Kostas Antetokounmpo had an important presence defensively as Panathinaikos BC went on to win the EuroLeague championship.

Tribute to the Champs: Kostas Antetokounmpo

[Kostas Antetokounmpo](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/kostas-antetokounmpo/011221/) is a distinguished member of a well-known basketball family. His brother Giannis is a global superstar, having become a two-time NBA MVP and an NBA champion with the Milwaukee Bucks. Thanasis Antetekounmpo also won the NBA crown with Milwaukee and played for Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens in the past. There is a fourth Antetokounmpo brother, Alex, that also plays professional basketball.

Kostas started his career with local Athens squad Filathlitikos and went on to play high school and college basketball in the United States. He played for the Dallas Mavericks and Los Angeles Lakers, which he helped win the NBA title in 2020, in addition to the Texas Legends, South Bay Lakers and Windy City Bulls in the G League. In Europe, Kostas suited up for LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne and Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul before heading to Panathinaikos last summer. Greens head coach Ergin Ataman recruited him to become a defensive pillar, and Antetokounmpo definitely delivered.

Kostas Antetokounmpo led the 2023-24 Turiish Airlimes EuroLeague in blocks per 40 minutes (3.9) and helped Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens win the title!

Kostas Antetokounmpo's block party

Antetokounmpo led the 2023-24 EuroLeague in blocks per 40 minutes (3.9). His outstanding defense kept him in the rotation, as Antetokounmpo saw playing time in the entire playoffs and then the Final Four. He provided a top-class Final Four highlight, too, swatting Scottie Wilbekin's shot out of bounds in the semifinal against Fenerbahce. His brother Giannis was courtside throughout the Final Four, capturing every moment with his cell phone and celebrating with Kostas at the end of the game. As both Giannis and Kostas said, the job was done. Panathinaikos won the title, and Kostas Antetokounmpo can call himself a EuroLeague champion!

Tribute to the Champs

Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens big man Kostas Antetokounmpo poses with the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague trophy.

The Greek big man stepped up at various points in the campaign, particularly in the postseason

LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne announced that it has signed combo-guard Shaq Harrison for the 2024-25 season. 

ASVEL adds defensive ace Shaq Harrison

LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne announced that it has signed combo-guard Shaq Harrison for the 2024-25 season. Harrison (1.93 meters, 30 years old) is a veteran of seven NBA seasons. Last season he appeared in three games for the Memphis Grizzlies and 34 games for the South Bay Lakers in the G-League. He averaged 15.1 points, 5.7 rebounds, 6.3 assists and 2.9 steals for South Bay and was chosen as the G-League Defensive Player of the Year for the second time in three years.

<center><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="fr" dir="ltr">Welcome Mister Shaquille Harrison ! 🫡<br><br>Poste 1-2 américain (1m93, 30 ans) formé à l’université de Tulsa et passé par plusieurs franchises NBA, Shaquille Harrison rejoint LDLC ASVEL pour la saison prochaine ! <br><br>Élu deux fois défenseur de l’année en G-League, Shaq amènera son… <a href="https://t.co/Mm04mqJv3p">pic.twitter.com/Mm04mqJv3p</a></p>&mdash; LDLC ASVEL (@LDLCASVEL) <a href="https://twitter.com/LDLCASVEL/status/1808130882592543174?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 2, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

After a standout college career at the University of Tulsa, Harrison spent time in the NBA with the Phoenix Suns, Chicago Bulls, Utah Jazz, Denver Nuggets, Brooklyn Nets, Portland Trail Blazers and the Grizzlies. He also played for the Northern Arizona Suns, Delaware Blue Coats and South Bay in the G-League.

Harrison was a member of the G-League’s All-Defense Team in each of the last three seasons and won his first Defensive Player of the Year in 2021-22. He led the G-League in steals in each of the past two seasons and is 11th in G-League history with 343 steals.

More news from ASVEL

He is a two-time G-League Defensive Player of the Year

Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv bolstered its frontcourt with the signing of forward Jaylen Hoard on a multi-year contract. 

