Name: The Fantasy Challenge Podcast presents the Final Four episode
Channel: Euroleague Basketball

The 30th and final episode of the EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge Podcast is upon us with co-hosts Javier Gancedo and Frankie Sachs of EuroLeague.net and Sport 24's Vasiliki Karamouza preparing themselves – and you – for what to expect this week in Abu Dhabi.

The Fantasy Challenge Podcast presents the Final Four episode

The 30th and final episode of the EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge Podcast is upon us with co-hosts [Javier Gancedo](https://eur04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fx.com%2Fganchetto&data=05%7C02%7Cigor.petrinovic%40euroleague.net%7Cd31497b64394488cb00c08dd8bb37e6b%7C2b3d64f0329542979f1528435f0a62ce%7C1%7C0%7C638820325223923622%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=5tNH%2BQWNoYSgCFd0ChRRhky4K9vFi3ebTNQT8Dwp1zQ%3D&reserved=0) and [Frankie Sachs](https://eur04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fx.com%2FMrEuroleague&data=05%7C02%7Cigor.petrinovic%40euroleague.net%7Cd31497b64394488cb00c08dd8bb37e6b%7C2b3d64f0329542979f1528435f0a62ce%7C1%7C0%7C638820325223944385%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=IGy%2BEGWZkAc794Ikvk2coJH9JO1ZniZQzAvgXeHl4GY%3D&reserved=0) of [EuroLeague.net](http://EuroLeague.net) and Sport 24's [Vasiliki Karamouza](https://eur04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fx.com%2Fkaramouza_vas&data=05%7C02%7Cigor.petrinovic%40euroleague.net%7Cd31497b64394488cb00c08dd8bb37e6b%7C2b3d64f0329542979f1528435f0a62ce%7C1%7C0%7C638820325223955177%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=iWMdkeGl8BL43%2FwZ10BoQVxeAiWr2tTRDPAml3GIwl8%3D&reserved=0) preparing themselves – and you – for what to expect this week in Abu Dhabi.

The gang discusses who they like from all four teams – [AS Monaco](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/as-monaco/roster/mco/?season=2024-25), [Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/fenerbahce-beko-istanbul/roster/ulk/?season=2024-25), [Olympiacos Piraeus](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/olympiacos-piraeus/roster/oly/?season=2024-25) and [Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/panathinaikos-bc-athens/roster/pan/?season=2024-25). How will the potential return of [Mathias Lessort](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/mathias-lessort/003842/) from injury affect things? Where does "Final Four Nunn" rank among "home Nunn" and "new-contract Nunn"? Why does Frankie like [Mike James](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/mike-james/005985/) most of all players at the Final Four? And why do they all like [Tarik Biberovic](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/tarik-biberovic/006961/)?

All of these topics were discussed – and more – in the Final Four episode. Take note, while Javi shares some excellent advice about the third-place game, it appears that Frankie has already wrapped up the win in the race between the three of them. So who do you trust the most? With only two games nights left this season, choose wisely with your final picks. And as always, good luck to our fantasy friends. And we'll see you next season!

The Fantasy Challenge Podcast presents the Final Four episode 

Frankie, Javi and Vasiliki join forces for the last episode of the season

Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul v Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens (2025-05-23T15:00:00.000Z)

Olympiacos Piraeus v AS Monaco (2025-05-23T18:00:00.000Z)

For the first time ever, more than 20 influencers from around the world are coming together for the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Final Four in Abu Dhabi as part of the EuroLeague’s Amplifier Program.

EuroLeague Amplifier Program is ready to leave its mark at Final Four in Abu Dhabi

For the first time ever, more than 20 influencers from around the world are coming together for the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Final Four in Abu Dhabi as part of the EuroLeague’s Amplifier Program.

This crew of creators—from basketball content savants to lifestyle and travel trendsetters—has a combined reach of almost 15 million followers on Instagram (14,985,400) and over 19 million on TikTok (19,326,800). They’re flying in from Spain, Italy, France, Germany, Greece, Turkiye and the United Kingdom to join their UAE counterparts, and they’ll be giving their communities a front-row seat to everything happening at the Final Four and beyond. Among the 18 influencers are [Elvis Ude](https://www.instagram.com/thatkidelvis/) (Spain), [Ovie Soko](https://www.instagram.com/oviesoko/) (UK), [Valentina Vignali](https://www.instagram.com/valentinavignali/) (Italy), [Berk Keklik](https://www.instagram.com/uberkuloz/) (Turkiye) and [Shehab Alhashemi](https://www.instagram.com/shihabkoo/) (UAE).

In Abu Dhabi, these content creators will be able to experience sport, culture, and entertainment, all while showing the world what the EuroLeague is all about: passion, fun, and bringing people together. With exclusive access to the event and behind-the-scenes moments, these creators will dive into everything the league has to offer—from the Final Four games to the FanZone and the adidas NextGen EuroLeague—and bring fans along for the ride.

Away from the court, the partnership with Experience Abu Dhabi will allow the content creators to explore local culture, visit iconic landmarks, and try some of the exciting attractions Abu Dhabi has to offer, as they capture the full vibe of the city and share it with millions of fans across the globe.

The goal of their presence is to help bring in a younger audience and provide a different perspective at the Final Four, which in turn will help boost the reach of the EuroLeague. [Brisco](https://www.instagram.com/brisco_s3/), a former world champion freestyle basketball performer, will also perform during the NextGen EuroLeague Championship Game. 

The EuroLeague Amplifier Program will allow the EuroLeague to open up to new communities, connect cultures, and turning the Final Four weekend into something bigger than basketball. The influencers will help spread the energy of #EveryGameMatters during their stay in Abu Dhabi.

List of content creators heading to Abu Dhabi as part of the Amplifier Program:

[Ovie Soko (UK)](https://www.instagram.com/oviesoko/)

[Valentina Vignali (Italy)](https://www.instagram.com/valentinavignali/)

[Berk Keklik (Turkiye)](https://www.instagram.com/uberkuloz/)

[Shehab Alhashemi](https://www.instagram.com/shihabkoo/) (UAE)

[Elvis Ude (Spain)](https://www.instagram.com/thatkidelvis/)

[Tresco (Spain)](https://www.instagram.com/tresco_ball/)

[Pol Fores (Spain)](https://www.instagram.com/polforess/)

[Marta Diaz (Spain)](https://www.instagram.com/martaa_diiaz/)

[Reda Ouahbi (France)](https://www.instagram.com/rookicks_/)

[Brice Coyere (France)](https://www.instagram.com/brisco_s3/)

[Joanna Hanna (France)](https://www.instagram.com/joanahanna/)

[SBB (UK)](https://www.instagram.com/sbb_uk/)

[George Lentzas (Greece)](https://www.instagram.com/george_lntz/)

[Amal Bin Haider (UAE)](https://www.instagram.com/amalbinhaider/?hl=fr)

[Andrej Mangold (Germany)](https://www.instagram.com/dregold/)

[Marco D’Uva](https://www.instagram.com/__iyb__/) (Italy)

[Tommaso Marino (Italy)](https://www.instagram.com/tommy_marino1/)

This initiative will deliver the #EveryGameMatters essence to a wider audience

AS Monaco has provided its fans with some more good news ahead of the 2025 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Final Four by confirming the renewal of Matthew Strazel's contract until 2029.

