The latest matchup in our quest to crown the greatest All-EuroLeague First Team of all time pits 2013 against 2011!
Vote for the best All-EuroLeague First Team in history: 2013 vs. 2011
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Each season, the top five players in Europe’s premier basketball competition are recognized with All-EuroLeague First Team honors. Over the past quarter century, these elite selections have showcased a who’s who of basketball legends, from rising stars to Hall of Famers and everything in between.
This summer, we're putting them all head-to-head to answer one big question: Which All-EuroLeague First Team stands above the rest?
We’ve seeded all 24 teams into a bracket created by our panel of in-house EuroLeague experts. Several times a week, we’ll reveal a new matchup on the official EuroLeague Instagram account, where you can vote for your favorite.
Right here on the official EuroLeague website, you’ll find a quick breakdown of each matchup – and which team we think deserves the edge. This time it's 2013 vs. 2011.
Let the debates begin. Let the voting begin. Let the best team win!
2013
- Dimitris Diamantidis, Panathinaikos (age 33)
- Vassilis Spanoulis, Olympiacos (age 30)
- Rudy Fernandez, Real Madrid (age 28)
- Nenad Krstic, CSKA Moscow (age 29)
- Ante Tomic, Barcelona (age 26)
2011
- Dimitris Diamantidis, Panathinaikos (age 31)
- Juan Carlos Navarro, Barcelona (age 30)
- Fernando San Emeterio, Baskonia (age 27)
- Mike Batiste, Panathinaikos (age 33)
- Sofoklis Schortsanitis, Maccabi (age 26)
Could this be the toughest matchup yet? Let’s look at each team's strengths. 2013 has more size in the paint and a pairing of magical guards. This is Spanoulis at his best in the year he led the Reds to the second of back-to-back crowns.
2011 has a younger Diamantidis, more power in the paint and a peak San Emeterio, who shot 50% from downtown that season. Envision this scenario: Diamantidis plays the pick-and-roll at the top of the key with either his longtime Panathinaikos teammate (Batiste) or his Greek national team mate (Schortsanitis – remember how they shredded Team USA at the 2006 World Cup?!?!). Can you cheat to stop the roller and leave either Navarro or San Emeterio alone in the corner?
And there you have it. My take? The 2011 team is too strong for what is otherwise a great 2013 side. But what do you think?