Maccabi lands explosive big man Jaylen Hoard

Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv bolstered its frontcourt with the signing of forward [Jaylen Hoard](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/jaylen-hoard/006835/) on a two-year contract. Hoard (2.04 meters, 25 years old) arrives from crosstown rival Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv, where he spent the last two seasons. He comes off a monster season in which he was sixth in the EuroCup in scoring with 16.1 points per game and eighth in PIR with 18.8. He also produced 5.1 rebounds, 0.9 steals and 0.6 blocks in his 14 appearances.

<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="iw" dir="rtl">ברוך הבא למכבי, ג&#39;יילן הורד!<br>כל הפרטים &gt; <a href="https://t.co/J5it9Iq1Rg">https://t.co/J5it9Iq1Rg</a> <a href="https://t.co/okVbeGwYxr">pic.twitter.com/okVbeGwYxr</a></p>&mdash; Maccabi Tel Aviv BC 🇮🇱​ (@MaccabiTLVBC) <a href="https://twitter.com/MaccabiTLVBC/status/1808078499451674926?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 2, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>


“We are delighted to add Jaylen Hoard to our team," head coach Oded Kattash told Maccabi’s official website. “He is a versatile player who made big progress in the Israeli league and the EuroCup. He will fit in with the team that we are building and will help us achieve our goals in the league and in Europe.”

"I am very honored to join the EuroLeague with Maccabi Tel Aviv, a club with a rich history and remarkable accomplishments," said Hoard. “I want to thank the entire organization for making this possible. I will continue to work hard to perform at the highest level and contribute to the team's success. See you all soon!"

5 high-flying plays by Jaylen Hoard from 2023-24

A native of France, Hoard spent one year playing college basketball in the United States for Wake Forest University. After going undrafted in the 2019 NBA Draft, he played for the Portland Trail Blazers in the NBA and Texas in the G League.

Hoard then signed with the Oklahoma City Thunder in December 2020, where he spent the next season and a half. Hoard averaged 14.7 points, 12.0 rebounds and 2.4 assists for the Thunder in seven games during the 2021-22 campaign, after which he signed for Hapoel.

More Maccabi Tel Aviv news

The French forward arrives from rival Hapoel Tel Aviv

Mario Hezonja has brought an end to the speculation regarding his future by signing a new contract extension at Real Madrid.

Mario Hezonja renews at Real Madrid

Real Madrid has brought an end to the speculation regarding the future of [Mario Hezonja](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/mario-hezonja/003108/) by getting the forward to sign a new contract that will keep him in the Spanish capital for five more seasons. 

Hezonja (2.06 meters, 29 years old) was going to be out of contract this summer and had attracted a lot of interest, but he will now remain with *Los Blancos*.

<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="es" dir="ltr">Comunicado Oficial: Hezonja<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RMBaloncesto?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RMBaloncesto</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Hezonja2029?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Hezonja2029</a></p>&mdash; Real Madrid Basket (@RMBaloncesto) <a href="https://twitter.com/RMBaloncesto/status/1808065068682121325?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 2, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

After winning a Turkish Airlines EuroLeague title with Real in 2022-23, Hezonja averaged 13.5 points, 4.6 rebounds, 1.0 steal and a 13.3 PIR in 38 games in 2023-24 as his squad reached the championship game.

Since joining Real in the summer of 2022, Hezonja has been a key cog in a hugely successful period for the club under head coach Chus Mateo. Real went 23-11 in the 2022-23 regular season, then beat Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade 3-2 in the playoffs, downed FC Barcelona in the semifinals and defeated Olympiacos Piraeus in the title decider.

Last season, Real set a new EuroLeague record with 27 regular-season wins, going 27-7, before sweeping Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz in the playoffs and eliminating Olympiacos in the semifinals. However, Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens came out on top against Real in the championship game.

During the 2023-24 campaign, Hezonja earned MVP of the Month honors for December 2023 and was also selected to the All-EuroLeague Second Team.