Matthew Strazel renews at Monaco until 2029

[AS Monaco](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/as-monaco/mco/) has provided its fans with some more good news ahead of the 2025 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Final Four by confirming the renewal of [Matthew Strazel](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/matthew-strazel/008099/)'s contract until 2029.

<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="fr" dir="ltr">🚀 En route vers le Final Four de l&#39;Euroleague, Matthew Strazel prolonge l&#39;aventure avec la <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RocaTeam?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RocaTeam</a> ! 💎<br><br>🌟 Le médaillé d&#39;argent olympique et quadruple champion de France reste sur le Rocher jusqu&#39;en 2029 🇲🇨🔒<br><br>🗣 Communiqué et réaction à retrouver sur notre site 📝… <a href="https://t.co/b9KZZ7reT9">pic.twitter.com/b9KZZ7reT9</a></p>&mdash; AS Monaco Basket 🇲🇨 (@ASMonaco_Basket) <a href="https://twitter.com/ASMonaco_Basket/status/1924831500333109615?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 20, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Strazel is enjoying a career year in his sixth EuroLeague campaign to date, having averaged 8.4 points, 1.1 rebounds and 2.4 assists while playing in all 39 games for Monaco this season. He has the chance to build on his numbers at the Final Four, with Monaco taking on Olympiacos Piraeus in the semifinal.

The 22-year-old spent the first three years of his EuroLeague career with LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne after coming through the club's youth academy, then in 2022 he moved to the principality by joining Monaco.

Matthew Strazel's best plays of the 2024-25 season

“I feel at home here in Monaco. That's all I want, to find a home with an organization and a club that's ambitious," Strazel told Monaco's club website. "The management are ready to invest in me, which is why I decided to sign a new contract. I want to continue to progress, both individually and collectively, with this team. I'm looking forward to continuing and seeing what the club will become over the next few years.”

More Monaco News

A few days away from the Final Four, the talented guard has committed his future to the club

The first team to land in Abu Dhabi for the 2025 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Final Four was AS Monaco, and it was greeted by loud and harmonious song. Members of the Mubarak Al Atiba Group were on hand to perform the Al-Ayyala, a traditional Emirati cultural performance.

Monaco welcomed to Final Four with Al-Ayyala ceremony

The first team to land in Abu Dhabi for the [2025 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Final Four](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/final-four/) was [AS Monaco,](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/as-monaco/mco/) and it was greeted by loud and harmonious song. Members of the Mubarak Al Atiba Group were on hand to perform the Al-Ayyala, a traditional Emirati cultural performance. The same process was repeated when [Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/teams/panathinaikos-bc-athens/roster/pan/?season=2024-25) and [Olympiacos Piraeus](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/olympiacos-piraeus/roster/oly/?season=2024-25) touched down a few hours later.

Originally a ceremony used to welcome victorious warriors home from battle, today the Al-Ayyala is often performed to greet honored guests, such as the teams coming to Abu Dhabi to compete for the EuroLeague crown.

The ceremony consists of roughly 20 men in two rows facing each other, holding thin bamboo sticks that represent spears or swords. In between them are musicians beating drums, while the men chant melodic greetings. There were two falcons, with their handlers, among the performers.

The players were also offered traditional Arab coffee as part of the welcome ceremony.

The Monaco players were caught off guard by the ceremony with [Jaron Blossomgame](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/jaron-blossomgame/011231/), [Nick Calathes](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/nick-calathes/001932/) and [Mam Jaiteh](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/nick-calathes/001932/) quickly whipping out their phones to film the ongoings.

While most of the players headed to their rooms after arriving, a few stopped by the cameras to answer a couple of questions. Monaco superstar [Mike James](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/mike-james/005985/)  expressed how happy he is to be here.

His Panathinaikos counterpart and EuroLeague MVP [Kendrick Nunn](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/kendrick-nunn/012774/) sounded confident when it was his time to talk: "I feel great being here in Abu Dhabi. During our playoff run, I told my team we can't miss it. We have to be there. It's a great feeling. We will play two more games now and potentially win the championship. 

"Ultimately, you have to go out there and put your best efforts to win the game and get a victory. It will be a team effort, but for sure, I will be ready. We have much more experience this year. It's my second year in the EuroLeague. I know what to expect a little bit more, so I'm going in with a little bit more experience, which helps."

All of them were greeted with the traditional Emirati Al-Ayyala performance

Three teams have already touched down in Abu Dhabi

Pau Ribas has announced that he will retire from the game of basketball at the end of the season. 

Two-time EuroCup champion Pau Ribas announces his retirement

[Pau Ribas](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/pau-ribas/jug/) has announced that he will retire from the game of basketball at the end of the season. The 38-year-old combo guard decided to finish his 20-year playing career, in which he won titles with all four teams he played for: [Joventut Badalona](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/joventut-badalona/roster/jov/?season=2024-25), Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz, [Valencia Basket](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/valencia-basket/roster/pam/?season=2024-25) and FC Barcelona.

<center><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="ca" dir="ltr">💚🖤 𝙵𝚒𝚗𝚜 𝚊𝚚𝚞𝚒́<br><br>Gràcies, <a href="https://twitter.com/PauRibas?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PauRibas</a> <br> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CityOfBadalona?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CityOfBadalona</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Gr%C3%A0ciesP4U?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GràciesP4U</a> <a href="https://t.co/4Vvm6leOlt">pic.twitter.com/4Vvm6leOlt</a></p>&mdash; Club Joventut Badalona (@Penya1930) <a href="https://twitter.com/Penya1930/status/1924787327517290787?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 20, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Ribas joined Joventut at age 4. His parents became Joventut season ticket holders right after he was born. After playing for all of the team's youth categories, Ribas made his first-team debut in 2005. He became a full-time member of Joventut's first team before the start of the 2007-08 season and helped the team win the Copa del Rey and the EuroCup. He also won the FIBA EuroChallenge with Joventut in 2006.

Ribas went on to play for Baskonia, with which he won the Spanish League in 2010. He claimed a second EuroCup crown, this time with Valencia in 2014. Ribas made a series-winning shot late in the second leg of the two-game, total points eighthfinals against Khimki Moscow Region, which eventually allowed Valencia to lift the trophy. Ribas later won back-to-back Copa del Rey titles with Barça in 2018 and 2019. He was also a member of the Spanish national team, which he helped to win gold medals at EuroBasket 2015 and the 2019 Basketball World Cup.

<center><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="es" dir="ltr">🧡 Qué día aquel que cuenta <a href="https://twitter.com/ganchetto?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ganchetto</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/PauRibas?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PauRibas</a>. Con la voz de <a href="https://twitter.com/LaloAlzueta?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@LaloAlzueta</a> para superar la primera de cuatro eliminatorias seguidas sin ventaja de campo. <a href="https://t.co/OhXzQFJQyV">https://t.co/OhXzQFJQyV</a> <a href="https://t.co/ku5eZfCGJZ">pic.twitter.com/ku5eZfCGJZ</a></p>&mdash; Valencia Basket Club (@valenciabasket) <a href="https://twitter.com/valenciabasket/status/1924806237406871878?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 20, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

In 132 EuroCup career games with Joventut and Valencia, Rivas averaged 7.9 points and 2.9 assists. He made 41.5% of his three-point shots. Ribas ranks 10th in games played and three-point shots made (182), as well as 27th in points scored (1,049). Ribas also took part in 165 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague games with Baskonia, Barca, Valencia and Joventut, amassing 901 points and 371 assists.

