's push into the highest echelon of the standings during the last month. In so doing, Olympiacos Piraeus forward Sasha Vezenkov has earned Euroleague Basketball's nod as MVP of February.

Sasha Vezenkov | February MVP | Turkish Airlines EuroLeague

Vezenkov is also very consistent. He is heading to the Final Four after scoring in double digits in 15 of his last 16 EuroLeague games, the only exception being Game 5 of the playoff series against Monaco, when he still contributed fully by providing 9 points and 7 rebounds.

Now that he's reached the top, Vezenkov is determined to stay there. A strong showing on the biggest stage of European basketball would be more confirmation that Sasha Vezenkov has earned his place among the continent's very best players.

Sasha Vezenkov - Olympiacos Piraeus - EB21-PO2

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Sasha Vezenkov celebrates - Olympiacos Piraeus - EB21-RS30

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Olympiacos Piraeus v Anadolu Efes Istanbul (2022-05-19T16:00:00.000Z)

When basketball teams at any level looks for a dominant center, they hope for someone who can block shots, intimidate would-be scorers, and generally force opponents out of their offensive rhythm. If that same player can also be a reliable source of points at the other end of the court, even better. In Walter Tavares, Real Madrid has the best of both worlds.

Star turn: Walter Tavares, Real Madrid 

Born in Cape Verde, Tavares did not play organized basketball until age 17. Gran Canaria found him in 2009 and signed him to its youth program. Six years later, Tavares was chosen to the 2014-15 All-EuroCup First Team and took Gran Canaria all the way to the EuroCup Finals. He joined Real in November 2017 and before that season had ended, he helped Los Blancos win their 10th EuroLeague title in Belgrade. 

Tavares has improved every year since becoming an even more consistent defensive wall. He has learned how to make his presence felt in pick-and-roll situations, forcing other teams to use different offensive strategies against him. As a result, over the last five seasons, Tavares is the EuroLeague's runaway leader in total rebounds (1,104) and blocked shots (280).


On offense, he has polished his low- post game to become more and more of a scoring force. His 2.40-meter wingspan and quick feet allow him to finish strong in the paint, dunking as often as possible. In the same five-year span since his EuroLeague debut, Tavares ranks second in two-point shooting rate, at 69.4%, among all EuroLeague players, and third in shots made inside the arc, with 545.

His defensive achievements have not gone unnoticed by EuroLeague head coaches, who have voted Tavares the competition's Best Defender twice, in the 2018-19 and 2020-21 seasons. Tavares was also named to the 2020-21 All-EuroLeague First Team and to the 2018-19 All-EuroLeague Second Team, proving he is much more than a game-changer at the defensive end. This season, Tavares was chosen as the EuroLeague MVP for January.

Real Madrid was the one team to collect all possible five victories in November, and one of its players stood out the most, none other than center Walter Tavares, who is EuroLeague Basketball's choice as the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague MVP for November.

Walter Tavares | November MVP | Turkish Airlines EUroLeague

Best known for his prolific rate of rejecting the shots of opponents, Tavares is not just a contemporary phenomenon, but a historic one. In just five EuroLeague seasons, he now sits second all-time in average blocks (1.8), third in total blocks (280), and fourth in blocks per 40 minutes (3.2).

Fully established now as a superstar, Tavares comes to Belgrade looking for one goal only: his second EuroLeague crown.

FC Barcelona v Real Madrid (2022-05-19T19:00:00.000Z)

Born in Podgorica, Montenegro, 31-year-old Nikola Mirotic has emerged as one of the most dominant players in recent EuroLeague history, one who is very much at the heart of FC Barcelona's return to the Final Four for another shot at glory a year after they finished as runners-up. 

Star turn: Nikola Mirotic, FC Barcelona

Mirotic was a late bloomer. He did not start playing basketball until his grandfather introduced him to the sport at age 13 and he made his way to the Joker School in the Montenegrin capital. A year later, in 2005, Mirotic signed his first contract with Real Madrid, joining its youth program. By 2008, Mirotic was already a member of Real's senior roster. By the time he left in 2014, Mirotic had helped Los Blancos win a Spanish League and two Spanish Cup titles. 