The best plays of new FC Barcelona signing Mario Hezonja while playing for Real Madrid in the 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season.

Hezonja's top plays in 2023-24

Having started his professional career with Barcelona, Hezonja was selected with the No. 5 pick in the 2015 NBA Draft by the Orlando Magic. He then stayed with Orlando for the next three years before spending the 2018-19 season with the New York Knicks and the 2019-20 campaign with the Portland Trail Blazers.

He started the 2020-21 season with Portland but was cut in December 2020, which allowed Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens to sign Hezonja in February 2021. There, the Croat reminded everyone of his quality, even if his spell in Athens was short. In the summer of 2021, Hezonja signed for UNICS Kazan and remained there for the 2021-22 season, before heading to Real Madrid.

Now, he will continue to build his legacy with *Los Blancos*, having established himself as one of the EuroLeague's leading players over the last few years.

More Real Madrid News

Mario Hezonja in action for Real Madrid at the 2024 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Final Four.

The Croatian forward put pen to paper on a new deal that will keep him with 'Los Blancos' for the next 5 seasons

Konstantinos Mitoglou’s first season of his second stint with Panathinaikos BC was a year he will never forget. And he shared what it meant to him with Joe Arlauckas on the championship edition of The Crossover.

Konstantinos Mitoglou speaks in championship edition of The Crossover

[Konstantinos Mitoglou](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/konstantinos-mitoglou/007866/)’s first season of his second stint with Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens was a year he will never forget. From the confidence coach Ergin Ataman boasted in their first practice together to the three-pointer he sank to help seal the championship game victory over Real Madrid, it was a wild ride for Mitoglou with the Greens. And he shared what it meant to him with Joe Arlauckas on the championship edition of The Crossover.

After some small talk where they chat about Mitoglou’s college teammate Codi Miller-McIntyre and the host and guest's connection to Aris Thessaloniki, Arlauckas asks Mitoglou about his famous family. With a father and brother who played professional football, how did Konstantinos wind up in basketball?

Aside from his height, Mitoglou relayed the following story:

(7:40) “When I was 11-12 years old, we had a tournament in the Netherlands and we played Ajax. And you know, Ajax the 11-12 years old were very big, strong, fast, especially compared to Greek kids,” Mitoglou shared. “And Coach benched me. And we came back and I said, ‘Dad, I’m not playing football again.’ And he said, ‘Why? I will make you a goalkeeper. I will make you a football player. We’ll find something else.’  I said I’m done with football. I don’t want to play football anymore. And that’s how I started playing basketball.”

Basketball has worked out pretty nicely for Mitoglou. He came through the Aris system to reach their first team and became a regular on the Greek junior national teams. At age 18, he traveled overseas to play college basketball at Wake Forest University. Upon his return, both of the giants of Greek basketball, Panathinaikos and Olympiacos, were interested in his services. Mitoglou chose green.

His first stint in Athens went well as he helped the Greens to four Greek championships, two Greek cups and a host of individual honors. At age 25, he was recruited to play for Ettore Messina at EA7 Emporio Armani Milan. Last summer, Mitoglou returned to Greece for a second time and this time with a new head coach in charge, Ergin Ataman. And the standards were set high from Day 1.

(20:50) “From the first time, the first day, in the preseason, in the preparation. We were gathering altogether. Half the team was with their national teams,” Mitoglou recalled. “Coach gathers us all around and says, ‘Listen, we are not here to play. We are here to win EuroLeague and the championship. I am not here to play games and we will win.’”

Ataman’s leadership and a star-studded roster saw Panathinaikos overcome a rough start to the regular season to finish second in the standings. After overcoming a stiff challenge from Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv in the playoffs and overcoming Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul in the semifinals, the Greens allowed 36 points and fell behind early in the championship game against Real Madrid.

(33:45) “We went into the game with specific tactics, how were we going to defend, how we were going to make the offense. And what did we do? Exactly the opposite happened!” Mitoglou said. “So Coach needed to adjust the game. He did amazing. He made the right subs. They went in. We changed the whole game.  Especially the second half is something I will never forget.”

