Real Madrid is the most crowned club in European basketball history, with a record 10 EuroLeague trophies, four more than its nearest pursuer.

Real Madrid: Déjà vu four years later

Having won the last of those 10 titles in 2018 at Stark Arena in Belgrade, Real now returns to the Serbian capital with the same head coach and a similar core of players to try to claim an 11th continental crown in the very same building.

 Over more than a decade, head coach Pablo Laso has guided Real through a new golden age with a simple if hard-to-execute recipe – strong defense leading to transition scoring – carried out by a core of players known for competing at their maximum at all times. Continuity is part of Real's formula, with no fewer than seven players – Fabien Causeur, Anthony Randolph, Rudy Fernandez, Walter Tavares, Sergio Llull, Trey Thompkins and Jeffery Taylor – still on the roster four years after lifting the EuroLeague trophy together in Belgrade.

Led by Tavares, who was chosen as the EuroLeague MVP for November, Real won 11 of its first 13 games, lodging itself in the most privileged part of the standings for the remainder of the regular season. Making his mark in the Spanish capital, too, was newcomer Guerschon Yabusele, who was chosen as the EuroLeague MVP for January after starring throughout a nine-game winning streak that boosted Real's record to 23-3.

Top 10 Plays | Real Madrid | Turkish Airlines EuroLeague

In February, however, Real lost four consecutive games without reaching the 70-point mark and registering its all-time EuroLeague low in points, 47, against Zalgiris in Kaunas. In part due to injuries, Real kept struggling until the end of the regular season, and by the time it finished had dropped to fourth place in the standings. No player on the team appeared in all of Real's regular-season games. A home loss in its regular-season finale against FC Bayern Munich left fans wondering, but that's precisely when Real regained its rhythm and championship-level character. 

In the playoffs, Real had the home-court advantage against Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv in what was a true Euro-classic. Game 1 would mark their 65th meeting since the 1960s, making it the most-played rivalry in European club competitions history. Causeur had 20 points to lead Real to an 84-74 home win in Game 1. Vincent Poirier's double-double of 16 points and 10 rebounds helped fill a resounding 95-66 victory in Game 2. Real finished the work in Tel Aviv, downing Maccabi 76-87 behind Llull's 18 points and 6 assists to sweep the series and claim a Final Four ticket sooner than any other team.

Nigel Williams-Goss, Real Madrid

Fabien Causeur, Real Madrid

Juan Nunez, Real Madrid

Anthony Randolph, Real Madrid

Thomas Heurtel, Real Madrid

Rudy Fernandez, Real Madrid

Alberto Abalde, Real Madrid

Adam Hanga, Real Madrid

Carlos Alocen, Real Madrid

Gabriel Deck, Real Madrid

Vincent Poirier, Real Madrid

Walter Tavares, Real Madrid

Sergio Llull, Real Madrid

Guerschon Yabusele, Real Madrid

Eli Ndiaye, Real Madrid

Trey Thompkins, Real Madrid

Jeffery Taylor, Real Madrid

Pablo Laso, Real Madrid

Real Madrid celebrates

Packing great memories from 2018, Real returns to Belgrade very much aware of its advantages as a team: size around the basket, good-as-gold experience and, above all, the character and pride that were evident in its 180-degree pivot from a difficult end of the regular season to dominance in the playoffs. 

It is mandatory for Real players to leave their hearts on the court; that has been in the club's DNA for decades. Many on this roster did just that four years ago in Belgrade, and history tells us that whoever wears the Real Madrid jersey is more than capable of doing it again.

Nigel Williams-Goss - Real Madrid - EB21-PO3

Guerschon Yabusele - Real Madrid - EB21-PO3

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

After falling short of the playoffs in the 2020-21 season, Olympiacos Piraeus restocked its roster by adding Turkish Airlines EuroLeague experience in the backcourt with Thomas Walkup and Tyler Dorsey, while power in the paint was provided by the arrival of Moustapha Fall.

Olympiacos Piraeus: Return of the red wave

But the majority of the roster was kept in place, and that sense of continuity contributed to a strong start to the season with successive home wins over Bitci Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz and Real Madrid. The Reds suffered their first defeat on the road in Round 3, but even that was a source of optimism as head coach Georgios Bartzokas's men pushed his former team, FC Barcelona, all the way, losing 79-78 on the last shot of the game.

