Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade announced on Saturday that big man Luka Mitrovic has signed a new two-year contract with an option for one more. A Zvezda fan favorite, Mitrovic (2.06 meters, 30 years old) has played a total of seven seasons with the club, including the last two. His first stint with Zvezda was from 2012 to 2017. He has won more than a dozen domestic titles with the club, including four ABA League titles and five Serbian League championships.

Crvena Zvezda re-signs fan favorite Luka Mitrovic

Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade announced on Saturday that big man [Luka Mitrovic has ](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/luka-mitrovic/002553/)signed a new two-year contract with an option for one more. A Zvezda fan favorite, Mitrovic (2.06 meters, 30 years old) has played a total of seven seasons with the club, including the last two. His first stint with Zvezda was from 2012 to 2017. He has won more than a dozen domestic titles with the club, including four ABA League titles and five Serbian League championships.

Luka Mitrovic's top plays since 2021-22 season

Luka Mitrovic highlights in Crvena Zvezda uniform

Last season in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague, Mitrovic averaged 6.6 points, 3.9 rebounds and 1.6 assists in a mostly substitute role. The veteran power forward also averaged 9.2 points and 3.9 rebounds in the Adriatic League last season as Zvezda won the Serbian League and Cup double.

Of Mitrovic's seven EuroLeague seasons, six have come with Zvezda, and one with German side Bamberg, in the 2018-19 season. In that span, he has averaged 6.6 points, 3.9 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 141 career EuroLeague games. Mitrovic made his pro debut at Hemofarm Vrsac of Serbia in 2011. During his career he has also played with Murcia and Manresa of Spain, Hapoel Jerusalem of Israel and Buducnost VOLI Podgorica of Montenegro. Mitrovic has also been a member of the Serbian national team.

<center<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="und" dir="ltr">Krilni centar Crvene zvezde Meridianbet <a href="https://twitter.com/mitar_mitar9?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@mitar_mitar9</a> ostaje u svom klubu i naredne tri sezone! 🔴⚪️🙌🏼<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/kkcz?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#kkcz</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TogetherWeCan?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TogetherWeCan</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WeAreTheTeam?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WeAreTheTeam</a> <a href="https://t.co/a8LIINc67l">pic.twitter.com/a8LIINc67l</a></p>&mdash; KK Crvena zvezda Meridianbet (@kkcrvenazvezda) <a href="https://twitter.com/kkcrvenazvezda/status/1675199440208945152?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 1, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> >

Valencia Basket added physicality and versatility to its roster by signing forward Semi Ojeleye, the club announced. 

Valencia signs forward Semi Ojeleye

Valencia Basket added physicality and versatility to its roster by signing forward Semi Ojeleye, the club announced Saturday. Ojeleye (1.98 meters, 28 years old) is set to spend the next two years with Valencia. Ojeleye arrives from Virtus Segafredo Bologna, where he averaged 10.5 points on 46.1% three-point shooting and 3.8 rebounds in 24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague games last season. 

Ojeleye boosted his scoring average to 17.5 points in his two games against Valencia, including career-highs of 21 points and a PIR of 28 at La Fonteta. 

In this edition of the "one-word interview", Virtus Segafredo Bologna forward Semi Ojeleye takes specific words and explains what they mean to him. From ‘home’ to ‘mentality’ to ‘gratitude’, we find out what makes him tick both as a person and as a player.

 "The reason I started playing basketball is because of my brother," Ojeleye explains. "I remember many a night I’d run back into the house crying because he beat me again… The first time I beat him, it felt like I just beat Michael Jordan one on one."

 Only 28 years of age, Ojeleye is well-traveled despite this being his first season in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague, and he has come to appreciate the blessings the game of basketball has bestowed upon him.

 "I'm so grateful that this opportunity presented itself, that God put me here and that I'm on this team," he says. "Believe it or not, it's been one of the best experiences of my life."

Semi Ojeleye, Virtus: 'One of the best experiences of my life'

Ojeleye comes off his first season in European basketball. Before that, he played for five seasons in the NBA with the Boston Celtics, Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Clippers. Ojeleye helped Boston reach the conference finals in both 2018 and 2020. Before that, Ojeleye played college basketball at Duke and Southern Methodist University. He was the American Athletic Conference Player of the Year in 2017 when he led SMU to win the conference tournament. Last season, he helped Virtus reach the Italian League and the Italian Cup finals.