Mitoglou will go down in history as the man who made the decisive shot in that game, a three-pointer that made it 76-86 with 2:29 remaining, which Arlauckas called “The Dagger.”

(38:40) “When I took the ball and I faked (the pass), as you said very correctly, you have 3-4 seconds before you shoot it, look good at the rim for 1-2 seconds. And then after I made it, everything went black,” Mitoglou said.

With a one-hour format of exclusive one-on-one interviews, The Crossover with Joe Arlauckas goes well beyond the playing court with each podcast to delve into the life experiences that have made his guests protagonists and legends of the EuroLeague. The Crossover debuted in 2018 and has featured such current stars as [Mike James](https://eur04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.euroleaguebasketball.net%2Feuroleague%2Fnews%2Fmike-james-opens-up-at-the-crossover&data=05%7C02%7Cgeoff.gillingham%40euroleague.net%7C2d2ed8a242a6470c8fd208dc9797fed2%7C2b3d64f0329542979f1528435f0a62ce%7C1%7C0%7C638551926294496687%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=FN4mwCAbjn0eulCH7ZmlzhSlIu6hXhH9YXohhNHl3XE%3D&reserved=0), [Lorenzo Brown](https://eur04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.euroleaguebasketball.net%2Feuroleague%2Fnews%2Florenzo-brown-hops-aboard-the-crossover&data=05%7C02%7Cgeoff.gillingham%40euroleague.net%7C2d2ed8a242a6470c8fd208dc9797fed2%7C2b3d64f0329542979f1528435f0a62ce%7C1%7C0%7C638551926294503637%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=%2FJ4ZxrX7IxtSRS6rsMQvfEGHbpuVLZVCCwV0CDbbNGY%3D&reserved=0) and [Mario Hezonja](https://eur04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.euroleaguebasketball.net%2Feuroleague%2Fnews%2Fmario-hezonja-stops-by-the-crossover&data=05%7C02%7Cgeoff.gillingham%40euroleague.net%7C2d2ed8a242a6470c8fd208dc9797fed2%7C2b3d64f0329542979f1528435f0a62ce%7C1%7C0%7C638551926294509695%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=%2FOGQKKC8aoCmhKvT%2Bdc7hRfzuLNNjbGCuq4nxPuz%2F0g%3D&reserved=0); coaching greats such as [Georgios Bartzokas](https://eur04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.euroleaguebasketball.net%2Feuroleague%2Fnews%2Fhear-from-coach-bartzokas-on-the-crossover&data=05%7C02%7Cgeoff.gillingham%40euroleague.net%7C2d2ed8a242a6470c8fd208dc9797fed2%7C2b3d64f0329542979f1528435f0a62ce%7C1%7C0%7C638551926294515741%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=6FnbG2r4jILYn4gU39sXpYOJoP7DJtJqNBPTrToPYwo%3D&reserved=0), [Dimitris Itoudis](https://eur04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.euroleaguebasketball.net%2Feuroleague%2Fnews%2Fthe-crossover-opens-its-season-with-dimitris-itoudis&data=05%7C02%7Cgeoff.gillingham%40euroleague.net%7C2d2ed8a242a6470c8fd208dc9797fed2%7C2b3d64f0329542979f1528435f0a62ce%7C1%7C0%7C638551926294521858%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=EfX1rkKQffiCPh3bM0Y%2F70uiGbJhIuX5ghpWmuCK%2FM8%3D&reserved=0), and