Mirotic also helped Real qualify for three Final Fours – in 2011, 2013 and 2014 – following what had been a 15-year drought at the event for the most-crowned club in EuroLeague history. Los Blancos went all the way to the championship games in 2013 and 2014, but lost them to Olympiacos Piraeus and Maccabi Tel Aviv, respectively. Mirotic was the first player to win the EuroLeague Rising Star award in consecutive seasons, 2010-11 and 2011-12. He was also chosen to the 2012-13 and 2013-14 All-EuroLeague Second Team. Mirotic went on to play in the NBA before joining Barca at age 28, right in the prime of his career. 


Mirotic has been Barca's undeniable leader since setting foot at Palau Blaugrana, and his presence has led to titles, too. He had a starring role as Barca won the Spanish League and Cup titles in 2021 and repeated as cup winners earlier this season. Last spring, he led Barca to its first Final Four appearance since 2014. They reached the championship game before Anadolu Efes Istanbul stepped in the way and seized the title. For his outsized role in that success, Mirotic was voted to the All-EuroLeague First Team last season.

Euroleague Basketball's choice for MVP of December, do-it-all forward Nikola Mirotic of FC Barcelona, becomes the earliest such double-honoree in any single season, following on his claiming the same award in October.

Nikola Mirotic | December MVP | Turkish Airlines EuroLeague

In the last three seasons, Mirotic has been just unstoppable in a Barca uniform. He ranks first among all EuroLeague players over that span in average performance index rating (20.2); second in defensive rebounds (4.5); and third in points (17.0). He has shot the ball with extreme efficiency, too: 61.8% from inside the arc, 39.9% from long distance and 86.7% at the foul line. After coming so close to the EuroLeague trophy without getting his hands on it yet, no other player should be more motivated than Mirotic to give Barca its third continental crown.

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Sarunas Jasikevicius - FC Barcelona - EB21-PO3

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The career of Anadolu Efes Istanbul guard Vasilije Micic will come full circle at the Final Four. The 2021 EuroLeague MVP and defending EuroLeague champion returns to play the Final Four in his hometown, Belgrade. It was there that he began his professional career more than a decade ago as a 16-year-old with Mega Basket and he now returns as a EuroLeague superstar.

Star turn: Vasilije Micic, Anadolu Efes Istanbul

Micic was one of the most talented young point guards on the continent before an ACL injury sidelined him for almost a year and sidetracked his career. Nevertheless, he made his EuroLeague debut at age 20 and played in the competition with FC Bayern Munich and Crvena Zvezda mts Belgrade before deciding on an unconventional path to reach his career goals and joining Tofas Bursa, which had just been promoted to the Turkish first division. There, Micic got the minutes he craved and took the one step back that allowed him to turn his career around and make a run at stardom. 

A one-year stint with Zalgiris Kaunas, under the tutelage of current FC Barcelona head coach Sarunas Jasikevicius, gave Micic his first Final Four experience. More importantly, it jump-started Micic's career before he fully blossomed in his current surroundings at Efes under head coach Ergin Ataman. In just two years, Micic ended up going from not playing European competition to becoming an All-EuroLeague selection. And he never slowed down.


Micic orchestrated the Efes attack in reaching the 2019 EuroLeague Championship Game before winning it all a year ago. That spring of 2021 is also when Micic's career reached its pinnacle… for now. In Cologne, Germany, last May, he was first chosen as EuroLeague MVP and then led Efes to the club's first EuroLeague crown and was voted Final Four MVP. 

Micic's scoring has increased in each of the four seasons since he joined Efes, culminating in him averaging 18.2 points and capturing the Alphonso Ford Top Scorer Trophy for the 2021-22 season. Since joining Efes in the summer of 2018, Micic has averaged 15.5 points, 5.2 assists and 1.2 steals. He is the only EuroLeague player to accumulate more than 2,000 points, 600 assists and 150 steals over that time.

