Olympiacos Piraeus, ready to play a club-record third consecutive Final Four, was the first to arrive in Berlin on Wednesday with eyes on a rematch from last season's title game coming against Real Madrid in the semifinals on Friday. Shaquielle McKissic was first up to the mic to talk about his team's vibe as they look ahead to the games.

Shaquielle McKissic, Olympiacos: 'We're optimistic'

Ahead of the arrival of the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Final Four teams on Wednesday evening to the German capital, another guest of honor has made the journey and will soon take center stage at midcourt of Uber Arena, scene of the semifinals on Friday and the championship game on Sunday. 

The trophy has arrived to Berlin!

Ahead of the arrival of the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Final Four teams on Wednesday evening to the German capital, another guest of honor has made the journey and will soon take center stage at midcourt of Uber Arena, scene of the semifinals on Friday and the championship game on Sunday. This guest of honor, in fact, is what each of those four teams came here to claim and have been intent on partying with all season long. The lucky one among them will get to raise this guest of honor to the heavens and drink champagne from it in a few days. Follow the trail of the champions trophy as it joins Berlin's weekend-long basketball bash!

For Olek Balcerowski, he has always known his father, Marcin, in a wheelchair. The Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens big man was born in November 2000, but 27 months prior, in August 1998, a severe car crash resulted in Marcin seriously injuring his spine and spinal cord, leaving him wheelchair-bound. Yet, the sport of basketball provided a second opportunity to Olek’s father.

Olek Balcerowski, Panathinaikos: ‘Basketball saved my father’s life’

For [Olek Balcerowski](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/aleksander-balcerowski/007553/), he has always known his father, Marcin, in a wheelchair. 

The Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens big man was born in November 2000, but 27 months prior, in August 1998, a severe car crash resulted in Marcin seriously injuring his spine and spinal cord, leaving him wheelchair-bound. 

Yet, the sport of basketball provided a second opportunity to Olek’s father, who was a semi-professional player before the crash and went on to become a star wheelchair basketball player, even representing the Polish national team at the 2012 Olympic Games. 

Last summer, shortly after Olek had joined Panathinaikos, Marcin came out of retirement to sign for the Greens’ wheelchair team, allowing them to play for the same club team for the first time in their careers.

More Olek Balcerowski News

The father of the Greens’ center was involved in a car crash and has been in a wheelchair ever since

Very few teams have ever come so close to the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague title without being able to lift the trophy than Olympiacos Piraeus a year ago. Back for a club-record third consecutive Final Four in Berlin this weekend, the Reds are ready to learn from that experience, starting with a 2023 championship game rematch in the semifinals against Real Madrid on Friday at Uber Arena.

'Now it's time for us to win': Final Four preview, Olympiacos

Very few teams have ever come so close to the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague title without being able to lift the trophy than Olympiacos Piraeus a year ago. Back for a club-record third consecutive Final Four in Berlin this weekend, the Reds are ready to learn from that experience, starting with a 2023 championship game rematch in the semifinals against Real Madrid on Friday at Uber Arena.

"We should have won that game," point guard Thomas Walkup remembered. "We didn't, and that's on us, but we're going back with that same mindset, that we're here to win this thing."

Nobody knows better than Olympiacos forward Kostas Papanikolaou what such success takes. He was a young buck when the Reds took back-to-back titles in 2012 and 2013, and now he's a veteran cherishing every opportunity that comes his team's way.

"It's the same feeling, the same excitement like the first time. You cannot get enough of it," Papanikolaou says. "All this is what sports is about. This is what you love about playing basketball, or sports in general; to be on the center stage and competing for big titles."

Guiding Papanikolaou and his teammates back in 2013 was head coach Georgios Bartzokas, who masterminded a 17-point comeback in that year's title game to beat none other than Real Madrid. Despite last season's last-gasp loss and Real's dominance all of this season, Bartzokas says his team is ready.

"We believe in ourselves," the Reds' boss says. "We are sure that we're going to be really competitive."

MORE OLYMPIACOS NEWS

Now it's time for us to win | Final Four preview | Olympiacos

Last year's oh-so-close runners-up are aiming to take their destiny one shot further to a title at the Final Four in Berlin.