Zeljko Obradovic, and legends like Theo Papaloukas, Nikola Vujcic and [Mike Batiste](https://eur04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.euroleaguebasketball.net%2Feuroleague%2Fnews%2Fpanathinaikos-legend-mike-batiste-visits-the-crossover&data=05%7C02%7Cgeoff.gillingham%40euroleague.net%7C2d2ed8a242a6470c8fd208dc9797fed2%7C2b3d64f0329542979f1528435f0a62ce%7C1%7C0%7C638551926294527769%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=jDmNnNhY3PgrJvi0hhHmLVl2WM4wQsA5jv7iQ9DUlD8%3D&reserved=0), among others. Mitoglou is the final guest of the season that previously featured [Nigel Hayes-Davis](https://eur04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.euroleaguebasketball.net%2Feuroleague%2Fnews%2Fseason-6-of-the-crossover-opens-with-nigel-hayes-davis&data=05%7C02%7Cgeoff.gillingham%40euroleague.net%7C2d2ed8a242a6470c8fd208dc9797fed2%7C2b3d64f0329542979f1528435f0a62ce%7C1%7C0%7C638551926294534609%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=95EQJvPFamcOeLwd0gxbFXLyWIcckBeK8TpXumVOpZ8%3D&reserved=0), [Kemba Walker](https://eur04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.euroleaguebasketball.net%2Feuroleague%2Fnews%2Fkemba-walker-visits-the-crossover&data=05%7C02%7Cgeoff.gillingham%40euroleague.net%7C2d2ed8a242a6470c8fd208dc9797fed2%7C2b3d64f0329542979f1528435f0a62ce%7C1%7C0%7C638551926294540476%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=zCrYVE9MW1OOSgL1XS15Xpq%2FvGLqWuJJA4JIk0x6zhw%3D&reserved=0), [James Nunnally](https://eur04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.euroleaguebasketball.net%2Feuroleague%2Fnews%2Fjames-nunnally-opens-up-at-the-crossover&data=05%7C02%7Cgeoff.gillingham%40euroleague.net%7C2d2ed8a242a6470c8fd208dc9797fed2%7C2b3d64f0329542979f1528435f0a62ce%7C1%7C0%7C638551926294546250%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=qcCGhO9Iqg0E3S1v8TJwIY0p3%2FGlUj7BEtaCGEex8wQ%3D&reserved=0), [Chima Moneke](https://eur04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.euroleaguebasketball.net%2Fen%2Feuroleague%2Fnews%2Fchima-moneke-joins-the-crossover&data=05%7C02%7Cgeoff.gillingham%40euroleague.net%7C2d2ed8a242a6470c8fd208dc9797fed2%7C2b3d64f0329542979f1528435f0a62ce%7C1%7C0%7C638551926294552010%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=gixymSqGOiuwbai%2FEZM5utH4f6mOdL9bPM4LYM0H8TE%3D&reserved=0) and [Serge Ibaka](https://eur04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.euroleaguebasketball.net%2Fen%2Feuroleague%2Fnews%2Fserge-ibaka-visits-the-crossover&data=05%7C02%7Cgeoff.gillingham%40euroleague.net%7C2d2ed8a242a6470c8fd208dc9797fed2%7C2b3d64f0329542979f1528435f0a62ce%7C1%7C0%7C638551926294557728%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=zHCjqzWapQjbX8%2BBUixpO5NWguDHMkWGpuBQOFXYLAU%3D&reserved=0).