The sense that Olympiacos was heading in the right direction was strengthened by four wins in the next five games, with each of those victories coming at home. Especially memorable was a 67-65 home victory over Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul in Round 7 that Kostas Sloukas decided with the game-winning basket with just 2 seconds on the clock.

Top 10 Plays | Olympiacos Piraeus | Turkish Airlines EuroLeague

The team's away form remained a worry as the Reds lost their first four road games, before finally getting that monkey off their back in impressive fashion with back-to-back victories at fellow high-fliers AX Armani Exchange Milan and UNICS Kazan in Rounds 12 and 13, respectively.

More momentum was built with a fabulous finish to 2021. Comprehensive home victories over FC Bayern Munich (83-60) and LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne (89-54) proved that Olympiacos's famous smothering defense could be complemented by explosive offense, but fans were made even happier by a thumping road win over local rival Panathinaikos OPAP Athens (65-84).

Olympiacos hit their worst form of the season early in 2022, losing four consecutive games to threaten their place in the playoffs. But a Round 25 away victory at Baskonia allowed Bartzokas's squad to get back on track. Thus began a run of four straight wins – including a thrilling 87-85 home triumph over reigning champ Anadolu Efes Istanbul that was settled by another Sloukas game-winner – during which all-action forward Sasha Vezenkov become the EuroLeague MVP for February.

That positive run sealed Olympiacos's place in the playoffs, and another series of victories – including a wildly celebrated 101-73 downing of Panathinaikos – let the Reds finish the regular season in second place with a 19-9 record.

Thomas Walkup, Olympiacos Piraeus

Tyler Dorsey, Olympiacos Piraeus

Michael Lountzis, Olympiacos Piraeus

Giannoulis Larentzakis, Olympiacos Piraeus

Mousthapha Fall, Olympiacos Piraeus

Kostas Sloukas, Olympiacos Piraeus

Hassan Martin, Olympiacos Piraeus

Sasha Vezenkov, Olympiacos Piraeus

Georgios Printezis, Olympiacos Piraeus

Kostas Papanikolaou, Olympiacos Piraeus

Livio Jean-Charles, Olympiacos Piraeus

Shaquielle McKissic, Olympiacos Piraeus

Georgios Bartzokas, Olympiacos Piraeus

Olympiacos Piraeus celebrates

The playoffs series against AS Monaco started with a defensively dominant 71-54 home win for Olympiacos. But any thoughts of an easy passage through the playoffs were obliterated when the men from the principality showed their offensive power by bouncing back to win 72-96 in Game 2.

Heading to Monaco needing a road win to keep the series alive, the Reds immediately achieved that aim by claiming Game 3, 83-87, behind 21 points from Sloukas and 17 from Vezenkov, before Monaco edged Game 4 to send the series back to Piraeus for a decider. A blistering second quarter from Shaquielle McKissic (16 points in 7 minutes) allowed Olympiacos to withstand the visiting team's explosive offense before Sloukas finished the job in the final quarter to seal a 94-88 victory.

The Reds' return to the Final Four for the first time since 2017 comes with an advisory: only one other club has ever posted a better record (8-2) or had a longer winning streak (five and counting) in the semifinals than Olympiacos, whose absence has only made the hearts of its fans grow fonder of their team's legacy at European basketball's signature showcase.

Thomas Walkup - Olympiacos Piraeus - EB21

Tyler Dorsey - Olympiacos Piraeus - EB21-PO5

Michalis Lountzis - Olympiacos Piraeus - EB21

Giannoulis Larentzakis - Olympiacos Piraeus - EB21-RS33

Moustapha Fall - Olympiacos Piraeus - EB21-RS25

Kostas Sloukas - Olympiacos Piraeus - EB21-PO1

Hassan Martin - Olympiacos Piraeus - EB21-PO5

Sasha Vezenkov - Olympiacos Piraeus - EB21-PO2

Georgios Printezis - Olympiacos Piraeus - EB21-RS26

Livio Jean-Charles - Olympiacos Piraeus - EB21

Shaquielle McKissic - Olympiacos Piraeus - EB21-PO1

Georgios Bartzokas - Olympiacos Piraeus - EB21-PO3

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

After coming so close to the title last season, losing to Anadolu Efes Istanbul in the championship game, FC Barcelona has its sights set on going one better this time around. In that quest, Barca has looked every inch a serious title candidate throughout the 2021-22 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague campaign.