Such production has played a big part in helping Efes reach three consecutive Final Fours. Efes and Micic arrive at Stark Arena to chase history as they try to join the select company of back-to-back EuroLeague champions.


Vasilije Micic - Anadolu Efes Istanbul - EB21-RS21

Vasilije Micic - Anadolu Efes Istanbul - EB21-RS28

Vasilije Micic - Anadolu Efes Istanbul - EB21-RS24

Vasilije Micic celebrates - Anadolu Efes Istanbul - EB21-RS21

Vasilije Micic - Anadolu Efes Istanbul - EB21

Hard work, competitiveness, clear guidelines and good decisions on and off the court have allowed Pablo Laso to take Real Madrid to the top of Europe again and again in the last decade.

Final Four head coach: Pablo Laso, Real

Between its eighth EuroLeague title in 1995 and 2011, when Laso was hired, Real appeared in two Final Fours, without a victory in either. It won three Spanish Leagues but zero Spanish Cups in the same span. Now in his 11th season on the bench, Laso has just reached his seventh Final Four and has led Real to two EuroLeague trophies as well as five Spanish League and six Spanish Cup crowns.

Laso remade Real into a EuroLeague title contender right away. In his second season, Real finished second at the 2013 Final Four after reaching the club's first championship game in 18 years. Real was runner-up again in 2014 following the first overtime to decide a continental champion since 1969. Laso's third consecutive championship game was the charm, however, as Real left no doubts at the 2015 Final Four and lifted the trophy before its home fans in the Spanish capital. In 2018, Laso and Real were back to claim the club's 10th title on the same Stark Arena court in Belgrade where they will contest this season's Final Four.

Laso's coaching philosophy has been clear since he arrived: strong defense leading to fun-to-watch transition basketball. It's no surprise that this former point guard has coached three playmakers – Sergio Rodriguez, Sergio Llull and Luka Doncic – to EuroLeague MVP seasons.

If his place in the Real Madrid story is already set, so is Laso's status among the continent's best coaches. He ranks second this century in EuroLeague victories per season (21.4), fourth in total victories (235) and fourth in winning rate (69.3%). At the Final Four, his winning rate of 58.3% ranks second and his 7 total victories third.

Most importantly, Laso has built a team culture that combines winning and exciting basketball in ways that inspire great deeds from his players. In Belgrade, they return to the scene of their last continental triumph looking to go all the way to the trophy again, together.

The mastermind behind the success of Anadolu Efes over the past four years is Ergin Ataman, who has long cemented his place in club history. Ataman made history in his first stint with the club when he coached Efes to its maiden Final Four appearance in 2000. Now in his third tenure on the Efes sidelines, he has done what no other Turkish-born coach has ever come close to by making three consecutive Final Four appearances, culminating with the raising of the 2021 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague crown. 

Final Four head coach: Ergin Ataman, Efes

What started as a basketball feel-good story in the 2018-19 season, when Ataman guided Efes to its first EuroLeague Championship Game appearance just one year after the club finished the regular season in last place, turned out to be the start of something special. That was not only the biggest turnaround in EuroLeague history, but also the beginning of Efes's offensive dominance behind Ataman's vision and deep belief in his system, and his core of hand-picked players.

Sticking to a fast-paced style with swift ball movement and trusting that it can outscore score any opponent, only one team has more wins than the 96 that Efes has registered under Ataman over the last four seasons. The 2021 EuroLeague crown with Efes was the cherry on top for Ataman and his fourth different continental title. He won the Saporta Cup with Montepaschi Siena in 2002, the EuroChallenge with Besiktas Istanbul in 2012 and the 7DAYS EuroCup with Galatasaray Istanbul in 2015, a feat only two other coaches have accomplished in European basketball history.

Now, Ataman aims to repeat as EuroLeague champion, something no coach has done in 17 years and just two have accomplished in the Final Four era dating to 1988. No matter the outcome, however, Ataman has already cemented his status among the crème de la crème of European coaching.