The Crossover with Joe Arlauckas is available on [YouTube](https://eur04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3D2rYpAbSLlCc&data=05%7C02%7Cgeoff.gillingham%40euroleague.net%7C2d2ed8a242a6470c8fd208dc9797fed2%7C2b3d64f0329542979f1528435f0a62ce%7C1%7C0%7C638551926294563463%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=5xYL4njUmVUyJidb1eZUzzp8ktI0LMoTUEMK43888EI%3D&reserved=0), [iTunes](https://eur04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fpodcasts.apple.com%2Fus%2Fpodcast%2Fthe-crossover-with-joe-arlauckas%2Fid1440034922&data=05%7C02%7Cgeoff.gillingham%40euroleague.net%7C2d2ed8a242a6470c8fd208dc9797fed2%7C2b3d64f0329542979f1528435f0a62ce%7C1%7C0%7C638551926294569093%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=NLuHGiEMolDZm6KwT02sIgRwUOT6tG84AK17qcM7YBw%3D&reserved=0), 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[Deezer](https://eur04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.deezer.com%2Ffr%2Fshow%2F65962&data=05%7C02%7Cgeoff.gillingham%40euroleague.net%7C2d2ed8a242a6470c8fd208dc9797fed2%7C2b3d64f0329542979f1528435f0a62ce%7C1%7C0%7C638551926294586490%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=c0VVdEYzxiTQpEoD%2FJ8B%2Bgrs8HumUevUmwvqev6uOTo%3D&reserved=0), [RadioPublic](https://eur04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fradiopublic.com%2Fthe-crossover-with-joe-arlauckas-6NkdjJ&data=05%7C02%7Cgeoff.gillingham%40euroleague.net%7C2d2ed8a242a6470c8fd208dc9797fed2%7C2b3d64f0329542979f1528435f0a62ce%7C1%7C0%7C638551926294592163%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=BwcGJSDlHSts0H4%2FIpzowAiG9GUZwzyCTbEqW%2FTflzE%3D&reserved=0), [Google Podcasts](https://eur04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fpodcasts.google.com%2Ffeed%2FaHR0cHM6Ly9hdWRpb2Jvb20uY29tL2NoYW5uZWxzLzQ4ODM3OTkucnNz%3Fsa%3DX%26ved%3D0CAMQ4aUDahcKEwiYzr_b78XtAhUAAAAAHQAAAAAQAQ&data=05%7C02%7Cgeoff.gillingham%40euroleague.net%7C2d2ed8a242a6470c8fd208dc9797fed2%7C2b3d64f0329542979f1528435f0a62ce%7C1%7C0%7C638551926294597926%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=LAgWah3cln1JGOg8UkrajnpqppqJWPXVECsVM66MQiE%3D&reserved=0), [TuneIn](https://eur04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Ftunein.com%2Fpodcasts%2FSports--Recreation-Podcasts%2FThe-Crossover-with-Joe-Arlauckas-p1174586&data=05%7C02%7Cgeoff.gillingham%40euroleague.net%7C2d2ed8a242a6470c8fd208dc9797fed2%7C2b3d64f0329542979f1528435f0a62ce%7C1%7C0%7C638551926294603908%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=gByHDKNaP6MVqIT5Adb5EAYnjsoMDaTuztIPRvjzgRA%3D&reserved=0), [Stitcher](https://eur04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.stitcher.com%2Fshow%2Fthe-crossover-with-joe-arlauckas&data=05%7C02%7Cgeoff.gillingham%40euroleague.net%7C2d2ed8a242a6470c8fd208dc9797fed2%7C2b3d64f0329542979f1528435f0a62ce%7C1%7C0%7C638551926294609706%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=eAkIo8K4oj3zJNgW7RDYiJsv7bSS%2BYIQjOrjcrOjPWQ%3D&reserved=0), [CastBox](https://eur04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcastbox.fm%2Fchannel%2FThe-Crossover-with-Joe-Arlauckas-id1467328%3Fcountry%3Dgb&data=05%7C02%7Cgeoff.gillingham%40euroleague.net%7C2d2ed8a242a6470c8fd208dc9797fed2%7C2b3d64f0329542979f1528435f0a62ce%7C1%7C0%7C638551926294616669%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=zNdLpEfeiFkHn937pgNzQ%2BDyBon0SBEN3zPhBFFuiJw%3D&reserved=0), [iVoox](https://eur04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ivoox.com%2Fpodcast-the-crossover-with-joe-arlauckas_sq_f1629856_1.html&data=05%7C02%7Cgeoff.gillingham%40euroleague.net%7C2d2ed8a242a6470c8fd208dc9797fed2%7C2b3d64f0329542979f1528435f0a62ce%7C1%7C0%7C638551926294623475%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=Zz9pQZi0R9eHBm3zU%2FsH50beKzReqD5nnQPw%2FQCWF8U%3D&reserved=0) and other platforms.

