Real Madrid, the most successful team in Turkish Airlines EuroLeague history, is back at the Final Four for the second year in succession and the seventh time in the last decade. Los Blancos overcame Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade in a five-game series in the playoffs, winning Game 5 in miraculous fashion after being down 18 points late in the third quarter.  Here are some other 'Did you know…' facts.

Real Madrid: Did you know that...

[Real Madrid](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/teams/real-madrid/roster/mad/?season=2022-23), the most successful team in Turkish Airlines EuroLeague history, is back at the Final Four for the second year in succession and the seventh time in the last decade. *Los Blancos* overcame Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade in a five-game series in the playoffs, winning Game 5 in miraculous fashion after being down 18 points late in the third quarter.  Here are some other 'Did you know?' facts.

**Real** has the chance to win its 11th EuroLeague title. It leads the all-time standings with 10 titles, but only three of them have come in the last 35 years. Real has been crowned European champion in 1964, 1965, 1967, 1968, 1974, 1978, 1980, 1995, 2015 and 2018.

**Real** is making its 12th Final Four appearance since the format was adopted in 1988. Los Blancos previously reached the Final Four in 1993, 1995, 1996, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2022.

**Real** is attempting to reach the EuroLeague Championship Game for the 20th time. It leads the all-time list with 19 championship game appearances. Maccabi Tel Aviv has been to 14 EuroLeague Championship Games and one SuproLeague title game. CSKA Moscow has reached the EuroLeague Championship Game 14 times.

**Real** has the chance to lift its 17th continental trophy. In addition to its 10 EuroLeague titles, Real has won four Saporta Cups, a Korac Cup and a ULEB Cup, which is nowadays known as the 7DAYS EuroCup.

[Rudy Fernandez](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/rudy-fernandez/bmt/) belongs to a select group of players to have won both the EuroLeague and the EuroCup titles. Fernandez won the EuroCup with Joventut Badalona in 2008 and has two EuroLeague crowns with Real in 2015 and 2018. The list includes two other Spanish players – Felipe Reyes and Ricky Rubio – and it also features stars like Nando De Colo, Nick Calathes and Romain Sato.

**Rudy Fernandez**, [Sergio Rodriguez](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/sergio-rodriguez/cvm/) and [Sergio Llull](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/sergio-llull/tgb/) belong to a group of 24 players who have won the EuroLeague, EuroBasket and World Championship titles. Llull, Rodriguez and Fernandez are three of the five players on the list not hailing from the former Soviet Union or former Yugoslavia; Felipe Reyes and Juan Carlos Navarro are the others. The list includes all-time greats such as Arvydas Sabonis, Drazen Petrovic and Toni Kukoc.

**Sergio Llull** is at his ninth Final Four. All of his previous Final Four appearances have come with Real: in 2011, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2022. Victor Khryapa leads the list with 12 Final Four appearances. Llull is now the Spanish player with the most trips to the Final Four.

**Rudy Fernandez** and **Sergio Rodriguez** are at their eighth Final Four. Fernandez has played in the Final Four with Real in 2013, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2022. Rodriguez has made four Final Four appearances with Real – in 2011, 2013, 2014 and 2015 – as well as two with CSKA in 2018 and 2019 and one with Milan in 2021.

**Sergio Llull** and **Sergio Rodriguez** are two of four EuroLeague MVPs present at the 2023 Final Four. Llull earned that honor in the 2016-17 season, while Rodriguez was the 2013-14 EuroLeague MVP. FC Barcelona duo Nikola Mirotic (2021-22) and Jan Vesely (2018-19) are the other two MVPs.

**Sergio Llull** is the fifth-best scorer in EuroLeague history. He has amassed 3,684 points in 372 EuroLeague career games. Llull ranks sixth for assists (1,324), too.

**Rudy Fernandez** ranks third all-time for steals. He has recorded 343 in 323 games. Dimitris Diamantidis leads the way with 434 steals.

[Walter Tavares](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/walter-tavares/005791/) is the all-time leader for blocks. He has 368 blocked shots in 200 games.

[Fabien Causeur](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/fabien-causeur/001392/) is the only French player to have reached the Final Four with two different foreign teams. Causeur made it to the Final Four with Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz in 2016 and with Real in 2018, 2019 and 2022.

**Rudy Fernandez**, **Sergio Rodriguez** and **Sergio Llull** won the EuroLeague title with Real in 2015 and are still with the team. Rodriguez returned to the club last summer and is now in his second stint with the club.