The guard won the BKT EuroCup with both Joventut and Valencia

For those without tickets to the sold-out 2025 EuroLeague Final Four games, Euroleague Basketball is proud to announce four specially selected bars where fans can experience the drama, intensity, and passion of the Final Four in unforgettable fashion.

Catch all the Final Four action at the four official Abu Dhabi viewing venues

As the excitement builds for the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Final Four, Euroleague Basketball is bringing the action closer to fans across Abu Dhabi. We’re happy to announce four specially selected locations where fans can experience the drama, intensity, and passion of the Final Four in unforgettable fashion.

Each venue offers a unique flavor, from authentic charm to upscale viewing vibes—ensuring every type of basketball fan can find their perfect spot.

### Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens WatchPoint: Panathinaikos Athens

##### [49’ers (LEAF Tower: Lower Ground Floor Leaf Tower - Al Reem Island – Tamouh)](https://maps.app.goo.gl/KgDdg4P5Tkt6j9rs9)

Fit with the largest LED screen to watch the games, 49'ers promises a lively atmosphere filled with energy and great food. As a bonus, it is walking distance from the FanZone. Known for its classic grill, lively crowd, and rustic charm, this is where die-hard fans can feel right at home.

### Olympiacos Piraeus WatchPoint: Legend

##### [The G.O.A.T. & Bambu (Cristal Hotel: Zayed The First St - Al Danah - Zone 1)](https://maps.app.goo.gl/vDYqbxFcX4ysRjh27)

Get ready for a vibrant experience. The G.O.A.T. lives up to its name—serving up gourmet bites and dynamic beverages in a sleek setting. Attached to Bambu, a stylish lounge, this venue blends the best of sports viewing with upbeat nightlife vibes for an all-in-one experience.

### AS Monaco WatchPoint: Roca Zone

##### [The Brown Lion (Marriott Hotel: Marriott Hotel Downtown - Sheikh Rashid Bin Saeed St - Al Manhal - Al Tibbiya)](https://maps.app.goo.gl/axhb7PYTkqY2RBN49)

The Brown Lion offers warm hospitality, comfort food, and the perfect pint to go with every three-pointer. With 13 screens, you can find a comfortable seat with friends and see the game from every angle. It’s ideal for fans looking for a laid-back yet passionate space to watch the games and connect with fellow supporters.

### Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul WatchPoint: Yellow Legacy

##### [The Irish Vickers (The Hub – Level 6 - World Trade Center Mall. Khalifa Bin Zayed The First St - Al Danah - Zone 1 - Abu Dhabi​)](https://maps.app.goo.gl/VmffDUNgiJWNcZHdA)

With multiple screens, hearty Irish fare, and an unbeatable central location, it’s a go-to game-night destination for spirited group viewing and unforgettable Final Four moments.

Don’t miss a second of the action—join fellow fans and experience the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Final Four at these incredible venues across the city.

Each team’s fanbase will have a dedicated WatchPoint at stunning locations around Abu Dhabi

Igor Petrinovic explains why Panathinaikos BC should not be underestimated at the 2025 EuroLeague Final Four.

2025 Final Four: The case for... Panathinaikos

A sign of a great team is knowing how to win. That means not just playing well and winning when things are clicking, but even more so, it means pulling out victories when not everything is going your way. The reigning Turkish Airlines EuroLeague champion [Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/panathinaikos-aktor-athens/pan/) checks all those boxes.

The defending champs obviously proved their greatness last season, but every campaign is a new story. With the expectation and goal of repeating their climb to the throne, the Greens showed on occasions during the regular season how dominant and seemingly unbeatable they can be.

However, what made Panathinaikos great is its fair share of bumps and obstacles along the way, which it managed to overcome to find its way to Abu Dhabi.

The 7th Star | “We Broke the Curse” - How Panathinaikos Made History Again | Documentary

### The injuries and the struggles

Coach Ergin Ataman's squad, with every single important piece of the championship team returning this season, had a slow start in October and November. They had just eight wins after 15 rounds to start the season and sat 10th place in the standing. Then came a gruesome leg injury to All-EuroLeague center and the team’s main source of energy, [Mathias Lessort](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/mathias-lessort/003842/), to start the 2025 calendar year. Then [Omer Yurtseven](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/omer-yurtseven/005353/) got injured, too, so the Greens had to bring in two centers – [Wenyen Gabriel](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/wenyen-gabriel/013383/) and [Tibor Pleiss](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/tibor-pleiss/lhk/) – just to have a big body in the paint.

But Panathinaikos got safely to the harbor thanks to EuroLeague MVP [Kendrick Nunn](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/kendrick-nunn/012774/) taking the reins and putting on display some remarkable performances. [Juancho Hernangomez](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/juancho-hernangomez/012712/) had the best season of his career, while [Kostas Sloukas](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/kostas-sloukas/001926/) was showing up in big games, the best of them being against Friday's semifinal opponent, Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul. With the likes of [Jerian Grant](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/jerian-grant/011204/), [Cedi Osman](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/cedi-osman/004088/), Gabriel and once recovered Yurtseven stepping up in their roles, the Greens guaranteed home-court advantage for the playoffs.

There, they showed more know-how against a gritty Anadolu Efes Istanbul, with [Konstantinos Mitoglou](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/konstantinos-mitoglou/007866/) stepping up alongside Nunn in a key Game 3, and Osman finishing the job with a career performance in Game 5.

### Right where they want to be

So, Panathinaikos advanced to Abu Dhabi. Was it in impressive fashion? No. Was it dominant? No. Were there worries about the team’s lack of size behind Hernangomez? Absolutely. Were there doubts from outside looking in? Every step of the way.

But, Panathinaikos overcame it all.

And that is exactly what makes this team even more dangerous.

They had their injury problems. Their stars had off nights in important games. They had many games where they struggled offensively, or defensively, for great portions of the night.

Yet, they would produce big fourth-quarter comebacks. Their stars would ignite at just the right time. Players would step up to fill in for the injury absences.

And the Greens got back to the Final Four, where Coach Ataman confirmed to SKWEEK that they will be counting on the services of Mathias Lessort once again.

With or without the big man from Martinique, who wants to bet against the defending champ back at the Final Four, a place where it aimed to be all along?

Me neither.

Igor Petrinovic explains why the Greens should not be underestimated at the 2025 EuroLeague Final Four

The biggest and best of the best will seek to shine in Abu Dhabi at the Adidas NextGen EuroLeague Finals with five past continental champions highlighting the eight-team field that includes two-time defending champion U18 Real Madrid

Real Madrid seeks NextGen EuroLeague three-peat with former champs standing in its way

The biggest and best of the best will seek to shine in Abu Dhabi at the Adidas NextGen EuroLeague Finals with five past continental champions highlighting the eight-team field that includes two-time defending champion U18 Real Madrid. The action will start on May 22 at the Mubadala Arena in Zayed Sports City with the 2025 winner to be crowned on May 25. All the games will be broadcast live and free of charge on Euroleague Basketball’s YouTube channel.

