ALBA Berlin has confirmed the signing of Will McDowell-White, who has joined from the New Zealand Breakers in the NBL.

Will McDowell-White joins ALBA Berlin

ALBA Berlin has announced the signing of [Will McDowell-White](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/william-mcdowell-white/008062/) on a two-year deal.

McDowell-White (1.96 meters, 26 years old) joins the German club from the New Zealand Breakers in the NBL, where he averaged 9.2 points, 3.2 rebounds and 4.3 assists in 24 games last season.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="de" dir="ltr">Welcome to ALBA, Will! 💛💙<br><br>Vertrag ab der kommenden Spielzeit: Der 26-jährige Point Guard Will McDowell-White hat für zwei Saisons bei uns unterschrieben. Zuletzt war der australische Nationalspieler für die <a href="https://twitter.com/NZBreakers?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NZBreakers</a> in der NBL aktiv. <a href="https://t.co/FG7zjKnooy">pic.twitter.com/FG7zjKnooy</a></p>&mdash; ALBA BERLIN (@albaberlin) <a href="https://twitter.com/albaberlin/status/1790700293912453516?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 15, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

The Australian guard returns to Europe after previously playing for Brose Bamberg (2017-19), although he did spend the large bulk of the 2017-18 season on loan at second division side Baunach. He played two games in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague for Bamberg in 2017-18, scoring a total of 3 points in an average of 2:19 minutes on the floor.

McDowell-White started his career with the Brisbane Spartans in his native Australia before heading to the Sydney Kings for the 2016-17 campaign. After his two years in Germany, he spent time with the Rio Grande Valley Vipers in the G League, then returned to Australia in 2021 to sign for the Breakers. 

Now, at 26 and with more experience under his belt, McDowell-White returns to Germany, looking to leave his mark on the EuroLeague.

More ALBA News

New ALBA Berlin signing Will McDowell-White in action for the New Zealand Breakers in the NBL.

He has penned a two-year deal at the club

Will McDowell-White joins ALBA

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 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Final Four arrived to the German capital for the first time in 2009. It didn't disappoint anyone, on or off the court, elevating the Final Four standards to new heights. Here's what happened when the best weekend in world basketball landed in Berlin for the first time!

### The games: Down to the wire!

CSKA Moscow, Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens, Olympiacos Piraeus and FC Barcelona all made it to the Final Four. Panathinaikos and Olympiacos went against each other in one of the semifinals, bringing one of the greatest rivalries in sport to the biggest city in Germany. Their 2009 semifinal thriller remains the last showdown between the Greek powerhouses at a Final Four. The game went down to the final shot, missed by Ioannis Bourousis, allowing [Panathinaikos to edge Olympiacos 82-84](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/game-center/2008-09/olympiacos-piraeus-panathinaikos-athens/E2008/185/) behind 20 points from Nikola Pekovic. [CSKA outlasted Barca 78-82](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/game-center/2008-09/regal-fc-barcelona-cska-moscow/E2008/186/) in the other semifinal. Ramunas Siskauskas was the hero after scoring 18 of his career-high 29 points in the fourth quarter – including all the points in a 0-11 run that gave CSKA its first lead. The championship game was just as dramatic. [Panathinaikos beat CSKA 73-71](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/game-center/2008-09/panathinaikos-athens-cska-moscow/E2008/188/) but only after Siskauskas's potential game-winning shot attempt went in and out at the buzzer. CSKA rallied from a 23-point deficit but came up short. Vassilis Spanoulis of Panathinaikos had 13 points and was chosen as the 2009 Final Four MVP. The margins of victory in the semifinals and championship game added up to 8 points, making it the most competitive Final Four in do-or-die games until then. Top-class basketball quality, close games and outstanding players stepping up were what the 2009 Final Four was all about.

### Incredible atmosphere

There were concerns about Panathinaikos and Olympiacos fans being in the same building as their teams fought for a spot in the championship game. The semifinals turned out to be a basketball party that both teams helped ensure with their passionate support. Players and coaches on all four teams said afterward that the special atmosphere created by the fans contributed to the high quality of the games. A similar atmosphere prevailed in the championship game between CSKA and Panathinaikos. The fans played big roles in a flawless night of exceptional basketball at the first Final Four in Berlin, turning it into a truly great event!

### Navarro crowned MVP

As always, a lot happened during the Final Four weekend. A ceremonial Saturday party on saw Juan Carlos Navarro of Barca crowned MVP, joining Terrell McIntyre of Montepaschi, Igor Rakocevic of Tau Ceramica, Nikola Pekovic of Panathinaikos and Ioannis Bourousis of Olympiacos on the All-Euroleague First Team. The court at Uber Arena was transformed into a concert stage for what was the most original Euroleague Official Awards Ceremony until then. In fact, Uber Arena also hosted the post-awards party. The arena scoreboard was lowered to the floor to form a massive stage backdrop. Three scoreboard panels showed an audience of 1,500 all the best plays and players of the season.