[Adam Hanga](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/adam-hanga/005099/) can become the first Hungarian player to win the EuroLeague title? Kornel David came closest when he reached the championship game with Baskonia in 2005.

**Sergio Llull** ranks third on the Final Four's career scoring list. Llull has 191 points and could climb at least one spot in Kaunas. Nikos Galis leads the list with 231 points, followed by J.R. Holden with 194.

**Sergio Llull** ranks first for assists in Final Four history. He has dished 62 helpers. Sergio Rodriguez ranks third with 56 assists.

**Sergio Rodriguez** is the only Spanish-born player to win the EuroLeague with a non-Spanish team (CSKA in 2019). He is also the only Spanish player to win the EuroLeague with different teams.

**Sergio Rodriguez** ranks sixth in scoring (3,603), second in assists (1,724), third in three-point shots made (574) and eighth in PIR (3,914) in EuroLeague history.

**Rudy Fernandez** is tied for third place in steals in Final Four history. He has collected 18, just like Dimitris Diamantidis. J.R. Holden ranks first (24), followed by Victor Khryapa (22).

**Rudy Fernandez**, **Sergio Rodriguez** and **Sergio Llull** can win their third EuroLeague title. The last Spanish players to win three EuroLeague titles were Rafael Rullan, Juan Antonio Corbalan and Luis Maria Prada with Real in 1974, 1978 and 1980.

**Walter Tavares** ranks third all-time in two-point shooting percentage this season (69.0%, 748 of 1,084). Moustapha Fall is first overall (71.2% 2FG), followed by Sasha Kaun (70.2% 2FG).

[Alberto Abalde](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/alberto-abalde/003733/) and [Eli Ndiaye](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/eli-ndiaye/009213/) can join an exclusive list of Adidas Next Generation Tournament MVPs who also won the EuroLeague title. Abalde was the ANGT MVP in 2013 with Joventut Badalona. Ndiaye was chosen as the 2022 ANGT MVP with Real. Luka Doncic is the only previous player to have achieved this feat: he was the ANGT MVP in 2015 and won the EuroLeague in 2018 with Real.

Real Madrid: Did you know?

Fans at the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Final Four have grown accustomed to jaw-dropping pre-game shows over the years, and the 2023 edition in Kaunas, Lithuania will be no different, with popular DJ and music producer Dynoro set to get the party started ahead of Sunday's championship game.

 DJ Dynoro brings his talents to the 2023 Final Four! 

Fans at the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Final Four have grown accustomed to jaw-dropping pre-game shows over the years, and the 2023 edition in Kaunas, Lithuania will be no different, with popular DJ and music producer [Dynoro](https://www.instagram.com/dynoro/) set to get the party started ahead of Sunday's championship game.

Born just down the road in Vilnius, the 23-year-old's array of toe-tapping tunes will create quite the atmosphere inside Zalgirio Arena, as fans from all over the world get hyped for the biggest game on the European basketball calendar. Both teams in the EuroLeague Championship Game will have plenty of talent to call upon, and Dynoro's music will be the perfect way to set the scene for a wonderful celebration of basketball.

 [Dynoro](https://www.dynoro.com/) first made waves across the globe with his hit song "In My Mind" in 2018, which has almost 1.27 billion – yes, billion! – plays on Spotify. That song reached No. 1 on Spotify, Apple Music and Shazam in 13 countries, while it has also sold 3.7 million copies worldwide. What's more, Dynoro has almost eight million monthly listeners on Spotify, most of whom come from Mexico, Brazil, England, Australia and Germany, which shows the global impact of his music.

Elsewhere, basketball fans attending the 2023 Final Four will be able to check out pop-rock star Beatrich and one of Lithuania's biggest electronic acts, DJ Jovani, during the EuroLeague FanZone, which will be held at Unity Square, Kaunas, on Saturday and will be free to attend.

DJ Dynoro brings his talents to the 2023 Final Four!

Who is the greatest player in the modern era of the EuroLeague? Now that's a loaded question.

And how one might answer depends on many variables and what metrics they lean on. Is it stats? Titles? Awards?

Based on most people's views, no matter who wins in the semifinals we will have some all-time great legends meeting in the championship game on Sunday as there are players from each team in Kaunas who can easily slide into the conversation of the greats.