The record five-time winner Real slipped up in the qualifying but the Spanish side still must be dethroned as it looks for the competition’s first three-peat in 19 years. Four other past winners -  U18 Pole France INSEP Paris, U18 Zalgiris Kaunas, U18 FC Barcelona and U18 Mega Super Belgrade - will be looking to add another crown to their trophy cases. The other three teams competing for the 22nd NextGen EuroLeague title are host U18 Dubai Basketball, U18 EA7 Emporio Armani Milan and U18 Overtime Elite.

The eight teams are broken down into two four-team groups with the clubs facing each of the others in their group in a round-robin style from May 22 to 24. Group A consists of Barcelona, Dubai, Mega and Milan while Group B is made up of INSEP, OTE, Real and Zalgiris. All three games played between Barcelona, Mega and Milan in Group A will be hotly contested while the absolute highlight of Group B will be Real facing INSEP - a repeat of last season’s NextGen Championship Game, which Real won 85-84 in overtime.

 

### Five of 11 past winners on hand

Five of the 11 clubs that have won the NextGen EuroLeague will be playing in Abu Dhabi, including eight of the last nine winners. Real is the record champion with five crowns -  2015, 2019, 2021, 2023 and 2024 - while U18 CSKA Moscow managed the only three-peat from 2004 to 2006. Zalgiris (2003 and 2007) and INSEP (2010 and 2017) are two of the other four teams with two continental trophies - along with U18 FMP Belgrade and U18 Rytas Vilnius. 2016 winner Barcelona and 2022 champ Mega will be looking to join the group of multiple title-holders.

 

### Breakdown of Group A

Barcelona will enter the tournament as one of the favorites. The Spanish powerhouse, which reached the NextGen Championship Game in 2008, 2013 and 2021, booked its ticket to Abu Dhabi by winning the NextGen Ulm qualifier. Barcelona, which will be playing in the Finals for the 12th time - including the last three - will be hungry to end its nine-year drought. It last triumphed in 2016 in Berlin. The team gained added confidence by winning the Spanish U18 domestic crown earlier this month.

Dubai will be competing in the Finals for the first time; the host team is participating in the competition for just the second time. Dubai, which received a wild card for the Finals, lost all four of its games at the NextGen Ulm tournament.

Mega has become a regular in the Finals, making it to the finale for a ninth straight edition. The Serbian side won the whole thing in 2022 and reached the championship game in 2017 and 2019. Mega claimed its berth for Abu Dhabi in December when it won the Istanbul qualifying tournament. Since then, Mega clinched its fourth straight U19 ABA League crown.

Milan is making back-to-back appearances - and third overall in addition to 2013-14 - after getting a wild card for the second straight season. The Italian club lost to INSEP in the first-place game of the Belgrade qualifier - a year after falling to Barcelona in the Belgrade first-place game. Milan, which won the U19 domestic league crown earlier in May, is hoping to become the first Italian club to win the NextGen EuroLeague. U18 Montepaschi Siena was the runner-up in 2004 and U18 Stella Azzurra Rome reached the championship game in 2018

 

### Group B breakdown

INSEP is another regular in the Finals, making its 10th appearance after clinching its spot by winning the Belgrade qualifier. The famed French academy will be looking to make good on its gut-wrenching loss to Real in last season’s championship game. And the opportunity will come on the final day of group action when it faces the Spanish powerhouse. 

Overtime Elite has received a wild card for the second straight Finals. The United States-based organization grabbed two victories in its debut in Berlin, knocking off Barcelona and U18 ALBA Berlin. The team will feature some of the best youth players in the USA.

Real will be coming to Abu Dhabi in a very uncommon state. First off, the team failed to win the Munich qualifying tournament to snap its streak of winning qualifiers at 11. That meant the Spanish giant needed a wild card to stay alive for its sixth continental crown. Another dent in Real’s armor was losing in the final of the U18 Spanish championship to Barcelona earlier this month.

Zalgiris is playing in the Finals for the 16th time. In addition to the titles in 2003 and 2007, the Lithuanian side finished second in 2005, 2006 and 2011. Zalgiris received a wild card for Abu Dhabi after giving Barcelona a strong fight in the first-place game at the NextGen Ulm tournament.

The 2025 NextGen EuroLeague Finals field includes five clubs that have already hoisted the trophy.

Ask Luigi Suigo who his inspiration was growing up and you might be surprised with his answer – the U18 EA7 Emporio Armani Milan big man was a major fan of James Harden. Fast-forward to 2025 and Suigo will be one of the top stars at the Adidas NextGen EuroLeague Finals, where Milan is a dark horse title contender. 

Milan big man Luigi Suigo grew up idolizing James Harden

Ask [Luigi Suigo](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/ngt/players/luigi-suigo/012116/) who his inspiration was growing up and you might be surprised with his answer – the [U18 EA7 Emporio Armani Milan](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/ngt/teams/u18-ea7-emporio-armani-milan/jmi/) big man was a major fan of James Harden. Fast-forward to 2025 and Suigo will be one of the top stars at the Adidas NextGen EuroLeague Finals, where Milan is a dark horse title contender. 

Suigo has seen a dramatic rise in his game in the past year, helping Milan defend its title in the recent U19 Italian League championship. The 2.20-meter center was named to the All-Tournament Team with a dominant performance, including a triple-double of 13 points, 13 boards and 12 blocks in the semifinals against College Borgomanero.

That gives Suigo and Milan confidence heading to Abu Dhabi for the NextGen Finals. 

“The goal is always to play at our best and be in the top two, and I think we need to be aware that we can do it,” Suigo told David Hein of the NextGen EuroLeague's website. 

The native of Tradate in the Varese province seems to be making up for lost time this season. In February, he was named the Most Valuable Player as Milan repeated its crown at the U19 Next Gen Cup. 

“I think we always had something more than the other teams and also the fact that I improved a lot helped me to do well,” he said. 

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And then in March, he was a major contributor to Milan reaching the first place game of the NextGen EuroLeague Belgrade, where the Italian side lost 74-60 to U18 Pole France INSEP Paris. Suigo was in foul trouble throughout that game but still managed to finish with 8 points, 9 rebounds and 3 blocks.

“I remember that from the beginning we approached the game with fear of not being strong enough, which unfortunately limited us in staying in the game and falling behind by a lot,” said the big man, who averaged 12.5 points, 11.2 rebounds, 2.2 steals and 1.8 blocks during the tournament.

“The main thing I think we have understood is don't be afraid of anyone. We know the team we are and our capabilities and whatever team we are against we have to give our best.”

It shouldn’t a surprise any time Suigo flashes a smile when he is on the court. After all, he dealt with a heel problem that did not allow him to play team basketball for five years, from age seven to 12. During that time, he practiced Harden’s famous step-back shot.   

“Not being able to play was frustrating honestly because I've always loved basketball and not being able to play it made me sad for a while,” he admitted. And about Harden, he added: “I've always been fascinated by how he was unguardable from every point of view.”

Suigo moved to Varese shortly after playing again and then, in 2022 at age 15, he joined Milan to help improve his game. The improvement was steady and impressive and by early 2024, Milan gave Suigo a special present on January 28 – one day before his 17th birthday – by allowing him to make his Italian League debut. He even scored his first points in 2 minutes against Sassari on a buzzer beater.  

“It was a beautiful and unexpected moment that I will always carry with me,” he said. 