<center><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="es" dir="ltr">🧡 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SemiEsLaClave?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SemiEsLaClave</a><br><br>Cas 👉 <a href="https://twitter.com/semi?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Semi</a> Ojeleye, experiencia <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NBA</a> y <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroLeague?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@EuroLeague</a> para Valencia Basket<a href="https://t.co/zFs5TkmALQ">https://t.co/zFs5TkmALQ</a><br><br>Val 👉 Semi Ojeleye, experiència NBA i Eurolliga per a Valencia Basket<a href="https://t.co/Z5jJtawZrk">https://t.co/Z5jJtawZrk</a><br><br>Eng 👉 <a href="https://t.co/GBLtyQPh3g">https://t.co/GBLtyQPh3g</a> <a href="https://t.co/7IrMbvqx7b">pic.twitter.com/7IrMbvqx7b</a></p>&mdash; Valencia Basket Club (@valenciabasket) <a href="https://twitter.com/valenciabasket/status/1675089365444247552?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 1, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> 

Players come and players go, but to have a pair of them return to their former team in one week, as Olympiacos Piraeus did with the signings of prime-time pros Nikola Milutinov and Nigel Williams-Goss, merits a closer look.

Olympiacos went back to the future for Milutinov, Williams-Goss

Players come and players go, but to have a pair of them return to their former team in one week, as Olympiacos Piraeus did with the signings of prime-time pros [Nikola Milutinov](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/nikola-milutinov/003941/) and [Nigel Williams-Goss](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/nigel-williams-goss/007982/), merits a closer look.

### Twin anchors in the paint

Milutinov may have started his Turkish Airlines EuroLeague career with Partizan Belgrade, but he came of age with Olympiacos between 2015 and 2020, establishing himself as a force at center during an era when players his size, 2.13 meters, were being encouraged to diversify their games by moving outside and shooting from distance. Instead, Milutinov perfected the lost arts of his position, pick-and-rolls and rebounding, ensuring that the Reds' opponents always had to focus attention inside.

Between 2016-17, when he started playing full-time, and 2019-20, when he left for CSKA Moscow, no player pulled more offensive boards in the EuroLeague than Milutinov's 310. Only one player had more total boards than his 701. He was also sixth overall in PIR in that span, with 1,638. In other words, Milutinov was an anchor for Olympiacos in every sense.

At first glance, Milutinov's re-joining Olympiacos begs the question of how he will fit with another old-school center, [Moustapha Fall](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/moustapha-fall/008811/), who has been instrumental in the Reds reaching two Final Fours since his arrival in 2021. Between them, they have attempted just 2 three-pointers in seven seasons in Piraeus, so the notion that Milutinov and Fall will play together much is remote.

Together, however, they will give Olympiacos a dominant presence at center that lasts 40 minutes per night. Milutinov will rebound more, especially on the offensive glass, while Fall blocks and passes better. But with either in the game, Olympiacos has the kind of presence under the rim that opponents cannot ignore. As a result, their teammates can expect to defend more closely and run in transition more freely.

Nigel Williams-Goss and Nikola Milutinov highlights

Williams-Goss and Milutinov back together

### Twin ball hawks on the perimeter

Williams-Goss is another interesting fit. He played just one season with the Reds, in 2018-19, but started most games and averaged 9.2 points and 4.2 assists in an offense that still revolved around now-retired Vassilis Spanoulis and Georgios Printezis. He won the EuroLeague this season with Real Madrid in a largely defensive role that he will replicate in Piraeus alongside starting point guard [Thomas Walkup](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/thomas-walkup/008855/), the league's second-best stealer over the last two seasons. Opponents will not get a minute of peace when trying to start their offenses while at least one of them is on the floor.

With two sentinels in the paint and two ball hawks at the point, the Reds' already-potent defense, ranked second in the last regular season, stands to become even stronger. And since all four are signed through at least 2025, that is a recipe we can expect to persist.