There are two, however, who are different from the rest. [Nikola Mirotic](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/nikola-mirotic/000796/) and [Mike James](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/mike-james/005985/) are the best players of the modern era to have never worn the EuroLeague crown.

Don't believe me? He’s the proof.

Take a look at the 20 greatest scorers in EuroLeague history. Sixteen of them are former champions. The others are James (fourth; 3,903 points), retired Zalgiris Kaunas star Paulius Jankunas (10th; 3,241), Mirotic (12th; 3,164) and Ante Tomic (19th; 2,780).

How about the all-time leaders in PIR? The same is true. Sixteen are former champs and then there’s Jankunas (fifth; 4,067), James (seventh; 3,947), Mirotic (13th; 3,777) and Tomic (15th; 3,723).

Among the 15 players with at least 400 career triples, James is one of three without a ring. The others are Scottie Wilbekin (486) and Arturas Milaknis (461). James enters the Final Four with 445. 

When it comes to awards, the same is true. Mirotic is the all-time leader with seven MVPs of the Month awards. James is second with four. Eighth more players are tied for third with three.

Mirotic has been named to the All-EuroLeague Team five times, which is tied with Nikola Vujcic for the fifth-most in competition history. James has been named three times. The only players with three All-EuroLeague selections to their name and no title to show for it are Mirotic, James, Alphonso Ford, Luis Scola, Tomic, Marcus Brown, Mirsad Turkcan and Tiago Splitter.

Add in MVP of the Week and you have James's 10 tied with Turkcan and Vasilije Micic for third place all-time followed by Mirotic and Sasha Vezenkov with nine each.

There are only championship-less players to ever be named EuroLeague MVP. They are Andrei Kirilenko (2012), Nemanja Bjelica (2015) and Mirotic (2022).

Mirotic and James will have their chance to change that in Kaunas.

The Barcelona forward enters his sixth Final Four and he has played in the championship game three times. He lost to Olympiacos Piraeus in the 2013 finale, in overtime to Maccabi Tel Aviv in the 2014 championship game and to Anadolu Efes Istanbul in 2021.

James will play in just his second Final Four; he lost with Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz to Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul in his lone Final Four appearance in 2016. He perhaps had an even better chance in the 2019-20 season, when he was with CKSA Moscow, but that season was aborted due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

These two stars are each just two wins away from shedding the unwanted title and exiting the argument of the “best players to never win". Moreover, lifting the crown in Kaunas could even put them in a different class among the greatest in competition history. 

The best to never win? Mirotic, James have chance to shed that ‘title’

Basketball lovers and the general public are invited to immerse themselves in one of the largest fan-based events in sports at the official EuroLeague FanZone, which will be held at Unity Square in Kaunas, Lithuania, during the coming weekend's 2023 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Final Four!

The EuroLeague FanZone comes to Kaunas!

Basketball lovers and the general public are invited to immerse themselves in one of the largest fan-based events in sports at the official EuroLeague FanZone, which will be held at Unity Square in Kaunas, Lithuania, during the coming weekend's 2023 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Final Four!

The EuroLeague FanZone at Unity Square will be open from 10:00 to 23:00 local time between Friday, May 19, and Sunday, May 21, and at just a 13-minute walk from Zalgirio Arena, the FanZone, promises all the basketball fun you can hope for around Friday's semifinals and Sunday's championship game. No tickets are required, so everyone can enjoy the festivities and create unforgettable memories.

Even before the FanZone officially opens, some lucky fans can get in on the action there with limited-edition tickets for the 2023 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Final Four Tipoff Event, for which the protagonists from the would-be title teams – AS Monaco, FC Barcelona, Olympiacos Piraeus and Real Madrid – will take the stage. [Apply for tickets here](https://euroleague.tbits.me/tb_app/487236).

If you can't get into the Tipoff Event, don't worry. Final Four stars and EuroLeague Ambassadors will visit the Unity Square on Saturday amid non-stop special activities culminating in [the FanZone Concerts](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/news/beatrich-dj-jovani-light-up-fanzone-concerts-in-kaunas-on-saturday/), a pair of live music shows featuring Beatrich and DJ Jovani.

Performing first will be 25-year-old Lithuanian pop/rock star [Beatrich](https://www.instagram.com/beatrich/) at 22:00 local time. Beatrich burst onto the scene by winning the 2017 Lithuanian Music Association Awards for Best New Act and Song of the Year, "Superstar". [Beatrich](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCD2oI1evzY8Xr5kmdzxQeLQ), who currently resides in London, released her first studio album, Songs About You, last year.