FC Barcelona: Aiming for one better

Ahead of his second season in charge, Barca head coach Sarunas Jasikevicius bolstered his options by signing rising star guard Rokas Jokubaitis and versatile Nigel Hayes-Davis from his former club Zalgiris Kaunas, shooting star Nicolas Laprovittola from archrival Real Madrid and big man Sertan Sanli from Efes.

The revamped roster immediately showed it was a force to be reckoned with, blasting ALBA Berlin 96-64 on opening night with all 12 players scoring and grabbing at least a rebound each in a fulsome display of all-around power. That scintillating start was the prelude to a six-game winning run, after which Barca never lost its position in the top two of the standings throughout the regular season.

Top 10 Plays | FC Barcelona | Turkish Airlines EuroLeague

That doesn't mean it was easy. Injuries to key backcourt stars Nick Calathes and Cory Higgins, along with the long-term absence of Alex Abrines, forced Barca into the mid-season recruitment of Dante Exum, while Jasikevicius also gave significant playing time to several young players to cover for various other personnel problems.

Despite those challenges, Barca invariably found ways to win. With forward Nikola Mirotic often to the fore – earning the league's MVP of the Month award for both October and December – the Blaugrana never lost more than two consecutive games and flexed the confidence and ability to beat the best, with two wins each against Efes and Real, both of whom would make it to the Final Four, too. 

A run of nine straight victories between November and December followed by eight out of nine won early in the new year allowed Jasikevicius's team to wrap up first place in the regular-season standings with time to spare, finishing two wins clear of the chasing pack with a 21-7 record.

Brandon Davies, FC Barcelona

Dante Liman Exum, FC Barcelona

Sertac Sanli, FC Barcelona

Sergi Martinez, FC Barcelona

Rolands Smits, FC Barcelona

Nigel Hayes-Davis, FC Barcelona

Pierre Oriola, FC Barcelona

Nicolas Laprovittola, FC Barcelona

Alex Abrines, FC Barcelona

Cory Higgins, FC Barcelona

Kyle Kuric, FC Barcelona

Rokas Jokubaitis, FC Barcelona

Nicola Mirotic, FC Barcelona

Michael Caicedo, FC Barcelona

James Nnaji, FC Barcelona

Nick Calathes, FC Barcelona

Sarunas Jasikevicius, FC Barcelona

FC Barcelona celebrates

The fitness issues eased up ahead of the playoffs, with only Higgins sidelined for the team's series with FC Bayern Munich. Barca would need every weapon at its disposal to down the dogged German team over five grueling games, eventually finding a way to score against Bayern's outstanding defense in the second half of decisive Game 5, turning a 31-37 half-time deficit into an 81-72 home victory to secure a return to the Final Four.

Barca arrives in Belgrade with the third-best offense in the competition (81.4 points per game), ranked second in assists (18.2) and first in three-point shooting accuracy (40.1%). That offensive power is supplemented by a solid defense that allowed just 75.5 points per game, featuring particularly strong interior resistance (49.8% two-pointers allowed, second-best in the competition). 

And perhaps most importantly, with the majority of the roster returning from last season's Final Four, there is also plenty of hunger to erase those bitter memories and ensure Barca leaves Belgrade as EuroLeague champion for the first time since 2010.

Nick Calathes celebrates - FC Barcelona - EB21-PO5

Dante Liman Exum - FC Barcelona - EB21-PO1

Nigel Hayes-Davis - FC Barcelona - EB21-RS28

Nicolas Laprovittola - FC Barcelona - EB21-PO2

Michael Caicedo - FC Barcelona - EB21-RS32

Sarunas Jasikevicius - FC Barcelona - EB21-PO1

### Olympiacos Piraeus vs. Anadolu Efes Istanbul

In the first semifinal, a stellar rivalry arrives to the Final Four stage for the first time after 44 games already this century, with the series tied 22-22. Efes has won seven of the most recent eight games against the Reds, all except the last one in Piraeus back in February, when Kostas Sloukas hit a season-defining buzzer-beater in overtime to win it 87-85 for Olympiacos. Sloukas, Kostas Papanikolaou and Georgios Printezis, with seven EuroLeague titles between them, lead a cast of Final Four newcomers led by Sasha Vezenkov, Thomas Walkup, Moustapha Fall and Tyler Dorsey into Belgrade. With another former champion, head coach Georgios Bartzokas, on the bench and the knowledge of having won a do-or-die Game 5 to reach the Final Four, Olympiacos knows what to expect. What's more, this club has met more first-night expectations than any other club in the Final Four era stretching back to 1988. Only one other team tops the 8-2 mark in the semifinals and five consecutive trips to the championship game of Olympiacos

Olympiacos put an end to a streak of defeats with a morale-boosting victory over Baskonia. They entertain title-holders Efes, who've yet to cement their spot in the knockout stages.