Ergin Ataman - Anadolu Efes Istanbul - EB21-PO3

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After winning the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague title in his first season with Olympiacos Piraeus back in 2013, Georgios Bartzokas is hoping to crown his second spell with the Reds by gaining another continental crown.

Final Four head coach: Georgios Bartzokas, Olympiacos

Beating CSKA Moscow and Real Madrid at the 2013 Final Four in London saw Olympiacos retain the trophy that had been won 12 months previously by his predecessor, the late Dusan Ivkovic. That rare EuroLeague title defense also saw Bartzokas honored with the Alexander Gomelskiy Coach of the Year award after concluding his first season in charge of the Reds in the best possible manner.

His first stint with Olympiacos ended in 2014, but more success soon followed as Bartzokas took the helm at Lokomotiv Kuban Krasnodar and led an exciting team – featuring the talents of Malcolm Delaney, Chris Singleton and Anthony Randolph – to the 2016 Final Four.

A tough season during a transitional spell at FC Barcelona followed, but Bartzokas regained momentum with a successful return to Russia, taking Khimki Moscow Region to the playoffs for the first time in club history in 2018.

Since re-joining Olympiacos in January 2019, Bartzokas has already achieved the notable triumph of guiding one of European basketball's best-known clubs into a new era.

With the legendary Vassilis Spanoulis having already left the stage and Georgios Printezis nearing retirement at age 37, Bartzokas faced the difficult task of leading a new generation of players to the same great heights reached by that duo of club icons.

He has made that happen by relying on a club culture of non-stop effort that led the Reds to their glories of the past decade, but also by instilling a desire to play offensive basketball at a high tempo to make his team a potent force at both ends of the floor.

By guiding the Reds back to the Final Four after a five-year absence, Georgios Bartzokas's chapter in the Olympiacos history books is being expanded with each new victory.

Not every European basketball legend is able to be successful as a player and coach, but Sarunas Jasikevicius certainly has managed to do so. By making it to Belgrade this season, "Saras" has become the first person ever to participate in at least three Final Fours as a player and three more as a head coach.

Final Four head coach: Sarunas Jasikevicius, Barcelona

Jasikevicius won four Turkish Airlines EuroLeague titles as a superstar point guard for FC Barcelona, Maccabi Tel Aviv – twice – and Panathinaikos Athens. Indeed, he is the only player in EuroLeague history to win the crown with three different teams.

Before Jasikevicius arrived, Barca had not qualified to the Final Four since 2014 and had not won a semifinal since last going on to lift the trophy in 2010. Things changed in the 2020-21 campaign, when Jasikevicius guided his first Barca team all the way to the EuroLeague Championship Game before losing against Anadolu Efes Istanbul. He also led Barca to its first Spanish double – league and cup titles – since 2011.

Jasikevicius started his coaching career with Zalgiris Kaunas, first as an assistant before moving to the head of the bench in January 2016. He took Zalgiris to the 2018 Final Four in what was the club's first appearance in European club basketball's signature event since its title-winning season in 1999. His ties to Barcelona are strong, too, as Jasikevicius was the starting point guard when the club won its long-awaited first EuroLeague crown in 2003.

Over the last two seasons, Barca has thrilled fans at Palau Blaugrana with high-energy basketball at both ends, with loads of defensive pressure, outstanding ball circulation and efficient offense. No EuroLeague team has taken more two-point shots in that span and none except Barca has averaged more than 40% efficiency from beyond the arc during that time.

Jasikevicius has managed to keep everyone on a very talented roster happy with their roles and involved in the collective success. Should they all make one more step together in Belgrade than they did last year, Saras will add to his growing legacy by becoming just the third person in over 60 years to win the EuroLeague as both a player and a coach.

Sarunas Jasikevicius - FC Barcelona - EB21-PO1

Sarunas Jasikevicius - FC Barcelona - EB21-PO5

Sarunas Jasikevicius celebrates - FC Barcelona - EB21-PO5

The most decorated club in Turkish basketball, Anadolu Efes Istanbul reached new heights last season by winning the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague for the first time. Now Efes looks to double down on its historic achievement and enter the glorified company of teams that successfully defended the crown.