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Suigo’s 2024 included another major highlight, playing for Italy at the FIBA U17 Basketball World Cup 2024 in Türkiye. The team lost its first two games but rallied to make history and reach the final for its first-ever U17 medal. 

“We started out a bit tense I remember but after the two defeats we understood that we couldn't continue like this and we cleared our heads all together. From there, the rest is history,” said Suigo, who contributed 7.0 points, 6.6 rebounds and 1.7 blocks in his first tournament for Italy. 

Italy could not handle the United States in the first half of the final, trailing 73-36 at halftime. But Italy tied the third quarter and only lost the fourth by four points – against a USA team stacked with future superstars like Cameron Boozer, AJ Dybantsa, Koa Peat, Tyran Stokes and so on.

“The most substantial difference was the athletic part and their bodies. But speaking from the technical side, I think that we were also on par with them,” the big man said. 

With two Italian youth titles already locked up this season, Suigo and co. are ready for what awaits in Abu Dhabi, where Milan have been placed into Group A along with 2022 continental champion U18 Mega Super Belgrade, U18 Dubai Basketball and 2016 NextGen winner U18 FC Barcelona.

“The main thing I think we have understood is don't be afraid of anyone. We know the team we are and our capabilities and whatever team we are against we have to give our best,” he said.

Suigo now intends to take his next step towards being an inspiration for other young Italians. 

The 18-year-old is ready to make a big impression at the NextGen EuroLeague Finals

U18 EA7 Emporio Armani Milan v U18 Mega Super  Belgrade (2025-05-22T08:15:00.000Z)

U18 FC Barcelona v U18 EA7 Emporio Armani Milan (2025-05-23T08:15:00.000Z)

U18 Dubai Basketball v U18 EA7 Emporio Armani Milan (2025-05-24T06:00:00.000Z)

Both regular season games were won by the Greens, but they were very close encounters with [a 76-81 road victory](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/panathinaikos-roars-back-for-a-thrilling-76-81-win-at-fenerbahce/) for Ergin Ataman's men followed by [February's 91-90 thriller in Athens](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/panathinaikos-edges-fenerbahce-91-90-in-a-titanic-tussle/).

Sarunas Jasikevicius's team was the most impressive of all in the playoffs, comfortably sweeping [Paris Basketball](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/paris-basketball/prs/?season=2024-25) to earn a few days extra rest compared to Panathinaikos, which needed all five games to eventually overcome [Anadolu Efes Istanbul](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/anadolu-efes-istanbul/ist/?season=2024-25).

Although the offensive prowess of [regular season MVP](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/202425-turkish-airlines-euroleague-mvp-kendrick-nunn-panathinaikos-aktor-athens/) [Kendrick Nunn](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/kendrick-nunn/012774/) and four-time champion [Kostas Sloukas](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/kostas-sloukas/001926/) will grab most of the pregame attention, a key to this contest could be whether Panathinaikos produces the same kind of defensive prowess that successfully stifled Efes's dangerous scorers in the playoff decider.

### Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul

 

**Streaks**

Nigel Hayes-Davis has made at least 1 triple in 42 straight games.

Hayes-Davis has posted a PIR of 10 or more in 10 straight games.

Hayes-Davis has scored 14 or more points in seven straight games.

Hayes-Davis had at least 1 steal in five straight games.

Hayes-Davis has made 10 consecutive free throws.

Wade Baldwin has posted a PIR in double figures in seven straight games.

Baldwin has scored 10 or more points and made at least 1 three-pointer in five of his last six games.

Bonzie Colson has made at least 1 three-pointer in six of his last seven games.

Tarik Biberovic has made at least 1 three-pointer in five straight and seven of his last eight games.

Biberovic has scored in double figures and had a double-digit PIR in four straight games.

Dyshawn Pierre has made 9 consecutive free throws.

 

**Season rankings**

Nigel Hayes-Davis finished the regular season ranked ninth in average index rating with 17.8 per game.

Hayes-Davis finished the regular season ranked eighth in scoring with 16.8 points per game.

Hayes-Davis finished the regular season ranked eighth in steals with 1.1 per game.

Hayes-Davis finished the regular season tied for sixth in three-pointers made with 2.5 per game.

Nigel Hayes-Davis ranked second in the 2025 EuroLeague Playoffs with 21.7 average PIR.

Tarik Biberovic ranked first in the 2025 EuroLeague Playoffs with 3.7 three-pointers made per game.

Fenerbahce ranks third in free-throw shooting at 81.9%.

Fenerbahce ranks third in rebounding with 35.6 per game.

Fenerbahce ranks third in offensive rebounding with 11.8 per game.

Fenerbahce ranks second with 11.2 three-pointers made per game.

Fenerbahce has held opponents to 10.1 offensive rebounds, which is the second-lowest in the league.

Fenerbahce has allowed 81.0 points per game, which is the third-fewest in the league.

Fenerbahce has held opponents to 34.2% three-point shooting, the third-lowest this season.

 

**Records/Milestones**

Nigel Hayes-Davis set the EuroLeague single-game scoring record with 50 points in a victory over ALBA Berlin in Round 32 last season.

Nicolo Melli is in sixth place all-time in rebounds with 1,637. Jan Vesely of FC Barcelona is fifth with 1,780.

Melli is in second place all-time in defensive rebounds with 1,221. Paulius Jankunas is the all-time leader with 1,453 defensive rebounds.

Melli is tied with Victor Khryapa for 15th place all-time with 161 career blocks. Mirza Begic is 14th with 163 blocks.

Scottie Wilbekin ranks fourth all-time with 608 three-pointers made. Sergio Rodriguez is third with 609.

Marko Guduric ranks 20th all-time with 384 three-pointers made. Gianluca Basile is 19th with 421.

Wilbekin is in 14th place all-time with 282 steals. Melli is 13th with 286. Kyle Hines is 12th all-time with 287 career steals.

Wilbekin needs 16 rebounds to reach 500 for his career.

Melli needs 33 points to reach 2,500 for his career.

Sertac Sanli needs 7 rebounds to reach 500 for his career.

Devon Hall needs 3 rebounds to reach 300 for his career.

Sertac Sanli is tied for 19th place in Final Fours this century with 5 blocks.

Game Videos

### Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens

 

**Streaks**

Kendrick Nunn has made at least 1 three-point shot in 43 of his last 44 games.

Nunn has scored 12 or more points in 10 straight and 16 of his last 17 games.

Juancho Hernangomez has pulled down 5 or more rebounds in 21 straight games.

Hernangomez has made at least 1 three-point shot in five of his last six games.

Mathias Lessort has pulled down at least 5 rebounds in 11 straight and 23 of his last 24 games.

Lessort has had a PIR of 10 or more in 25 of his last 26 games.

Jerian Grant has made at least 1 three-point shot in nine of his last 10 games.

Cedi Osman has made at least 1 three-point shot in six straight games.

Osman has scored more than 10 points in four of his last five games.

Osman had double-digit PIRs in four straight games.

Osman has made 12 consecutive free throws.

Konstantinos Mitoglou has made at least 1 three-point shot in six of his last seven games.

Kostas Sloukas has made at least 1 three-point shot in four of his last five games.

Sloukas has made 16 consecutive free throws.

 

**Season rankings**

Kendrick Nunn was the regular season's scoring leader with 21.1 points per game.