[DJ Jovani](https://www.instagram.com/dj_jovani/) will follow Beatrich's at 21:15 local time. With over half a million followers across social media and over 100 million YouTube views, [DJ Jovani](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvE5_PJFElK2aLSxCP4NEfA) is one of the fastest-growing music professionals in Europe. He has performed around the world and has DJ residencies in Dublin, London and Chicago. Both concerts are free of charge.

Of course, each day at the FanZone will include plenty of basketball, with tournaments and contests to watch and participate in. These include:

·       3x3 tournaments for U16 boys, U16 girls, U18 boys, U18 girls, men and women. [Register here](https://euroleague.tbits.me/tb_app/486404).

·       One Team sessions involving Final Four ambassadors and players.

·       The traditional slam dunk contest with the top players from the Euroleague Basketball Adidast Next Generation Tournament.

·       A three-point shooting contest featuring some of the best talents from the ANGT.

·       Performances by the Zalgiris Kaunas cheerleaders.

In addition to that, there are a sorts of opportunities for fans to take part and win must-have prizes thanks to Euroleague Basketball's partners:

·       Turkish Airlines will have three challenges – a Destination Wall, Basketball Challenge and FreezeShot – with Final Four tickets, signed basketballs and flight tickets to Istanbul available as prizes. 

·       There is also the Turkish Airlines VR Experience stand, where fans will be able to try virtual reality headsets and immerse themselves in a unique EuroLeague experience. 

·       BKT has a stand with an Arcade Basketball Hoop, with prizes available, as well as a Share Box Trophy Picture so that fans can pose next to the EuroLeague trophy and have a photograph that they'll never forget. 

·       7DAYS, Frutti Extra, Coca-Cola and Battery will also be present with prizes and giveaways for those at the EuroLeague FanZone.

Food and drink options will be available courtesy of Svyturis and Olybet, while hostesses from Ardu Prime will be on hand, as well. For those without Final Four seats at Zalgirio Arena, the FanZone will be the next-best place to take in the live game action via watch parties on giant screens for the semifinals, the third-place game and championship game. There is also a skate park at Unity Square, which means that any fans with scooters and skateboards will be able to enjoy the space with their equipment, as well.

In short, there is a whole lot on offer at this year's EuroLeague FanZone – and there are even more surprises in store! Make sure that you're there in attendance so that you don't miss out on one of the most eagerly anticipated Final Fours in years.

Congratulations to the five players selected for the 2022-23 All-EuroLeague Second Team. These five stars were chosen through a voting process that included members of the media, Turkish Airlines EuroLeague head coaches and team captains, and fans. 

Here is your 2022-23 All-EuroLeague Second Team!

Two of the stars on the team are returnees from last season: Nikola Mirotic of FC Barcelona and Mike James of AS Monaco. This marks Nikolic's fifth All-EuroLeague selection, which is tied for the fifth most in competition history. James is a member of one of the All-EuroLeague Teams for the third time. Wade Baldwin of Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv, Kevin Punter of Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade and Darius Thompson of Cazoo Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz are all such honored for the first time. 

### Kevin Punter, Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade

A magnet for big plays all season long, [Kevin Punter](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/kevin-punter/009862/) led Partizan to its first playoff appearance in 13 years as the team's go-to guy. He was Partizan's top scorer and seventh in the league with 16.1 points per game. He also ranked sixth with 2.2 three-pointers made and set a EuroLeague record with 61 consecutive free throws made. Punter shot 44.3% from long range, 91.7% from the foul line and also posted 2.5 assists, 2.1 rebounds and 1.0 steals for an average PIR of 15.0. He came up big in clutch moments, like hitting a game-deciding three-pointer in the playoff-clinching 84-88 road win at AS Monaco and his memorable game-winner with 0.4 seconds left in the 87-89 road win over Real Madrid in Game 1 of the playoffs. This is Punter's first All-EuroLeague selection.