Anadolu Efes Istanbul: The champs are back

This marks the third consecutive Final Four appearance for Efes, a run of success that came after nearly two decades without reaching the continent's signature basketball event. Over the past four years, Efes has made it a priority to keep the core of its team intact, both the players and coaching staff, and together they have worked wonders. 

Eleven different players from the squad that reached the 2019 championship game are still with the team. That group is guided by head coach Ergin Ataman and headlined by 2020-21 EuroLeague MVP Vasilije Micic and All-EuroLeague guard Shane Larkin. They are joined by Krunoslav Simon, Bryant Dunston, Tibor Pleiss, Adrien Moerman, Rodrigue Beaubois and James Anderson. Chris Singleton joined them a year later.

Top 10 Plays | Anadolu Efes Istanbul | Turkish Airlines EuroLeague

With Filip Petrusev and early-season signing Elijah Bryant as the only new arrivals to the championship-winning squad from last season, the team suffered from a hangover when it became the first defending champion to lose its first four games the next season. Efes responded by winning six of its next eight to even its record as back-to-back MVP of the Round honors from Larkin and Micic helped Efes finally reach a winning record at halfway point of the regular season in late December. 

Each of the Efes superstars each picked up two more such honors in the second half of the season, when Micic heated up in particular. He scored at least 20 points in 10 of his last 14 regular-season appearances en route to becoming the EuroLeague's top scorer with 18.2 points per game. Ranking second during the regular season with 83.1 points per game and leading the EuroLeague with an assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.56, Efes clinched a playoff spot with two games left to play and finished in sixth place with a 16-12 record.

Shane Larkin, Anadolu Efes Istanbul

Rodrigue Beaubois, Anadolu Efes Istanbul

Chris Singleton, Anadolu Efes Istanbul

Dogus Balbay, Anadolu Efes Istanbul

Elijah Bryant, Anadolu Efes Istanbul

Erten Gazi, Anadolu Efes Istanbul

Adrien Moerman, Anadolu Efes Istanbul

Bugrahan Tuncer, Anadolu Efes Istanbul

Tibor Pleiss, Anadolu Efes Istanbul

Vasilije Micic, Anadolu Efes Istanbul

James Anderson, Anadolu Efes Istanbul

Filip Petrusev, Anadolu Efes Istanbul

Bryant Dunston, Anadolu Efes Istanbul

Krunoslav Simon, Anadolu Efes Istanbul

Ergin Ataman, Anadolu Efes Istanbul

Anadolu Efes Istanbul celebrates

After riding its offense throughout the regular season, Efes had a dream start to the best-of-five playoffs against AX Armani Exchange Milan thanks to its defense. Coach Ataman's charges held Milan to 48 points – the fewest ever allowed by a road team in the EuroLeague Playoffs – in winning Game 1 by a comfortable margin. Efes finished the job with two home wins in a sold-out Sinan Erdem Dome as its defense gave up a playoffs-low 64.0 points, while Pleiss, Micic and Larkin starred on offense. The latter was chosen as EuroLeague MVP for April as Efes claimed a 3-1 series win and a return to the Final Four. 

After getting through the thick and thin of the season, Efes now has the weight of making it to Belgrade off its shoulders. With arguably the most dangerous backcourt duo on the continent surrounded by a dozen experienced winners, Efes is ready to make a run at the EuroLeague title, and a place in history, again.

Anadolu Efes Istanbul celebrates - EB21-PO4

Shane Larkin - Anadolu Efes Istanbul - EB21-PO3

Elijah Bryant - Anadolu Efes Istanbul - EB21-RS34

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Tibor Pleiss - Anadolu Efes Istanbul - EB21-PO3

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Bryant Dunston - Anadolu Efes Istanbul - EB21-PO1

Krunoslav Simon - Anadolu Efes Istanbul - EB21-RS26

Dogus Balbay - Anadolu Efes Istanbul - EB21