Nunn finished the regular season as the league leader in three-pointers made with 3.1 per game.

Nunn finished the regular season ranked fifth in average index rating with 20.3 per game.

Juancho Hernangomez finished the regular season ranked third in rebounding with 6.7 per game.

Wenyen Gabriel finished the regular season ranked ninth in offensive rebounding with 1.9 per game.

Gabriel finished the regular season ranked fifth in blocks with 1.1 per game.

Kostas Sloukas finished the regular season ranked ninth in assists with 4.8 per game.

Sloukas finished the regular season ranked sixth in free-throw shooting at 93.5%.

Juancho Hernangomez was the 2025 EuroLeague Playoffs rebounding leader with 8.8 boards per game.

Omer Yurtseven was the 2025 EuroLeague Playoffs leader in offensive rebounds with 3.4  per game.

Kostas Sloukas ranked fifth in the 2025 EuroLeague Playoffs with 5.0 assists per game.

Panathinaikos leads the league in average PIR with 103.2 per game.

Panathinaikos is second in the league in scoring with 87.3 points per game.

Panathinaikos ranks second in defensive rebounding with 24.3 per game.

Panathinaikos ranks third in steals with 7.0 per game.

Panathinaikos has allowed a league-high 38.6% on three-point shooting.

Panathinaikos has allowed 10.2 offensive rebounds per game, the third-lowest this season.

Panathinaikos has allowed the second-fewest total rebounds, 32.4 per game.

 

**Records/Milestones**

Kostas Sloukas is tied with Kyle Hines for second place all-time with 425 games played. The next time he takes the floor, he will be in sole possession of the second place, behind only Sergio Llull’s 447 games played.

Sloukas is ranked second all-time with 1,884 assists. Nick Calathes of AS Monaco is the all-time leader with 2,130 and counting.

Sloukas is in fourth place all-time with 1,020 free throws made. Vassilis Spanoulis is third with 1,131.

Sloukas is seventh all-time with 4,051 career points. Nikola Mirotic of EA7 Emporio Armani Milan is sixth with 4,068 career points.

Sloukas is ranked fourth all-time with 5,063 index rating points. Jan Vesely of FC Barcelona is third with 5,123.

Sloukas is 12th all-time with 509 three-point shots made. Nando De Colo of LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne is 11th with 510, and Rodrigue Beaubois of Anadolu Efes Istanbul is 10th with 513.

Marius Grigonis ranks eighth all-time in free-throw accuracy at 90.6%.

Sloukas ranks 15th all-time in free-throw accuracy at 89.2%.

Sloukas is in 18th place on the all-time charts with 269 career steals. Vassilis Spanoulis is 17th with 273 steals.

Tibor Pleiss is ranked seventh all-time with 229 career blocks. Alex Tyus is sixth with 238.

Pleiss is in 11th place all-time with 470 offensive rebounds. Vincent Poirier of Efes is in 10th place all-time with 480 offensive rebounds.

Pleiss is tied with Nick Calathes of AS Monaco for 11th place all-time with 1,009 two-pointers made. Paulius Jankunas is 10th with 1,011.

Pleiss is ranked 16th all-time with 1,400 rebounds. Nikola Milutinov of Olympiacos Piraeus is 15th with 1,423 and counting.

Grigonis needs 4 steals to reach 100 for his career.

Jerian Grant is the all-time leader with a 3.2-to-1 career assist-to-turnover ratio.

With his next appearance in a Final Four game, Kostas Sloukas will move into second place all-time with 21 Final Four games played. Victor Khryapa is the leader with 23.

Kostas Sloukas ranks third in Final Fours this century in assists with 67. Sergio Llull of Real Madrid is second with 71, and Sergio Rodriguez of Real Madrid is the leader with 76.

Sloukas is second in Final Fours this century in accumulated PIR with 203. Victor Khryapa is the leader with 208.

Sloukas is ranked second in Final Fours this century with 57 free throws made each. Nando De Colo is the leader with 59.

Sloukas ranks fourth in Final Fours this century in scoring with 191 points. JR Holden is third with 194 points and Sergio Rodriguez is second with 209. Sergio Llull is the scoring leader at the Final Fours this century with 213.

Sloukas ranks eighth in Final Fours this century with 37 two-pointers made. Holden is seventh with 39 two-pointers made and Llull is sixth with 40.

Sloukas is tied with Kostas Papanikolaou of Olympiacos Piraeus for 11th place in Final Fours this century with 20 three-point shots made apiece. Jaycee Carroll and David Blue are tied for ninth with 21 triples apiece, while Saras Jasikevicius and Vassilis Spanoulis are tied for seventh with 22 apiece.

Kostas Sloukas is tied with Kostas Papanikolaou of Olympiacos Piraeus for 12th place in Final Fours this century with 37 defensive rebounds. Milos Teodosic and Mike Batiste are tied for 10th place with 38 defensive rebounds apiece.

Sloukas is tied for 18th place in Final Fours this century with 9 steals. Kostas Papanikolaou of Olympiacos Piraeus, Marko Jaric, Jaka Lakovic and Sergio Rodriguez are tied for 14th with 10 steals apiece.

Sloukas needs 1 rebound to enter the top 20 in rebounding in Final Fours this century.

Game News

The opening semifinal will see reigning champion Panathinaikos continue its quest for back-to-back titles, while Fenerbahce aims to stay on track for its first crown since 2017.

Game Facts: Fenerbahce vs. Panathinaikos

 - This is a rematch of the 2024 Final Four semifinals in which Panathinaikos beat Fenerbahce 73-57 behind 17 points and 10 rebounds from Mathias Lessort.

\- Panathinaikos has won four straight games against Fenerbahce, including a 2024-25 regular-season sweep. In Round 5, the Greens pulled out a 76-81 win in Istanbul. Panathinaikos edged Fenerbahce 91-90 at home in Round 25 behind 23 points from Kostas Sloukas.

\- Fenerbahce guard Devon Hall tied his career high with 7 rebounds and teammate Khem Birch tied his career high with 3 blocks in Round 25 against Panathinaikos. 

\- Fenerbahce became the first - and to date only - team to sweep a best-of-five EuroLeague Playoff series without having the home-court advantage when it ousted the Greens in 2017.

\- Panathinaikos guard Kostas Sloukas spent five seasons with Fenerbahce, from 2015 to 2020. He helped the club win the 2017 EuroLeague, reach four Final Fours and win three Turkish League championships in his time there.

\- In the 2023 EuroLeague Playoffs, while playing for Olympiacos Piraeus against Fenerbahce, Sloukas made a game-winning triple in Game 3 and then earned MVP honors in Game 5 when he scored 22 points with 6 assists, accumulating a PIR of 27.

\- Fenerbahce head coach Sarunas Jasikevicius played four seasons for Panathinaikos from 2007 through 2010 and again in 2011-12. In that time, he helped the Greens to the 2009 EuroLeague championship and three Greek League crowns and three Greek Cups.

\- Panathinaikos guard Marius Grigonis played under Coach Jasikevicius at Zalgiris Kaunas for two seasons, from 2018 to 2020.

\- Grigonis was a teammate of Fenerbahce forward Nigel Hayes-Davies for two seasons at Zalgiris Kaunas, from 2019 to 2021.