The author of “The Dagger” three-point shot that clinched Panathinaikos’s championship game victory talks about his childhood and the race to the crown this season under Coach Ataman

Zalgiris Kaunas announced the signing of point guard Sylvain Francisco, who comes off a breakout season as FC Bayern Munich’s sixth man. 

Zalgiris signs deal with scorer Sylvain Francisco

Zalgiris Kaunas announced the signing of point guard [Sylvain Francisco](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/sylvain-francisco/profile/007975/) on a one-plus-one-year deal. The Frenchman is coming off a breakout season as FC Bayern Munich’s sixth man. 

<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Please welcome, #3 Sylvain Francisco! ✍️ <a href="https://t.co/FkWVnqJyhl">pic.twitter.com/FkWVnqJyhl</a></p>&mdash; BC Zalgiris Kaunas (@bczalgiris) <a href="https://twitter.com/bczalgiris/status/1807769021149798786?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 1, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Francisco (1.85 meters, 26 years old) averaged 10.6 points and 3.2 assists over 19:17 minutes in 33 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague games in 2023-24. He raised those numbers to 11.7 points, 3.3 assists and 1.1 steals in the German League. Francisco helped Bayern win the German League and Cup double – and was the MVP of the cup final.

Best of Sylvain Francisco: 2023-24

Francisco began his career with Metropolitans 92 in his native France, and made his EuroCup debut with the team in the 2017-18 season. He has also played for Paris Basketball and Chorale Roanne in France, for Manresa in Spain and for Peristeri in Greece. Francisco is a member of the French national team, which he represented most recently at the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup.

More Zalgiris News

New Zalgiris Kaunas signing Sylvain Francisco in action for FC Bayern Munich in the 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season.

The France international made his EuroLeague debut last season

Zalgiris pens deal with scorer Sylvain Francisco

One would be hard-pressed to find a player who has done more in fewer minutes for his team than what Panagiotis Kalaitzakis did for Panathinaikos BC on the way to becoming the 2023-24 EuroLeague champion. 

Tribute to the Champs: Panagiotis Kalaitzakis

One would be hard-pressed to find a player who has done more in fewer minutes for his team than what [Panagiotis Kalaitzakis](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/panagiotis-kalaitzakis/011209/) did for Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens on the way to becoming the 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague champion.

Kalaitzakis played 178 minutes this season, which came in just under 6 minutes per game, but his contributions in his role – especially in some of the season's biggest moments – were key in Panathinaikos ending up with the trophy.

Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens guard Panagiotis Kalaitzakis had an important role as the Greens became the 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague champion.

During the playoffs, the Panathinaikos guard had several big plays at the end of a road win in a do-or-die Game 4 against Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv. He then followed that up with 13 minutes of action in Game 5, in which he had 2 points and 2 steals and kept making defensive pressure on the perimeter. He continued finding ways to help the team in Berlin, too.

Kalaitzakis might have hit just 5 three-pointers this entire season, but one came in one of the crucial moments at the Final Four: a catch-and-shoot triple with 50 seconds left in the third quarter in the semifinals against Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul. It came as a part of a 9-0 run, just like his two free throws after 54 seconds of play in the fourth quarter, which the Greens used to pull away to a double-digit margin.

In addition to those 5 points, Kalaitzakis also had 4 rebounds, 2 drawn fouls, and was one of five Panathinaikos players who recorded a double-digit PIR, finishing with 11. The 25-year-old played almost 6 minutes in the fourth quarter of the semifinals, and more than 6 minutes in the championship game, the majority of it late in the third and early in the fourth quarter. With the trophy on the line, the Greens' defense held Real Madrid to just 26 second-half points, including [a club record-low 7 points in the third quarter](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/final-four-records-tumbled-in-a-tale-of-two-halves/).

It all helped Panathinaikos win its seventh continental title and made Kalaitzakis a worthy EuroLeague champion.

Panagiotis Kalaitzakis poses with the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague trophy after winning it all with Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens in the 2023-24 season.

The Greek guard had an important role for the Greens in 2023-24

Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul has signed veteran guard Erten Gazi, the club announced on Monday. 