“Every time you put this jersey on, you need to win,” said All-EuroLeague First Team forward Dzanan Musa as he looked ahead to the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Final Four in Berlin and his team’s semifinals clash with Olympiacos Piraeus. “Not every player can play in Real Madrid because of the pressure.”

'We believe in each other': Final Four preview, Real Madrid

“Every time you put this jersey on, you need to win,” said All-EuroLeague First Team forward Dzanan Musa as he looked ahead to the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Final Four in Berlin and his team’s semifinals clash with Olympiacos Piraeus. “Not every player can play in Real Madrid because of the pressure.”

The reigning champs are a star-studded squad that won’t settle for anything less than successfully defending the crown, as Musa alluded to. What makes them so special is not just their ability to handle the pressure or to put the ball in the basket. According to their head coach, it’s something else entirely. 

“My team is a team with character, a lot of talented players on offense,” Coach Chus Mateo explained. “But the most important thing is that all of them are playing for the team. The strength is the team.”

Musa went even further: “All the Real Madrid organization is like one big family. That’s why in stressful moments, you believe in the family member.” 

With 11 members of last season’s championship team on the current roster, this family is as strong and connected as ever. Will that be enough to topple Olympiacos like they did in last season’s final?

“As they know us, we know them,” Musa summed up. “It’s gonna be a dogfight, but we will come prepared.”

MORE REAL MADRID NEWS

Dzanan Musa: “Every time you put this jersey on, you need to win.”

The reigning champs are a star-studded squad that won’t settle for anything less than successfully defending the crown

Dyshawn Pierre is one of the longest-tenured players at Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul. In his fourth season with the club, Pierre has finally reached his first Final Four.

Dyshawn Pierre: 'You understand how big the EuroLeague really is'

[Dyshawn Pierre](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/dyshawn-pierre/010560/) is one of the longest-tenured players at Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul. In his fourth season with the club, Pierre has finally reached his first Final Four.

During his time in Istanbul he has seen many ups and downs, experienced four coaching changes, including one this season, and suffered two playoff exits before finally making it to the end-of-season event in a crazy series against AS Monaco.

"It's amazing", Pierre, a native of Canada, says about making it to the Final Four in his fourth EuroLeague season and eighth overall on the continent.

"Going through each year, you kind of understand how big the EuroLeague really is. Getting to Fener, understanding what the goal was, understanding how hard it is to play EuroLeague sometimes, it is an accomplishment to make it to the Final Four."

Watch the entire interview as Pierre talks about, among many things, what Fenerbahce has come to mean for him, playing for head coach Saras Jasikevicius, and what his teammate with previous Final Four experience are telling him ahead of the trip to Berlin.

Dyshawn Pierre, Fenerbahce: 'You understand how big the EuroLeague really is'

“Everybody believed at the end of the season, we will have a chance to reach our big goals. And now. Of course, to be in the Final Four is a great feeling for Panathinaikos fans. But now, all of us, we want more,” Coach Ergin Ataman said as he looked ahead to the games in Berlin, which open with a Friday evening showdown between his Greens and Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul.

'We want more': Final Four preview, Panathinaikos

“Everybody believed at the end of the season, we will have a chance to reach our big goals. And now. Of course, to be in the Final Four is a great feeling for Panathinaikos fans. But now, all of us, we want more,” Coach Ergin Ataman said as he looked ahead to the games in Berlin, which open with a Friday evening showdown between his Greens and Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul.

Ataman was careful to note that his team was essentially built from scratch, with only three holdovers from the 2022-23 season. It took time, but as he mentioned: “This team, after the second part of the regular season, started to play excellent basketball.”

A true players coach, Ataman gives his charges confidence and freedom. But with that comes expectations. 

“The players will decide the results of the game,” he added. 

Fortunately for Ataman, he has three of the biggest stars of the league on his roster and each of them opined on what it will take to bring the EuroLeague Trophy back to Athens. 

“It’s gonna come down to making it a dog fight,” All-EuroLeague First Team center Mathias Lessort explained. “Fight for every ball, fight for every possession. Defensively, offensively, take care of the ball. No turnovers.” 

The team’s top scorer and fellow All-EuroLeague First Teamer Kendrick Nunn shared that sentiment or getting the job done on both ends of the floor: “I think our ability to get hot offensively will be a big key for us in a one-game setting. And just getting some stops.” 

No player at the Final Four has more experience than Kostas Sloukas, a three-time champion who will compete at European basketball’s flagship event for the 10th time. 