### Around the Final Four

The weather even cooperated as players took bike rides through the parks to relax and fans took in the sights, sounds and nightlife of Berlin. One side event was downright moving: the visit by almost a dozen Final Four players and local legends to the Children's Cancer Station at the local Virchow Hospital. Most of the young patients were chairbound and accompanied by at least one parent. They all were thankful for a boost in spirits, which the big visitors – at least two players from each of the Final Four teams, plus local legends like Patrick Femerling and the late Ademola Okulaja – were more than happy to provide during an hour-long visit full of gifts, handshakes, conversation, autographs and picture-taking.

### A junior tournament to remember

People still talk about what arguably is the best final ever in the Euroleague Basketball Adidas Next Generation Tournament. The 2009 ANGT Championship Game, played at Uber Arena on Sunday morning, featured FMP Belgrade and Lietuvos Rytas Vilnius. Both teams were undefeated before the championship game and displayed their best basketball. [FMP beat Rytas 123-110](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/ngt/game-center/2008-09/lietuvos-rytas-fmp/JT08/82/) – with no overtimes – in an unforgettable basketball show. Dejan Musli led the winners with 31 points, 17 rebounds, 3 blocks and a PIR of 46. Nenad Miljenovic, who was 16 years old at the time, barely missed a triple-double with 17 points, 8 rebounds and 10 assists. Mantas Kadzevicius led Rytas with 25 points while future EuroCup Rising Star center Jonas Valanciunas added 22, 13 rebounds and a PIR of 32.

 Memories of the 2009 Final Four in Berlin

The 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague has been home to some of the most outstanding basketball plays on the planet. EuroLeague fans spoke as they voted Moses Wright of Olympiacos Piraeus as the winner of the 2023-24 Magic Moment of the Season presented by Motorola.

Fans choose Wright's block as Magic Moment presented by Motorola for 2023-24

The 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague has been home to some of the most outstanding basketball plays on the planet. EuroLeague fans spoke as they voted Moses Wright of Olympiacos Piraeus as the winner of the 2023-24 Magic Moment of the Season presented by Motorola.

During Game 3 of the playoff series between Olympiacos and FC Barcelona, Tomas Satoransky of Barca fed Jan Vesely for what looked to be a clear dunk attempt. Wright had other ideas, sending the ball to the fourth row with a huge block. At that moment, Olympiacos led Barca 67-63 with less than 3 minutes left and the crowd at Peace and Friendship Stadium erupted in joy, feeding off Wright's outstanding energy and post-block reaction. It goes down as one of the best blocks ever in the EuroLeague Playoffs.

Wright easily secured the most votes from the fans with more than twice as many as the other four candidates combined. Jerian Grant of Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens's block of Jaleen Smith of Virtus Segafredo Bologna came in second place, followed by a huge put-back dunk by Codi Miller-McIntyre of Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz against Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul in third.

Wright, 25, is the eighth Magic Moment of the Season winner. Dante Exum of Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade was last season's winner with a sensational one-handed dunk in traffic. The other Magic Moment of the Season winners are Anthony Randolph, who won the award in its inaugural 2016-17 season; Jan Vesely, then of Fenerbahce, who is the only player to win it multiple times, having done so in 2017-18, 2018-19 and again in 2020-21; Deni Avdija with Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv in 2019-20, and Kostas Sloukas, then with Olympiacos, who claimed the award for 2021-22. 

The 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague has been home to some of the most outstanding basketball plays on the planet. Now, EuroLeague fans have spoked and voted Moses Wright of Olympiacos Piraeus as the winner of the 2023-24 Magic Moment of the Season.

Fans choose Wright's block as the Magic Moment of the 2023-24 season!

AS Monaco superstar Mike James did not know he was going to be named as the 2023-24 EuroLeague MVP until he walked right into the trophy before Tuesday's practice. Euroleague Basketball had the MVP Trophy brought to Monaco and planted a camera beside it to catch James’s reaction.

All of his Monaco teammates knew the plan and blocked the trophy as the unsuspecting James came onto the court. Instead of joining the team huddle, James was pushed right up to the trophy and thus learned that he had joined a list of EuroLeague stars as the competition’s latest MVP!