Fenerbahce grabs guard Erten Gazi 

Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul has signed veteran guard [Erten Gazi](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/erten-gazi/010516/), the club announced on Monday. Gazi has spent the last four seasons with archrival Anadolu Efes Istanbul and has two Turkish Airlines EuroLeague championships to show for it. He has taken part in 44 EuroLeague games in that time, scored 38 points and dished 15 assists. Last season he also averaged 8.3 points per game in the Turkish League.

<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="tr" dir="ltr">Erten Gazi Fenerbahçe Beko&#39;da! ✍️💛💙<br><br>👉 <a href="https://t.co/1eJe42MqzV">https://t.co/1eJe42MqzV</a> <a href="https://t.co/YJNpwD3FPU">pic.twitter.com/YJNpwD3FPU</a></p>&mdash; Fenerbahçe Beko (@FBBasketbol) <a href="https://twitter.com/FBBasketbol/status/1807706171039473807?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 1, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>


Born in Cyprus, Gazi joined Efes as a teenager and played for its development squad, Pertevniyal Istanbul. He later played college basketball at De Paul University and Fordham University in the United States, before returning to Efes in 2020. In additional to his EuroLeague rings, Gazi helped Efes win the Turkish League twice and the Turkish Cup once. He has also been a member of Türkiye’s national team and helped the Turkish U20 squad get a silver medal at the 2015 European Championship.

Best of Erten Gazi: 2020-2024

More Fenerbahce news

The guard has spent the last four seasons with archrival Anadolu Efes

Tyler Dorsey has returned to Olympiacos BC by joining the club on a two-year deal.

Olympiacos and Tyler Dorsey reunite

Olympiacos Piraeus and [Tyler Dorsey](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/tyler-dorsey/009849/) are together again after the sides penned a three deal on Sunday.

Dorsey (1.96 meters, 28 years old) arrives from Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul, where he spent the last season and a half. In the first of those campaigns, his Fener team lost to Olympiacos in the EuroLeague Playoffs and last season they both reached the EuroLeague Final Four and squared off in the third-place game.

Dorsey averaged 8.7 points on 45.4% three-point shooting and 1.2 assists over 38 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague games last year. He also helped Fenerbahce win the Turkish League and Cup double.

<center><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="el" dir="ltr">💻✍️🏾 Η ΚΑΕ Ολυμπιακός ανακοινώνει την απόκτηση του <a href="https://twitter.com/TDORSEY_1?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TDORSEY_1</a> . <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/OlympiacosBC?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#OlympiacosBC</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WeAreOlympiacos?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WeAreOlympiacos</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TogetherWeFight?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TogetherWeFight</a><a href="https://t.co/2ogXmYpyZy">https://t.co/2ogXmYpyZy</a></p>&mdash; Olympiacos B.C. (@Olympiacos_BC) <a href="https://twitter.com/Olympiacos_BC/status/1807463193717153997?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 30, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

A member of the Greek national team due to his mother’s family, Dorsey grew up in the United States and played college basketball at the University of Oregon. He was drafted with the 41st overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft and began his professional career in the NBA with the Atlanta Hawks and also played for the club’s G League affiliate, the Erie BayHawks. Dorsey also played for the Memphis Grizzlies in the NBA and the Memphis Hustle in the G League.

Tyler Dorsey makes it rain

His first time playing for a club in Europe came when he joined Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv, where he played the 2019-20 and 2020-21 seasons. Dorsey helped Maccabi win a pair of Israeli League crowns in that time. He moved to Olympiacos the following season and helped the Reds to the Greek League and Cup double. Dorsey returned to the NBA with the Dallas Mavericks in 2022. After a stint there and with Dallas’s G League affiliate, the Texas Legends, Dorsey signed with Fenerbahce.

Dorsey enters his sixth EuroLeague season ranked 51st on the competition’s all-time charts with 265 three-pointers made.

More Olympiacos News

Tyler Dorsey in action for Olympiacos Piraeus during his first spell at the club.

Dorsey helped the Reds reach the 2022 Final Four in his lone season there