### Nikola Mirotic, FC Barcelona

After missing the first 10 games of the season with an injury, [Nikola Mirotic](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/nikola-mirotic/000796/) took little time to catch up to speed and continue in his role as Barcelona’s leader and one of the most productive players in the EuroLeague. Mirotic finished the season ranked seventh with an average PIR of 17.1 and scored in double figures in all but three of his 27 appearances. His 15.9 points per game were ninth in the league. Mirotic's on-court impact is even clearer looking at his per-40 minutes numbers, where he ranked second with 25.5 points and 27.6 PIR. Mirotic was especially efficient in Barcelona's playoff sweep of Zalgiris, shot in when he shot 66.7% on two-pointers, 50.0% on three-pointers and made all of his free throws The EuroLeague MVP a season ago, Mirotic earns his fifth All-EuroLeague selection.

2022-23 All-EuroLeague Second Team

### Darius Thompson,  Cazoo Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz

When it came to setting up his teammates for baskets, no one did it better and more often this season than [Darius Thompson](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/darius-thompson/011078/). In his first year in the competition, Thompson led the league with 6.7 assists per game. He ran Baskonia's top-scoring offense, dishing at least 10 assists in nine games and led all guards with six double-doubles. Thompson's perimeter play was strong on defense too; he ranked second with 1.7 steals per game. The Baskonia playmaker also posted 12.6 points and 3.2 rebounds per game and had the eighth-best PIR on average, 17.1. Thompson is the only player from a non-playoff team who earned All-EuroLeague honors for the 2022-23 season.

### Mike James, AS Monaco

The heart of an impressive Monaco outfit, [Mike James](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/mike-james/005985/) earned his third All-EuroLeague selection with another outstanding season. He ranked sixth in scoring (16.2 ppg.), 11th in assists (4.6 apg.) and ninth in PIR (16.8), all while setting a career-high with 3.9 rebounds per game. James was red hot out of the gate in leading Monaco to a 5-1 start, for which he was named EuroLeague MVP for October. Four of his 12 20-point games this season came during that stretch. Always aggressive, James led the league in both fouls drawn (5.2 per game) and free throws attempted (5.5 per game) and in the end, led Monaco through a historic campaign and to its first trip to the Final Four. 

### Wade Baldwin, Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv

In his first season in Tel Aviv, [Wade Baldwin](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/wade-baldwin-iv/009863/) cemented his status as one of the top guards in the EuroLeague. He was second in the running for the Alphonso Ford EuroLeague Top Scorer Trophy, with his 17.2 points per game only a few baskets short of the league lead. Baldwin ranked fourth in average PIR (17.6) and seventh in assists (5.1 apg.). He got stronger as the season progressed; Baldwin was chosen as the EuroLeague MVP for March after leading Maccabi on a six-game winning streak. He was then the playoff leader in assists (5.8 apg.), ranked second in scoring (19.8 ppg.) and tied for second in PIR (24.0) as Maccabi pushed AS Monaco to five games before bowing out.

Beatrich, DJ Jovani light up FanZone Concerts in Kaunas on Saturday

When the sun goes down at the EuroLeague FanZone, to be held at Unity Square, in Kaunas, Lithuania, on Saturday of the Final Four, the volume will go up with of two live musical performances that are sure to keep the crowd buzzing long into the night.

The FanZone concerts run one after the other starting at 21:00 local time and featuring Lithuanian stars [Beatrich](https://www.instagram.com/beatrich/) and [DJ Jovani](https://www.instagram.com/dj_jovani/).

Kaunas-born [Beatrich](https://www.youtube.com/@BEATRICHOFFICIAL/videos) will get the party started with her uniquely danceable urban pop music and rich ballads. The 25-year-old Lithuania pop/rock star burst onto the scene in 2017 and won the Lithuanian Music Association Awards that year as Best New Act and Song of the Year for "Superstar".

Her career took Beatrich from Lithuania to Los Angeles and London, where she is based now. Last year, she released her first studio album, Songs About You, and also finished third among the Lithuanian contestants for the Eurovision Song Contest.

Now, she returns home to bring her special beat to the basketball lovers who are flocking to Kaunas this weekend for the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Final Four.

Taking over the main stage at the FanZone for the nightcap concert is DJ Jovani, whose vibrant shows have taken him around the world.

With more than half a million social media followers 100 million views on YouTube, [Jovani](https://www.youtube.com/@djjovani/featured) is one of the fastest-growing music professionals in Europe. He won Lithuania's national music award for the best electronic act of 2021. He has not only shared the stage with such well-known performers as David Guetta, Don Diablo and Tiësto, but has had DJ residencies in Dublin, London and Chicago.