Olympiacos Piraeus v Anadolu Efes Istanbul - Round 26 - Highlights

Despite a slow start this season, Efes was the only team without home-court advantage in the playoffs to make the Final Four, where it makes a third consecutive appearance with a largely intact cast of stars who seem to complement each other perfectly. Sweet-shooting Shane Larkin and hard-charging Vasilije Micic lead the attack, perimeter specialists Rodrigue Beaubois, James Anderson, Elijah Byrant and Kruno Simon promise broad versatility, while big men Adrien Moerman, Bryant Dunston, Tibor Pleiss and Chris Singleton patrol the inside. Their confidence, spurred on by head coach Ergin Ataman, knows no bounds. It certainly didn't when they wallopped Olympiacos 88-68 in their first meeting back in November thanks to a killer 20-3 fourth quarter in which Beaubois was the big gun with 29 points. This team's talent is only surpassed by its rock-solid togetherness over four seasons in which Efes had two semifinal opportunities, and aced both of them, too. Remember that until some other team takes it away, the trophy still belongs to Efes.

Led by Round 9 MVP Vasilije Micić, Efes try to build on an impressive triumph at Berlin versus Olympiacos, who look to address a run of four straight away losses.

Anadolu Efes Istanbul v Olympiacos Piraeus - Round 10 - Highlights

### FC Barcelona vs. Real Madrid

*El Clásico* coming to the Final Four for the third time ever, all in the last decade, just about says it all. Although it lost those two semifinal editions, in 2013 and 2014, season-long standings leader Barcelona will not lack for confidence in this one, having beaten Real in their last four EuroLeague meetings. Barca marches into battle behind superstar Nikola Mirotic, passing legend Nick Calathes, and the likely return of two-time champion forward Cory Higgins after a long injury. Skilled shooters Nicolas Laprovittola, Alex Abrines, Kyle Kuric and Rokas Jokubaitis could hold fate in their hands, while big men Brandon Davies, Sertac Sanli and Rolands Smits anchor the middle. On the bench, Barca boasts a play-caller in Sarunas Jasikevicius who knows what it takes from having won four EuroLeague titles with three different teams as a player. Barcelona's consistency since the season began combined with rising to the occasion of Game 5 in the playoffs send this runner-up from last season forward on its mission to go one step further this time.

The first Euroleague El Clásico of 21-22 sees pace-setters Barça tipping-off against second-placed Madrid with the fierce-rivals colliding via identical records and with top-spot up for grabs.

FC Barcelona v Real Madrid - Round 14 - Highlights

A Final Four regular returns after missing the last edition and struggling late in the regular season. But Real turned many heads with this season's sole playoffs sweep and now looks to ride that momentum into the semifinal with its archrival.  A raft of former EuroLeague winners –  club icons Sergio Llull and Rudy Fernandez, big man Walter Tavares, and veterans Fabien Causeur, Anthony Randolph, Jeffery Taylor and Trey Thompkins – head a contingent of other hungry would-be winners like Vincent Poirier, Adam Hanga, Gabriel Deck, Guerschon Yabusele, Alberto Abalde and Nigel Williams-Goss. Real battled for the standings lead until a late-season slump, so their resurgence in the playoffs makes for plenty intrigue of the kind that long-time head coach Pablo Laso can use to his advantage. Laso has coached in both previous *clásicos* at the Final Four. He won both, the last one by one of the biggest differences ever between the two teams. Remember that Real went to Belgrade in 2018 after another up-and-down season – and came home with the trophy.

In this highly-anticipated showdown, el clásico comes to the European stage with high stakes, as a place at the summit awaits for the team that can emerge victorious.

Real Madrid v FC Barcelona - Round 26 - Highlights

Both finalists from a year ago will join a pair of very familiar faces returning to the season's biggest event when the 2022 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Final Four brings the finest in international basketball to spectacular Stark Arena in Belgrade, Serbia, from Thursday, May 19, to Saturday, May 21. 