### The choice to return

Above all, it says something about Olympiacos that two of its high-caliber former players wanted to come back to Piraeus.

With a relative scarcity of starter-ready point guards and centers, either could easily have been marquee signings elsewhere in the EuroLeague. But since Fall and Walkup have started every EuroLeague game but one together in two seasons under head coach Georgios Bartzokas, it is a distinct possibility that both Milutinov and Williams-Goss could come off the bench next season.

But remember, they know something that matters more than starter's minutes – the culture they are walking into.

Having been with the Reds before, long enough to know better, neither lingered long when it came time to weigh up their options last week. The opportunity to play for a EuroLeague power that came within a shot of the title last month is attractive enough. The opportunity to do so in a place you know and are known in makes it a more informed decision. That these two stars have chosen to return in the primes of their careers to chase EuroLeague titles with Olympiacos says they value what they found there the first time around.

It's an end of an era in Valencia with Friday's announcement that the club and team captain Bojan Dubljevic are parting ways after 11 years together. Since arriving to Valencia in the summer of 2012 from Buducnost VOLI Podgorica of his native Montenegro, Dubljevic has been front and center in club's every success.

Valencia parts ways with club legend Bojan Dubljevic

It's an end of an era in Valencia with Friday's announcement that the club and team captain [Bojan Dubljevic](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/bojan-dubljevic/002742/) are parting ways after 11 years together. Since arriving to Valencia in the summer of 2012 from Buducnost VOLI Podgorica of his native Montenegro, Dubljevic has been front and center in club's every success.

Dubljevic led the team to winning 7DAYS EuroCup in 2014 and 2019, each as an All-EuroCup selection, and he led the club to its lone Spanish League crown in 2017 as the playoff finals MVP. A team captain the last four seasons in Valencia, Dubljevic scored more points and had more rebounds than any other player in club history. Dubljevic has spent more season with the club than any other non-Spanish player, and has played second-most games (629) in Valencia's 36-year history.

<center><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="es" dir="ltr">No es un día fácil<br>No es un vídeo fácil<br>No es un adiós fácil<br><br>Hoy, que ponemos el final a una relación que tantas alegrías nos ha dado, queremos empezar a hacerlo con este vídeo.<br><br>Gracias por estos 1️⃣1️⃣ años de locura, Dubi 🧔🏻🧡 <a href="https://t.co/gYmDrIqaHk">pic.twitter.com/gYmDrIqaHk</a></p>&mdash; Valencia Basket Club (@valenciabasket) <a href="https://twitter.com/valenciabasket/status/1674794929921613827?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 30, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> 

Making his Turkish Airlines EuroLeague debut in 2014, Dubljevic made a total of 114 appearances in the competition, averaging 11.9 points, 5.4 rebounds and 1.7 assists. No player played or started (86) more games for Valencia, had more points (1,352), two-pointers (343), three-pointers (143), rebounds (617), steals (78) or PIR (1,657) in the EuroLeague than Dubljevic.

He also has 119 appearances in the EuroCup where he was a two-time EuroCup Rising Star winner (in 2013 and 2014), and earned four of his five All-EuroCup honors while with Valencia (2014, 2017, 2019 and 2022).

The club announced that it will name one of L’Alqueria courts after him, and that once Dubljevic retires, his jersey number 14 will be retired by the club.

Meanwhile, Valencia fans at La Fonteta will need some getting used to not seeing on the floor a man who left a massive mark during more than a decade wearing the orange jersey.

Players becoming strongly attached to their Euroleague Basketball clubs is not rare, but the connection between Kyle Weems and the fans at Virtus Bologna, the team he left this week after four seasons, is truly special.

Kyle Weems sends emotional 'so long' to Virtus fans

**Players becoming strongly attached to their Euroleague Basketball clubs is not rare, but the connection between** [Kyle Weems](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/kyle-weems/006592/) **and the fans at Virtus Bologna, the team he left this week after four seasons, is truly special.**

Not only did they win a EuroCup title together and return Virtus to the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague, but well before that, [Weems was forever moved by the support he received from fans in Bologna after his father passed away](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/news/kyle-weems-virtus-its-been-a-crazy-crazy-ride/) shortly following his arrival to the team.