\- Panathinaikos center Omer Yurtseven played in the Fenerbahce youth categories and made his professional debut there before leaving in 2016.

\- Fenerbahce's Melih Mahmutoglu, Metecan Biersen, Scottie Wilbekin and Setac Sanli have been teammates of Panathinaikos forward Cedi Osman on the Turkish national team.

\- Mahmutoglu and Sanli have also been teammates on the Turkish national team with Omer Yurtseven. They played under current Panathinaikos head coach Ergin Ataman.

\- Fenerbahce guard Errick McCollum played under Panathinaikos head coach Ergin Ataman at Anadolu Efes Istanbul in the second part of the 2017-18 season, and at Galatasaray during the 2015-16 season. They won the 2016 EuroCup together.

\- Panathinaikos playmaker Lorenzo Brown played for Fenerbahce during the 2020-21 season.

\- Brown was a teammate of Fenerbahce's Wade Baldwin and Bonzie Colson at Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv for the last two seasons.

\- Baldwin earned MVP of the Round honors last season while leading Maccabi to a 90-75 win over Panathinaikos in Round 23. He had 22 points and 8 assists for a PIR of 33.

\- Bonzie Colson had a career game with a PIR of 41, collecting 29 points, 14 rebounds and making 5 three-pointers, all career highs, playing for Maccabi in a road loss against Panathinaikos in January 2023.

\- Fenerbahce guard Scottie Wilbekin was a teammate of Panathinaikos center Mathias Lessort for the start of the 2021-22 season at Maccabi.

\- Wilbekin grabbed a career-high 7 rebounds playing for Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv against Panathinaikos in October 2021.

\- Panathinaikos guard Kendrick Nunn made a career-high 10 two-point shots when Panathinaikos beat Fenerbahce 74-63 in Athens in February 2024.

\- In that same game, Panathinaikos forward Juancho Hernangomez collected a career-high 3 steals.

\- Fenerbahce guard Errick McCollum posted his career high in steals with 4, playing for Khimki Moscow Region against Panathinaikos in January 2021.

\- Panathinaikos forward Ioannis Papapetrou dished a career-high 6 assists against Fenerbahce in April 2022.

\- Papapetrou tied his career-high in blocks with 3 against Fenerbahce in February 2019.

\- Panathinaikos guard Marius Grigonis dished a career-high 8 assists playing for Zalgiris Kaunas against Fenerbahce in March 2021.

\- Fenerbahce forward Dyshawn Pierre collected a career-high 10 rebounds in an 83-69 win over Panathinaikos in October 2023.

\- Pierre blocked a career-high 3 shots against Panathinaikos in January 2021.

\- Panathinaikos point guard Kostas Sloukas had a career-best 4 steals playing for Olympiacos Piraeus in a road loss against Fenerbahce in January 2022.

Game Notes: Fenerbahce vs. Panathinaikos

It will be the 14th meeting between the teams since 2022, including another semifinal two years ago, which was taken by Olympiacos after a historic 27-2 third quarter surge.

Mike James will lead Monaco's attempts to prevent the Greek giant's attempts to exert another defensive stranglehold. The star guard again showed his clutch mentality by scoring 20 points in Game 5 of the playoff series against Barcelona, and his backcourt partnership with the smooth scoring skills of Elie Okobo and the three-point shooting threat of Matthew Strazel will propel the Monaco offense.

A key player for Olympiacos will inevitably be effortlessly elegant forward Sasha Vezenkov, who followed a fabulous regular season by being named Playoffs MVP with averages of 19 points and 7 boards in the 3-1 series victory over Real Madrid.

### Olympiacos Piraeus

**Streaks**

Sasha Vezenkov has scored in double figures and posted a double-digit PIR in 39 straight games.

Vezenkov has posted a PIR of 14 or more in 35 straight games.

Vezenkov has made at least 1 three-pointer in 24 straight games.

Vezenkov has pulled down at least 5 rebounds in 14 of his last 15 games.

Alec Peters has had PIRs in double figures in six of his last seven games.

Evan Fournier has made at least 1 three-pointer in six of his last seven games.

Fournier scored at least 13 points and had double-digit PIRs in five of his last six games.

Fournier had at least 1 steal in five of his last six games.

Nikola Milutinov has multiple offensive rebounds in seven of his last eight games.

Moustapha Fall has blocked at least 1 shot in four of his last five games.

Keenan Evans has scored at least 10 points in 10 straight and 21 of his last 22 games.

Evans has posted a double-digit PIR in nine of his last 10 games.

Evans has made at least 1 three-pointer in 17 straight games.

Evans has made 21 consecutive free throws.

**Season rankings**

Sasha Vezenkov was the regular-season leader in average index rating with 24.5 per game.

Vezenkov finished the regular season ranked third in scoring with 20.2 points per game.

Evan Fournier finished the regular season ranked 10th in scoring with 15.8 points per game.

Vezenkov finished the regular season ranked fourth in rebounding with 6.6 per game.

Nikola Milutinov finished the regular season ranked fifth in offensive rebounding with 2.6 per game.

Moustapha Fall was the regular season leader in two-point shooting at 77.2%.

Alec Peters finished the regular season ranked second in three-point shooting at 54.4%.

Peters finished the regular season ranked fourth in free-throw shooting at 94.1%.

Evan Fournier finished the regular season ranked fifth in three-pointers made with 2.6 per game.

Sasha Vezenkov was the 2025 EuroLeague Playoffs leader in PIR with an average of 22.8.

Vezenkov ranked third in scoring in the 2025 EuroLeague Playoffs with 19.0 points per game.

Evan Fournier was fourth in scoring in the playoffs with 17.7 points per game.

Vezenkov was tied for second in the 2025 EuroLeague Playoffs with 7.0 rebounds per game.

Nikola Milutinov was fourth in rebounding the the playoffs with 6.3 per game.

Milutinov ranked second in the 2025 EuroLeague Playoffs with 3.3 offensive rebounds per game.

Fournier ranked fourth in steals in the 2025 EuroLeague Playoffs with 1.7 per game.

Olympiacos leads the league in assists with 20.9 per game.

Olympiacos is second in the league in team PIR with 101.2 per game.

**Records/Milestones**

Kostas Papanikolaou is the all-time leader in games started with 338.

Papanikolaou is in eighth place all-time in steals with 326. Mike James of AS Monaco is seventh with 330 and counting.

Papanikolaou is ranked 12th all-time with 1,431 career rebounds. Georgios Printezis is 11th with 1,452.

Nikola Milutinov is ranked 15th all-time with 1,423 career rebounds. Othello Hunter is 14th with 1,424.

Milutinov is ranked sixth all-time in offensive rebounds with 653. Jan Vesely of FC Barcelona is fifth with 657.

Moustapha Fall ranks second all-time in two-point accuracy at 73.0%.

Fall is ranked 12th all-time with 170 career blocked shots. Stephane Lasme is 11th with 174 career blocks.

Milutinov is tied with Ante Tomic for 18th place all-time with 155 blocked shots. With his next block, he will tie Jordan Mickey for 17th place.

Thomas Walkup ranks 15th all-time with a 2.5-to-1 career assist-to-turnover ratio.

Walkup is ranked 14th all-time in assists with 1,013. Vasilije Micic is 13th with 1,097 assists.