2022 Final Four at a glance!

EuroLeague Basketball is pleased to announce the names of the eight referees who will officiate the games of the 2022 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Final Four in Belgrade, Serbia.

EuroLeague Basketball names Final Four referees

Ilija Belosevic, Mehdi Difallah, Tomislav Hordov, Damir Javor, Luigi Lamonica, Olegs Latisevs, Boris Ryzhyk and Gytis Vilius are the chosen referees for the signature event of the season, which takes place at Stark Arena from Thursday, May 19, to Saturday, May 21.

Together, they bring a tremendous experience to the games. Seven of them have previously officiated at the Final Four and two of them – Latisevs and Vilius – oversaw the 2021 EuroLeague Championship Game in Cologne, Germany. Difallah was also an official at last season's Final Four. 


"This season has again been exceptional in many ways, but despite the challenges, our whole group of officials has shown dedication and commitment in completing the regular season and in delivering high-level work in the playoffs. We are grateful to the whole group for making every effort to reach the level that is expected by our fans and clubs," Richard Stokes, Euroleague Basketball's Senior Director of Officiating, said. 

"I congratulate these eight officials for their selection to the Final Four in Belgrade. Being a Final Four official is a great achievement that comes with a responsibility to exceed the excellence shown throughout the season, both individually and as part of the wider group."
 
Ryzhyk and Belosevic are the most experienced of the group as they are in their 22nd and 21st seasons in the EuroLeague, respectively, and Lamonica is right behind them, in his 19th season. 
 
This will be the 10th Final Four each for Lamonica, Latisevs and Ryzhyk. Lamonica's first Final Four came in 2002 in Bologna. Ryzhyk's Final Four debut came in Athens in 2007 and Latisevs's was in 2010 in Paris. Belosevic will appear at the Final Four for the ninth time. Difallah and Javor will each be at their third and Vilius at his second. Hordov will referee Final Four games for the first time.


Euroleague Basketball is pleased to announce the names of the eight referees who will officiate the games of the 2022 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Final Four in Belgrade, Serbia.

Euroleague Basketball names Final Four referees

Vasilije Micic completed a historic season on Sunday by lifting Anadolu Efes Istanbul to the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague championship for the first time in club history. A few minutes later, Micic had another trophy for his case after being chosen Final Four MVP.

Micic is chosen Final Four MVP

Vasilije Micic completed a historic season on Sunday by lifting Anadolu Efes Istanbul to the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague championship for the first time in club history. A few minutes later, Micic had another trophy for his case after being chosen Final Four MVP. The 27-year-old guard also received a 1 million travel miles award from Turkish Airlines' passenger loyalty program Miles&Smiles.

Turkish Airlines’ Chairman of the Board and the Executive Committee, M. Ilker Ayci said, "I would want to express my heartfelt gratitude to Anadolu Efes for the great times it provided us during our organization, as well as the championship cup they delivered to our nation. I congratulate Vasilije Micic who became the Most Valuable Player of the Final Four. We will continue to promote the Turkish Airlines brand, which has long been associated with important organizations and clubs in a variety of sports." 

<center><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Voice of an ANGEL!<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/F4GLORY?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#F4GLORY</a> <a href="https://t.co/PyEG7glVfE">pic.twitter.com/PyEG7glVfE</a></p>&mdash; Turkish Airlines EuroLeague (@EuroLeague) <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroLeague/status/1399109187687182338?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 30, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></center>

Micic was a natural choice as not only did he lead Efes in scoring in both games at Lanxess Arena in Cologne, Germany, but his averages of 25.0 points, 5.5 assists and a PIR of 27.0 were the most at this season’s Final Four, too. He also became the fifth player in competition history to capture both the EuroLeague MVP and Final Four MVP trophies in the same season. He joins Dimitris Diamantidis (Panathinaikos Athens, 2011), Vassilis Spanoulis (Olympiacos Piraeus, 2013), Nando De Colo (CSKA Moscow, 2016) and Luka Doncic (2018, Real Madrid) in that distinguished group.

Will Clyburn of CSKA Moscow walked off with the Final Four MVP award on Sunday after his team downed Anadolu Efes Istanbul 83-91 for the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague title on Sunday in Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain.

Clyburn won the vote of the hundreds of media members at the Final Four after scoring 20 points in the championship game to go with the 18 he tallied when CSKA dethroned last season's champion, Real Madrid, in the semifinal on Friday. His 38 points tied for CSKA's highest total over the weekend.