After winning the 2022 7DAYS EuroCup title together and qualifying for the EuroLeague for the first time in 15 years,

"I have to say I am especially happy for our fans," Weems wrote in a EuroCup blog. "I'm not sure if I have told you, but I have told a lot of reporters in the past: Virtus fans have a special place in my heart. When I lost my father to lung cancer a couple of years ago, they were super supportive – signs, messages on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook. They flooded my inbox, no matter how they could do it, and the support and the cheers are something that I can never pay them back. Playing in front of them, wearing a Virtus jersey, I always want to play to the best of my ability, play to the best of my energy, enthusiasm, because they are truly great fans."

The unique emotional bond between them can be seen in the video of a heartfelt "so long" letter that Weems penned to the city and the fans this week.

"I am so forever grateful for you embracing me and my family, and I will love you forever," Weems says. "Myself, my wife and my two boys will forever have Virtus in our blood. This is not a goodbye, simply a see you later."

<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="it" dir="ltr">Kyle ha deciso di scrivere una lettera a tutti noi: non crediamo ci sia bisogno di aggiungere niente.<br><br>GRAZIE DI TUTTO BATMAN, CI MANCHERAI! 🤍🫶🏼🖤<a href="https://twitter.com/Kjw3434?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Kjw3434</a> <br><br>La lettera integrale ➡️ <a href="https://t.co/0ToYPeHyzh">https://t.co/0ToYPeHyzh</a><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AmoreInfinito?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AmoreInfinito</a> <a href="https://t.co/oDU0ayoe2n">pic.twitter.com/oDU0ayoe2n</a></p>&mdash; Virtus Segafredo Bologna (@VirtusSegafredo) <a href="https://twitter.com/VirtusSegafredo/status/1674669459947020290?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 30, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Anadolu Efes Istanbul announced on Thursday that is parting ways with its cornerstone piece for nearly a decade, veteran center Bryant Dunston.

The end of Bryant Dunston's tenure at Efes

##### Anadolu Efes Istanbul announced on Thursday that is parting ways with its cornerstone piece for nearly a decade, veteran center Bryant Dunston.

The man who had the honor of lifting the EuroLeague trophy as team captain at Belgrade's Stark Arena in 2022, 37-year-old [Bryant Dunston](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/bryant-dunston/003048/) leaves Efes after eight years with the club.

Through his time in Istanbul, Dunston was a leader in the paint and in the locker room as a team that had often come up short of expectations, let alone reaching the Final Four, went from the bottom of the standings in 2018 to play in the next three championship games.

<center><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="tr" dir="ltr">Bir lider, bir kaptan, bir efsane...<br><br>Kırdığın rekorlar, başardıkların, adanmışlığın ve mücadelen için sana minnettarız. <br><br>Her zaman ailemizin bir parçası olacaksın BLOKLARIN EFENDİSİ🙏<br><br>Thank you for everything, Cap! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/HouseOfBlue?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#HouseOfBlue</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BenimYerimBuras%C4%B1?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BenimYerimBurası</a> <a href="https://t.co/a7dWCuW5zB">pic.twitter.com/a7dWCuW5zB</a></p>&mdash; Anadolu Efes SK (@AnadoluEfesSK) <a href="https://twitter.com/AnadoluEfesSK/status/1674357276474507264?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 29, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> 

During his time with Efes, Dunston not only helped the club attain continental glory, but managed to overcome the final hurdle on the way to the EuroLeague championship on individual level.

Dunston joined Efes from Olympiacos Piraeus in the summer of 2015, arriving as the reigning back-to-back EuroLeague Best Defender, and coming off a championship game loss against Real Madrid. With Efes, Dunston suffered through a Game 5 playoff loss in 2017 and a championship game defeat in 2019.

But his belief in the club and the goals never wavered, which was rewarded with winning back-to-back EuroLeague crowns in 2021 and 2022.

He appeared in 236 games in an Efes uniform, scoring a total of 1,952 points, making 733 two-pointers, pulling down 1,067 rebounds and delivering 252 blocked shots.