“We have to be hungry. We have to be physically and mentally ready,” Sloukas advised. “This kind of game, for sure tactics is one thing, but you have to be aggressive and play physical and be strong.”

While many of the Greens will be featuring at a Final Four for the first time, having a confident head coach and leaders to lean on could make a difference for Panathinaikos.  

MORE PANATHINAIKOS NEWS

“Everybody believed at the end of the season, we will have a chance to reach our big goals. And now. Of course, to be in the Final Four is a great feeling for Panathinaikos fans. But now, all of us, we want more,” Coach Ergin Ataman said as he looked ahead to the games in Berlin, which open with a Friday evening showdown between his Greens and Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul.
Ataman was careful to note that his team was essentially built from scratch, with only three holdovers from the 2022-23 season. It took time, but as he mentioned: “This team, after the second part of the regular season, started to play excellent basketball.”
A true players coach, Ataman gives his charges confidence and freedom. But with that comes expectations.

We WANT MORE | Final Four Preview | Panathinaikos

After 14 seasons in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague, Real Madrid swingman Rudy Fernandez has had a career matched by very few players. He is a three-time EuroLeague champ, an All-EuroLeague team selection and he has won a flurry of other accolades both with the Spanish national team and the domestic competitions.

Rudy Fernandez, Real: 'I have always tried to help the team'

After 14 seasons in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague, Real Madrid swingman [Rudy Fernandez](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/rudy-fernandez/bmt/) has had a career matched by very few players. He is a three-time EuroLeague champ, an All-EuroLeague team selection and he has won a flurry of other accolades both with the Spanish national team and the domestic competitions.

He made his EuroLeague debut with Joventut Badalona, the club he formed himself as a player, but it has been with Los Blancos that Rudy spent the most of his career and accomplished the bulk of his goals, after a stint in the NBA.

"I decided to stay with Real Madrid because I felt very comfortable, really loved by the people that weok here and my teammates," says Rudy. "At that point you realize how important it is sometimes to feel comfortable, to feel well in a place. And that is reflected in the titles we won."

This will be Rudy's ninth Final Four appearance and also his last, according to a press conference he held a few weeks ago in which he all but confirmed that he would be retiring at the end of the current season. He will now be playing for his fourth EuroLeague crown in Berlin and, to him, that' all that matters - the team winning over his individual accolades.

"I was never obsessed with winning a lot of titles and having a big roll of honors," Rudy explains. "I have always tried to focus on working for the team. I always tried to sacrifice a lot of things to help the team."

Top 5 Plays | Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens | 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague

Just before the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Final Four, let's check out the top five plays of the season from Real Madrid.

Top 5 Plays | Real Madrid | 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague 

Ahead of the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Final Four, be sure to check out the top five plays of the season so far from Olympiacos Piraeus.

 Top 5 Plays | Olympiacos Piraeus | 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague 

Ahead of the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Final Four, be sure to check out the top five plays of the season so far from Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul!

Top 5 Plays | Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul | 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague 

FENERBAHCE BEKO ISTANBUL NEWS

Top 5 Plays | Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul | 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague

Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul is back at the Final Four and so is guard Marko Guduric. In his second stint and sixth season with the team, the 29-year old Guduric is getting ready for a trip to Berlin which will be his third Final Four, but first since 2019.

Marko Guduric: 'Winning the EuroLeague with Fener would be a dream come true'

Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul is back at the Final Four and so is guard [Marko Guduri](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/marko-guduric/004004/)c. In his second stint and sixth season with the team, the 29-year old Guduric is getting ready for a trip to Berlin which will be his third Final Four, but first since 2019.

"It's been five years and for Fenerbahce that's a lot", Guduric says to [Euroleague.net](http://Euroleague.net)'s Igor Petrinovic. "It's a great feeling. And I am really proud of the team and of myself."

To get to the German capital with the right to compete for EuroLeague glory, Fenerbahce needed to make history and become the first team to win a deciding Game 5 on the road. And it did so in overtime against AS Monaco.

Fenerbahce had to show great character, especially since it previously squandered an opportunity to clinch the series in Game 4 at home. But the team found a way to bounce back and show the traits that it wants to have on display in Berlin.