Clyburn did much of his damage from three-point distance, hitting 7 of 10 shots from behind the arc, leading CSKA's sharpshooters for the weekend. He also tied for the team lead with 10 rebounds total between the two games.

Clyburn is playing in his third EuroLeague season and second with CSKA. He was voted by fans and media to the All-EuroLeague First Team and received that award on the eve of the championship game. He finished the season averaging 13.6 points per game to go with team-high averages of 6.8 rebounds and 17.5 performance index rating.

CSKA won its fourth EuroLeague title in 14 years. Clyburn follows the club's Final Four MVPs from the three previous titles: Theo Papaloukas in 2006, Trajan Langdon in 2008 and Nando De Colo in 2016.

Clyburn gave a lot of credit to his head coach, Dimitris Itoudis, upon receiving the Final Four MVP trophy.

"I've come a long way; I'm grateful to be here. Coach believed in me, and he trusts me. He trusts in my game and my experience. He's led me in the right direction," Clyburn said. "Everybody was together today, every possession we knew what we needed to do, and we stayed together all 40 minutes. We had lots of ups and downs this season, and each one of them was very important for our growth and our belief."

Final Four MVP: Will Clyburn, CSKA Moscow

will-clyburn-mvp-final-four-vitoria-gasteiz-2019-eb18.jpg

To complete one of the greatest seasons by a teenager in basketball history, Luka Doncic was chosen Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Final Four MVP after leading Real Madrid to the crown on Sunday night at Stark Arena in Belgrade, Serbia. Doncic shined in both Final Four games in helping Madrid capture a record 10th EuroLeague championship. The EuroLeague Final Four MVP is voted on by accredited media at the event.

Doncic was tied for the team-high in scoring with 16 points in the semifinals victory over CSKA Moscow and was second with 15 points in the championship against Fenerbahce Dogus Istanbul. For the Final Four, Donic led Madrid with 31 points, was second with 6 assists and a performance index rating of 35 and third with 10 rebounds. At age 19, he is the youngest ever Final Four MVP.

The award caps a season in which Doncic was named EuroLeague MVP, made his first appearance on the All-EuroLeague First Team and won his second consecutive EuroLeague Rising Star Trophy, all in just his third professional season. He joins Panathinaikos Athens legend Dimitris Diamantidis as the only players to capture four major trophies in a single EuroLeague season. Diamantidis was the EuroLeague MVP, Final Four MVP, EuroLeague Best Defender and a member of the All-EuroLeague First Team in 2011.

"It feels amazing," Doncic said in the post-game press conference. "Everybody is asking me how it feels. I don't have any words. It feels amazing. It's incredible. I have amazing teammates I have an amazing coach like Pablo Laso to give me the opportunity to play for him. It’s pretty easy to play with this team. This season is a dream-come-true for me. Three years ago when I won the junior title I was a little jealous of the pro guys.〈/p〉"[Last season] was bad and good for me. I learned a lot of things. I think this year I was more confident. I learned a lot of toughness. I think I showed that. I think we played more like a team in this final."

Doncic chosen Final Four MVP

luka-doncic-final-four-mvp-real-madrid-belgrade-2018-eb17.jpg

After authoring one of the truly great Final Fours in competition history, Ekpe Udoh was voted MVP of the 2017 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Final Four. Udoh led Fenerbahce Istanbul to its first ever EuroLeague crown in an 80-64 victory over Olympiacos Piraeus on Sunday at Sinan Erdem Dome by dominating on both ends of the floor. He posted 10 points, 9 rebounds, 4 assists and a title-game record 5 blocks in the final, which came on the heels of his 18 points, 12 rebounds, 8 assists and 2 blocks in an 84-75 semifinal victory over Real Madrid. His 12 assists in a single Final Four are the most by a center in completion history and tied for the 13thmost by any player. He set a semifinal record with a performance index rating of 36 and his index rating of 29 was the most in the championship game since 2013.

Udoh, who turned 30 on Saturday, is completing his second season with Fenerbahce. He was named to the 2016-17 All-EuroLeague First Team and voted runner-up for the Best Defender Trophy this season after earning All-EuroLeague Second Team honors one year ago. Udoh, who set a single season record for blocked shots this season with 68, averaged 12.1 points and led the league with 7.8 rebounds and 2.2 blocks per game.