More on Bryant Dunston

Celebrating Bryant Dunston's tenure at Efes

Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade has brought back a familiar face, signing Dejan Davidovac on a three-year deal, the club announced on Thursday. 

Zvezda brings back swingman Dejan Davidovac

##### Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade has brought back a familiar face, signing [Dejan Davidovac](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/dejan-davidovac/007960/) on a three-year deal, the club announced on Thursday. 

Davidovac (2.02 meters, 28 years old) is a versatile and big swingman who is a fan favorite in Belgrade having already played five years with Zvezda, from 2017 to 2022. He spent last year with CSKA Moscow where he averaged 7.1 points on 45.5% three-point shooting and 3.6 rebounds in the VTB League.

<center><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="und" dir="ltr">Reprezentativac Srbije, dosadašnji igrač CSKA iz Moskve, Dejan Davidovac vratio se u svoju Crvenu zvezdu! 🔴⚪️<br><br>Welcome back, Deki! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/kkcz?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#kkcz</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TogetherWeCan?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TogetherWeCan</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WeAreTheTeam?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WeAreTheTeam</a> <a href="https://t.co/GkcFfw79TV">pic.twitter.com/GkcFfw79TV</a></p>&mdash; KK Crvena zvezda Meridianbet (@kkcrvenazvezda) <a href="https://twitter.com/kkcrvenazvezda/status/1674419419706183682?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 29, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Davidovac has made 109 appearances in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague, including 31 starts, and has career averages of 6.2 points and 2.8 rebounds. Before joining Zvezda, Davidovac started his professional career with his hometown Proleter Zrenjanin and has also played for Vrsac and FMP Zeleznik, all in his native Serbia. Davidovac is also a member of the Serbian national team.

Dejan Davidovac Top Plays of the 2021-22 Regular Season

Dejan Davidovac returns to Zvezda

The Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Play-In Showdown, designed to add to what is already a dramatic annual playoff race, will debut in the upcoming 2023-24 season. The Play-In Showdown will see teams ranked from seventh to 10th at the end of the regular season compete for the last two tickets to the EuroLeague Playoffs. 

EuroLeague introduces Play-In Showdown

**The Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Play-In Showdown, designed to add to what is already a dramatic annual playoff race, will debut in the upcoming 2023-24 season. The Play-In Showdown will see teams ranked from seventh to 10th at the end of the regular season compete for the last two tickets to the EuroLeague Playoffs.**

Under the new format, the seventh- and eighth-place teams will face off in a single game to clinch a spot in the quarterfinals against the regular season's second-ranked team.

Likewise, the ninth- and 10th-place teams will play a single game whose loser will be eliminated. The winner will challenge either the seventh- or eighth-place team, whichever has lost their play-in game, to decide the final playoff spot and be paired with the top-ranked regular-season team.

Each game in the Play-In Showdown will be hosted by the team with the better regular-season finish.

In essence, the seventh- and eighth-place teams that would have been playoff-bound under the previous format have a significant advantage in the Play-In Showdown as each needs to win only one game to reach the quarterfinals. The teams in ninth and 10th place game must win twice or be eliminated.

At the Assembly of Syndicated Shareholders of Euroleague Commercial Assets meeting on Thursday, June 29 in Barcelona, the makeup of the team list for the 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague was confirmed. All 18 teams from the previous season will remain in the competition.

 ECA Assembly approves 2023-24 EuroLeague team list 

**At the** [Assembly of Syndicated Shareholders of Euroleague Commercial Assets meeting](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/news/assembly-of-syndicate-shareholders-of-eca-approves-teams-lists-format-changes-for-2023-24-euroleague-eurocup/) **on Thursday, June 29, the makeup of the team list for the 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague was confirmed. All 18 teams from the previous season will remain in the competition.**

This means that for the second year running, there will be clubs representing 10 different countries competing in Europe's premier basketball competition. This marks the second time under the current competition format that all 18 teams will return to the EuroLeague for a second season. The previous instance was in the 2020-21 campaign following the pandemic-shortened 2019-20 edition.

The assembly also approved a new competition phase, the [Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Play-In Showdown](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/news/euroleague-introduces-play-in-showdown), to fall between the regular season and the playoffs.