"The biggest strength of this team is just -  team", Guduric explains. "We don't rely on one guy or two guys. It's about team, sharing the ball, it's about playing the right way and following the rules, which is really important."

For Guduric, the story around this Final Four is different than the previous two occasions when he made the trips, in 2018 and 2019. Both of those years Fenerbahce had the status of a favorite and its Final Four appearances were expected, to say the least.

But since then, Fenerbahce went through four coaching changes in the last four years and Guduric has seen every one of those. The journey proved just how hard it is to make the Final Four, let alone win the title, even for a powerhouse such as Fenerbahce.

"It is really hard to get there. These past four seasons made me realize it even more. It is unbelievably hard", Guduric says about reaching the Final Four. "\[Winning it\] with Fener, since I came here, this has been the dream. That's the only thing that is on my mind. Winning the EuroLeague with Fener would be a dream come true."

The 29-year-old sat down with Euroleague.net's Igor Petrinovic at the club's Final Four media day

The power forward sat down with Geoff Gillingham at the Greens’ Final Four media day

Juancho Hernangomez, Panathinaikos: ‘Berlin brings back good memories’

He may be in his debut Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season, but [Juancho Hernangomez](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/juancho-hernangomez/012712/) of Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens is already getting ready to compete in his first Final Four.

The Greens reached the Final Four for the first time in 12 years after defeating Maccabi Playtikq Tel Aviv 3-2 in a thrilling playoff series. The scenes at OAKA afterward are something Juancho will never forget.

“All of OAKA was amazing,” Juancho tells [Euroleague.net](http://Euroleague.net)’s Geoff Gillingham. “It was one of the best experiences in my life. We got the win and it was a really happy moment.”

Next week will see the 28-year-old head to Berlin, where he starred with the Spanish national team in the knockout stages of EuroBasket 2022. Notably, Juancho netted 27 points in the championship game as Spain defeated France to become European champions.

“Berlin brings back good memories,” Juancho comments. “I \[hope\] we feel the same, getting the title. It’s going to be really hard, we’ve got to work really hard for that. We deserve to win, we’re going to fight for the win, and we are pretty confident.”

Juancho is a basketball star who is known across the globe, but his stardom went to another level after appearing in the hit movie “Hustle” alongside Adam Sandler and a number of NBA stars. The Panathinaikos forward even revealed that Sandler almost came to Game 5 against Maccabi and could be present at the Final Four in Berlin. 

“I’m still talking with Adam Sandler and he keeps in touch every couple of weeks,” Juancho says. “We’re talking, and he follows the EuroLeague. 

“He was close to coming for Game 5 \[against Maccabi\], I told him to - I think he was in London or Germany doing some movie. I will tell him he can come to the Final Four, but for sure if we win, he will be happy for me.”

The 29-year-old sits down with Euroleague.net’s Geoff Gillingham as he prepares for his third straight Final Four

Nigel Williams-Goss, Olympiacos: ‘The bigger the moment, the better I play’

Olympiacos Piraeus guard [Nigel Williams-Goss](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/nigel-williams-goss/007982/) certainly has a knack of shining in the postseason – and he’s looking to become just the fourth player to win back-to-back Turkish Airlines EuroLeague titles with different clubs.

Last year, Williams-Goss increased his numbers in the postseason. He notably scored 22 points in Game 3 as Real Madrid won at Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade, which proved to be the catalyst for Los Blancos getting the series back on track after falling down 2-0. Then, at the Final Four, he had 10 points in the semifinals and 9 points in the championship game as Real became the EuroLeague champion.

Williams-Goss returned to Olympiacos last summer, having started his EuroLeague career with the Reds in the 2018-19 season, and played a key role in guiding the club to the playoffs. Once in the postseason, Williams-Goss scored 8 points or more in all five games as Olympiacos joined Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul by becoming the first-ever teams to win a Game 5 on the road – and both on the same night.

It was another example of Williams-Goss rising to the occasion.

“I think that’s something that’s always been inside of me ever since I was young,” Williams-Goss tells [Euroleague.net](http://Euroleague.net)’s Geoff Gillingham. “The bigger the moment, the better I play. I’ve always thrived in those big moments. My mind kind of just leaves and I follow my instincts. I love going to the postseason, obviously the Final Four. This is what I work so hard for all year round.”

Real Madrid came into the 2023-24 EuroLeague season as defending champion and led the standings from start to finish heading for the Final Four.