The FanZone will be held in the city's Unity Square from Friday morning to Sunday after the EuroLeague Championship Game ends and is free for the public, as are the FanZone Concerts.

The Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Final Four gets underway on Friday, May 19, at Zalgirio Arena in Kaunas Lithuania with a rematch from the 2022 playoffs and the always-magnetic El Clásico. Here's your quick guide to the semifinals.

### Olympiacos Piraeus vs. AS Monaco

[The action tips off at 18:00 local time in Kaunas](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2022-23/olympiacos-piraeus-as-monaco/E2022/327/) as regular season standings leader Olympiacos – gunning for its fourth EuroLeague title – takes on Final Four newcomer AS Monaco. Both teams had to go the distance in the playoffs, with Monaco overcoming Maccabi at home in Game 5 thanks to 21 points apiece from backcourt stars Mike James and Jordan Loyd. Olympiacos will look for defensive ace Thomas Walkup – who leads the league in steals with 1.8 per game – to disrupt Monaco's rhythm, and hope that Kostas Sloukas can continue his great form after averaging 14.6 points on 60.5% field goal shooting during  thrilling playoffs series with Fenerbahce. Monaco, which has Donatas Motiejunas playing in his hometown, will also have to limit them influence of league leading scorer Sasha Vezenkov (17.2 ppg), who scored at least 17 points in four of the five games against Fenerbahce, and super-sub Shaquielle McKissic, the other Olympiacos double-digit scorer in the playoffs.

Semifinals at a glance: Olympiacos Piraeus vs. AS Monaco

### FC Barcelona vs. Real Madrid

[It's a clásico semifinal for the second consecutive season](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2022-23/fc-barcelona-real-madrid/E2022/328/) as Barcelona takes on Real Madrid – which won 83-86 on the same stage a year ago – with tipoff scheduled for 21:00 local time. Barca will surely count on strong support in Kaunas thanks to the presence of two former Zalgiris men, iconic head coach Sarunas Jasikevicius and young guard Rokas Jokubaitis. But Real's remarkable comeback from 18 points down in Game 5 of the playoffs against Partizan shows that the 10-time champion is not scared of challenges and will look for in-form playmaker Sergio Rodriguez to continue his sweet connection with giant big man Walter Tavares. Barca, which will be powered by former Real forward Nikola Mirotic, has the advantage of rest after only needing three games to overcome Zalgiris in the playoffs, and also benefits from recent experience of the host venue after concluding that series at Zalgirio Arena. Barca will also hope that center and former champ Jan Vesely is fully healthy after he put up 14.7 points in the playoffs but left a subsequent domestic game with back concerns.

Semifinals at a glance: FC Barcelona vs. Real Madrid

The semis at a glance: A rematch and a clasico

FC Barcelona v Real Madrid (2023-05-19T18:00:00.000Z)

Olympiacos Piraeus v AS Monaco (2023-05-19T15:00:00.000Z)

Lithuania Travel becomes Final Four partner

Euroleague Basketball is delighted to announce that Lithuania Travel has joined our family as an Official Final Four Partner. Lithuania Travel is the national tourism development agency for Lithuania, which made it a natural addition to the EuroLeague family of partners since the 2023 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Final Four in Kaunas is among the most popular weekends on the sporting calendar.

Lithuania's people are warm and welcoming and visitors can experience the country's vibrant culture through plenty of experiences and events. From the charming Old Town of Vilnius, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, to the picturesque Trakai Castle surrounded by stunning lakes, there are plenty of historical and cultural sites to explore in Lithuania.

While the Final Four games at Zalgirio Arena and the Euroleague Basketball Adidas Next Generation Tournament Finals at Kaunas Sports Hall shine a spotlight on Lithuania as a sports destination, the architectural masterpiece that is Unity Square will be seen around the world as the host of the Final Four FanZone.

Around the games, Lithuania has plenty to offer visitors, from its fine locally-sourced cuisine, scenic seaside views along the Baltic Sea coast, hikes along beaches or national parks, or trips to museums and historic sites. Travelers to Lithuania this week – or any week – should be sure to check out Lithuania Travel and customize a perfect vacation.

The votes have been counted and the identities of the five players who make up the 2022-23 All-EuroLeague First Team can be revealed! Members of the media, Turkish Airlines EuroLeague head coaches and team captains, and fans all voted to choose the best players from the 2022-23 season. 

Meet the 2022-23 All-EuroLeague First Team!