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Teammates and coach surprised the 2023-24 EuroLeague MVP with his award yesterday 👏💯<a href="
https://twitter.com/TheNatural_05?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TheNatural_05</a>
| <a href="
https://twitter.com/ASMonaco_Basket?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ASMonaco_Basket</a>
<a href="
https://t.co/bGfyd9LhRs">pic.twitter.com/bGfyd9LhRs</a></p>&mdash;
Turkish Airlines EuroLeague (@EuroLeague) <a href="
https://twitter.com/EuroLeague/status/1790686081060311474?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May
15, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="
https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"
charset="utf-8"></script>

Check out how Mike James learned he was named EuroLeague MVP

A pick-and-roll genius whose side-step three-pointers were copied around the world, Vassilis Spanoulis defined what it means to be a clutch player in the EuroLeague. 

Final Four club legend: Vassilis Spanoulis, Olympiacos

A pick-and-roll genius whose side-step three-pointers were copied around the world, Vassilis Spanoulis defined what it means to be a clutch player in the EuroLeague. His legacy was built on game-changing performances on the biggest stage, assisting Georgios Printezis for the shot of last decade to win the first 2012 EuroLeague title, the first for Olympiacos Piraeus in 15 years, and then blowing up the next season's championship game with 5 three-pointers among 22 second-half points to complete a 17-point comeback that made the Reds back-to-back champions. Spanoulis finished his career as the EuroLeague's all-time leading scorer, with 4,455 points, and remains the only player in the competition to have amassed more than 4,000 points and 1,500 assists. His abilities to shoot, create, draw fouls and close out games was unparalleled in the modern history of the European game.

The player who was synonymous with Panathinaikos green is both a club and EuroLeague legend.

 Final Four club legend: Dimitris Diamantidis, Panathinaikos 

Arguably, no player in Turkish Airlines EuroLeague history has contributed so much at both ends of the floor to his team's success as [Dimitris Diamantidis](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/dimitris-diamantidis/jko/) did for Panathinaikos Athens. He was able to lock down all sorts of opponents on defense but also make the difference on offense with his passing skills and clutch shots. Diamantidis won EuroLeague titles with Panathinaikos in 2007, 2009 and 2011, reaching two more Final Fours in 2005 and 2012. Diamantidis was the Best Defender Trophy's original winner, an award for which EuroLeague head coaches voted him the winner as many as six times. He was chosen as the 2007 Final Four MVP and did even better in 2011, when he became the only player to date to win the EuroLeague MVP, Final Four MVP and Best Defender awards in the same season. Diamantidis was chosen to the All-EuroLeague First Team four times and his #13 jersey now hangs, retired, at OAKA, scene of his greatest exploits.

Final Four club legend: Dimitris Diamantidis, Panathinaikos

No player had a bigger impact on the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague at so young an age as Luka Doncic for Real Madrid. 

Final Four club legend: Luka Doncic, Real Madrid

No player had a bigger impact on the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague at so young an age as Luka Doncic for Real Madrid. Doncic made his EuroLeague debut at age 16 and started his first Final Four game months after his 18th birthday, days after being voted the 2016-17 EuroLeague Rising Star. By the 2017-18 season, Doncic was ready to take over. He not only repeated as the competition's Rising Star but went on to win the EuroLeague MVP award and led Real to its 10th title, also earning 2018 Final Four MVP honors. His basketball IQ, one-on-one skills and overall talent was unprecedented for so young a player. Doncic joined Real at age 13 and has always supported Los Blancos since he left, not missing an important game in football or basketball. The 2017-18 campaign is often referred as the "Luka Doncic season", on in which a teenager took the competition by storm to become a global basketball icon!

Bogdan Bogdanovic helped take Fenerbahce Istanbul to the next level in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague. Before he joined the team in 2014, Fenerbahce had never made it to the Final Four. 

Final Four club legend: Bogdan Bogdanovic, Fenerbahce

Bogdan Bogdanovic helped take Fenerbahce Istanbul to the next level in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague. Before he joined the team in 2014, Fenerbahce had never made it to the Final Four. Three years later, Bogdanovic left the club holding the EuroLeague trophy and considered one of the risings stars in world basketball. Bogdanovic won his second EuroLeague Rising Star award in the 2014-15 campaign, his first season with Fenerbahce, in which he helped his team reach its first-ever Final Four. A year later, Bogdanovic took Fenerbahce to the EuroLeague Championship Game, losing against CSKA Moscow in overtime. Bogdanovic bounced back in style, excelling in a EuroLeague playoffs series against Panathinaikos, reaching the 2016-17 All-EuroLeague First Team and above all, helping Fenerbahce become the first Turkish team to win the EuroLeague title. "Bogi" remains a fan favorite for Fenerbahce fans everywhere!