Record-setting Real Madrid’s march to Berlin 

After setting a regular-season record with 27 victories, the winningest team in EuroLeague history heads to Berlin looking for the club’s 12th crown. And it knows it can lean on head coach Chus Mateo and veteran scorer Sergio Llull to lead the way. 

“We never retreat,” Mateo proudly said of his team while still on the court just after winning the championship last season in Kaunas, Lithuania. “When they problems came, we react.”  

Llull – one of four returnees from Los Blancos’s 2015 triumph – set the competition’s career record in three-pointers earlier this season and will add to his Final Four scoring mark with every basket he nets in Berlin. 

“I am really happy to get it,” Llull said the night in April when he became the all-time leader in three-pointers. “I am really proud. But the important thing is the team.”

With Mateo and Llull at the helm, Real Madrid fans have many reasons to look forward to the games in Berlin. 

After setting a regular-season record with 27 victories, the winningest team in EuroLeague history heads to Berlin looking for the club’s 12th crown. And it knows it can lean on head coach Chus Mateo and veteran scorer Sergio Llull to lead the way.

Record-setting Real Madrid’s road to Berlin

Real Madrid v Olympiacos Piraeus (2024-05-24T19:00:00.000Z)

Days before the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Final Four in Berlin, Germany, Real Madrid center Vincent Poirier sat down with Javier Gancedo of EuroLeague.net to talk about his basketball origins.

Vincent Poirier, Real: 'I signed here because I want to win'

[Vincent Poirier](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/vincent-poirier/004887/) is having a career-best season that is confirming his status as one of the best players in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague. He has averaged 8.9 points on 67.7% two-point shooting, 5.4 rebounds and a league-best 1.5 blocks for a PIR of 13.5 in less than 19 minutes on the floor. On per 40-minute basis, Poirier ranks fourth in PIR (29.4), second in blocks (3.3), seventh in rebounds (11.7) and sixth in two-point shots made (7.8).

His outstanding blocks - often denying dunk attempts, alley-oop dunks and blue-collar mentality have turned him into a Real fan favorite. Los Blancos fans always appreciate a player who matches the club's endless ambition.

"I signed here because I want to win. I want to win titles and live this emotion, because it's an emotion that you can have only when you win, and it's addictive," Poirier said. "We are a perfect fit because I wanted that and I know they can give me that. It was a great opportunity to come here and win trophies."

Asked about Real's chance to win back-to-back EuroLeague trophies for the first time since 1968, Poirier said he embraces the opportunity of making even greater history with Los Blancos.

"That's the goal, to leave my print on basketball. And if I can do that in Madrid, in 60 years they will say, yes, the last team that won back-to-back was with Vincent Poirier, 'Chacho' Rodriguez, Yabusele and all that. I will take it as well," he said.

Poirier also answered about his relationship with Walter Tavares. Together, Poirier and Tavares have dominated the competition over the last two seasons, combining for 3.1 blocks per night.

"Obviously, he is a huge player, maybe the one that makes the difference in Europe as a center. I really enjoy playing with him, sharing the court with him and being able to compete with each other, to make the team better" Poirier said. "I think we compete at the highest level together and that benefits the team, so that's great."

Perhaps no day is longer and more nerve-wracking for a basketball fan than the one leading up to the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Championship Game. For fans of both Real Madrid and Olympiacos Piraeus who were in Kaunas for the Final Four, the anticipation started as soon as they woke up and grew hour by hour to a fever pitch that persisted until the game’s final seconds. Follow Real fan David Manzano and an Olympiacos father and son duo, Theodoros and Georgios Cholevas, through the day as they helped supply the unique atmosphere surrounding the season’s crowning moment and tried to push their teams to the ultimate glory.

How fans from both sides lived Championship Gameday in Kaunas

Perhaps no day is longer and more nerve-wracking for a basketball fan than the one leading up to the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Championship Game. For fans of both Real Madrid and Olympiacos Piraeus who were in Kaunas for the Final Four, the anticipation started as soon as they woke up and grew hour by hour to a fever pitch that persisted until the game’s final seconds. Follow Real fan David Manzano and an Olympiacos-supporting father and son duo, Theodoros and Georgios Cholevas, through the day as they helped supply the unique atmosphere surrounding the season’s crowning moment and tried to push their teams to the ultimate glory.