The makeup of the All-EuroLeague First Team combines fresh faces with long-standing stars. There are two returnees from last season's first team in Walter Tavares of Real Madrid and Sasha Vezenkov of Olympiacos Piraeus. This marks Tavares's fourth All-EuroLeague nomination and his third time on the first team. It is Vezenkov’s second such selection. Mathias Lessort of Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade, Dzanan Musa of Real Madrid and Lorenzo Brown of Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv are all first-time All-EuroLeague members. 

### Mathias Lessort, Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade

The Partizan center was a force in the paint all season long and went on to lead the league in rebounds (7.1 rpg.) while placing second in average PIR (19.1). [Mathias Lessort](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/mathias-lessort/003842/) tied for the league lead with eight double-doubles and became one of just 10 players in the last decade to average more than 3 offensive rebounds per game. A model of consistency, Lessort had PIRs in double figures in all but three games this season. His 67.6% two-point shooting percentage was the highest of all players with as many two-pointers (4.3 per game) made. Many of those buckets were high-flying alley-oops and putbacks, which delighted his legions of fans in Belgrade, whom he would ascend into the Stark Arena stands to sing and dance with after home wins. 

2022-23 All-EuroLeague First Team: Mathias Lessort, Partizan Mozart Bet Belgrade

### Walter Tavares, Real Madrid

The man who gives new meaning to the term rim protector, [Walter Tavares](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/walter-tavares/005791/) set a EuroLeague record with 84 blocked shots this season. He led the league in blocks with 2.2 per game and finished third in rebounding (6.6 rpg.) while remaining a force in the paint. That was never truer than in the playoffs when, after missing Game 2 to injury, Tavares roared in Game 3 with 26 points and 11 rebounds for a PIR of 41, which is tied for the second-highest in playoff history. He had the third-highest average PIR in playoff history (26.8) and was chosen MVP for April/May. This is Tavares's fourth consecutive All-EuroLeague nomination, which places him second all-time among centers behind only Nikola Vujcic.  

2022-23 All-EuroLeague First Team: Walter Tavares, Real Madrid

### Dzanan Musa, Real Madrid

[Dzanan Musa](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/dzanan-musa/006540/) was a revelation in his first full season in the EuroLeague. He led Real Madrid in scoring and was 10th in the league with 15.2 points per game despite averaging the fewest minutes per game among those 10 players. On a per-minute basis, Musa ranked fourth with an average of 25.2 points over 40 minutes. He was the only member of Los Blancos to appear in every game this season and ranked second on the team in both assists (2.7 apg.) and PIR (16.4). Musa made at least 10 free throws in a game four times this season and set a EuroLeague single-season record with 175 free throws made. After joining Real over the summer, he was the MVP of the Round three times (6, 9 and 29), which was second-most in the league. 

2022-23 All-EuroLeague First Team: Dzanan Musa, Real Madrid

### Sasha Vezenkov, Olympiacos Piraeus 

Winning this season's Alphonso Ford Top Scorer Trophy was just the start of the impressive campaign by [Sasha Vezenkov](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/sasha-vezenkov/003469/), who was also the EuroLeague MVP of the month in both November and February. In addition to leading the league with 17.2 points per game, he ranked second in rebounding (6.8 rpg.) and his league-best PIR (21.2) is among the five best full-season marks in the last decade. Vezenkov did it all with impressive shooting marks (65.4% 2FG, 38.5% 3FG, 87.9% FT), too. He tied for the league lead with eight double-doubles and claimed MVP of the Round honors a league-most five times, too. This marks Vezenkov's second consecutive selection to the All-EuroLeague First Team. 

2022-23 All-EuroLeague First Team: Sasha Vezenkov, Olympiacos Piraeus

### Lorenzo Brown, Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv

[Lorenzo Brown](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/lorenzo-brown/009622/) set career-highs in nearly every major statistical category this season, his fourth in the league, in leading Maccabi to within one game of the Final Four. He was the only player to rank among the top 5 in the league in both scoring (16.4 ppg.) and assists (5.5 apg.) and came within a whisker of a top 10 finish in steals (1.1 spg.), too. Brown had four games with PIRs of at least 30, including Round 5 when he earned MVP of the Round with 22 points and 9 assists against Panathinaikos Athens. His cool head in critical situations gave Maccabi the boost it needed in several big games and helped it turn in a winning season. 