Walkup is in 15th place all-time in steals with 281. Scottie Wilbekin of Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul is in 14th place with 282 steals, and Nicolo Melli of Fenerbahce is 13th with 286 and counting.

Alec Peters ranks 11th all-time in free-throw shooting accuracy at 90.1%.

Peters ranks third all-time in three-point accuracy at 46.6%.

Keenan Evans needs 2 steals to reach 100 for his career.

With his next appearance in a Final Four game, Kostas Papanikolaou will move into a tie with Milos Teodosic and Andrey Vorontsevich for ninth place all-time with 15 Final Four games played. JR Holden is eighth with 16 appearances in Final Four games.

Papanikolaou has 12 starts in Final Four games this century, which is tied for the third most. Victor Khryapa is second with 13 starts, and JR Holden is the leader with 15 starts in Final Four games.

Papanikolaou is tied with Kostas Sloukas of Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens for 11th place in Final Fours this century with 20 three-point shots made. Jaycee Carroll and David Blue are tied for ninth with 21 triples apiece, while Saras Jasikevicius and Vassilis Spanoulis are tied for seventh with 22 apiece.

Papanikolaou ranks in ninth place in Final Fours this century with 55 rebounds. Mike Batiste is eighth with 58 rebounds, and Nikola Mirotic is seventh with 59 rebounds.

Papanikolaou is tied with Nikola Mirotic and Brandon Davies for 13th place in Final Fours this century with 18 offensive rebounds. Matjaz Smodis, Sasha Kaun and Maceo Baston are tied for 10th place with 19 offensive rebounds each.

Papanikolaou is tied with Kostas Sloukas of Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens for 12th place in Final Fours this century with 37 defensive rebounds. Milos Teodosic and Mike Batiste are tied for 10th place with 38 apiece.

Shaquielle McKissic ranks 12th in Final Fours this century with 12 steals. With his next swipe, he will equal Mike Batiste, Kyle Hines and Nikola Mirotic, who are all tied for ninth place with 13 steals.

Papanikolaou is tied with Marko Jaric, Jaka Lakovic and Sergio Rodriguez for 14th place in Final Fours this century with 10 steals. Nick Calathes is 13th with 11 steals.

Thomas Walkup is tied for 19th place in Final Fours this century in assists with 24. Juan Carlos Navarro is 18th with 25, and Kyle Hines is 17th with 26.

### AS Monaco

**Streaks**

Mike James has made at least 1 three-point shot in 15 straight games.

James has had 5 or more assists in seven of his last eight games.

James has scored at least 16 points and had PIRs of 19 or more in five of his last six games.

Matthew Strazel has made at least 1 three-pointer in 10 straight games.

Strazel has scored 10 or more points in five of his last six games.

Alpha Diallo has scored in double figures in six of his last seven games.

Diallo has made at least 1 three-pointer in five straight games.

Georgios Papagiannis has made 15 consecutive free throws.

Jaron Blossomgame has pulled down multiple offensive rebounds in four straight games.

**Season rankings**

Mike James finished the regular season ranked fourth in assists with 5.7 per game.

Georgios Papagiannis was the regular-season leader in blocks with 1.4 per game.

Mike James ranked third in the 2025 EuroLeague Playoffs in PIR with an average of 19.0.

James ranked fifth in the 2025 EuroLeague Playoffs with 2.4 three-pointers made per game.

James was the 2025 EuroLeague Playoffs leader with 6.6 assists per game.

Monaco has committed 10.7 turnovers per game, the second-lowest in the league.

Monaco ranks fourth in scoring with 86.4 points per game.

Monaco ranks fourth in blocks with 2.8 per game.

Monaco has forced a league-high 13.6 turnovers per game.

**Records/Milestones**

Mike James is the EuroLeague's all-time leading scorer with 5,242 career points.

James is second all-time with 5,398 index rating points. Nando De Colo of LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne is first with a PIR of 5,473.

James is in second place all-time in free throws made with 1,154. De Colo is the all-time leader with 1,181.

James is in fifth place all-time with 1,511 career assists. Vassilis Spanoulis is fourth with 1,607 assists.

James is in fifth place all-time with 606 three-pointers made. Scottie Wilbekin of Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul is fourth with 608, and Sergio Rodriguez is third with 609 three-pointers.

James is fifth all-time in two-point shots made with 1,135. Ante Tomic is fourth with 1,137.

James is in seventh place all-time with 330 career steals. Theo Papaloukas is sixth with 335 career steals.

Nick Calathes is the EuroLeague’s all-time leader in assists with 2,130.

Calathes set the EuroLeague single-season assists record in 2018-19 with 286.

Calathes is the EuroLeague’s all-time leader in steals with 459.

Calathes ranks second all-time in games started with 318, behind only Kostas Papanikolaou, who has 338 and counting.

Calathes ranks eighth all-time with a 2.6-to-1 career assist-to-turnover ratio.

Calathes is ninth all-time with 4,295 performance index rating points. Kyle Hines is in eighth place all-time with 4,299 performance index rating points.

Calathes is ranked 16th all-time in scoring with 3,282 points. Kyle Hines is 15th with 3,339 points.

Calathes is tied with Tibor Pleiss of Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens for 11th place all-time with 1,009 two-pointers made. Paulius Jankunas is 10th with 1,011.

Georgios Papagiannis is ranked fourth all-time with 253 blocks. Kyle Hines is third with 320 blocks.

Papagiannis ranks 17th all-time in two-point accuracy at 64.4%.

Donatas Motiejunas set the EuroLeague single-game record with 18 defensive rebounds on December 7, 2011, while playing for Asseco Prokom Gdynia against Union Olimpija Ljubljana. In that game, Motiejunas pulled down 21 rebounds, the most rebounds in a single game by any active player.

Nick Calathes ranks fifth in Final Fours this century in assists with 48. Theo Papaloukas is fourth with 59 assists.

Calathes is tied with JR Holden and Maceo Baston for 16th place in Final Fours this century with 31 defensive rebounds. Ante Tomic is in 15th place with 32 defensive rebounds.

Calathes is tied for 19th place in Final Fours this century with 43 rebounds. Felipe Reyes is 18th with 44 rebounds, while Dimitris Diamantidis and Trajan Langdon are tied for 16th with 45 rebounds apiece.

Calathes ranks 13th in Final Fours this century with 11 steals. Shaquielle McKissic of Olympiacos Piraeus is 12th with 12 steals. Mike Batiste, Kyle Hines and Nikola Mirotic are all tied for ninth place with 13 steals apiece.

Calathes has 9 starts in Final Four games this century, which is tied for 13th. Seven players are tied for sixth with 10 games started each.

Friday's action concludes with the renewal of a growing modern rivalry as Olympiacos takes on Monaco.

Game Facts: Olympiacos vs. Monaco

It will be the 14th meeting between the teams since 2022, including another [semifinal two years ago](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/tae2223-olympiacos-vs-monaco-semifinal-blog/), which was taken by Olympiacos after [a historic 27-2 third quarter surge](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/record-setting-d-fueled-reds-historic-third-quarter/).

[Mike James](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/as-monaco/mco/?season=2024-25) will lead Monaco's attempts to prevent the Greek giant's attempts to exert another defensive stranglehold. The star guard again showed his clutch mentality by scoring 20 points in [Game 5 of the playoff series against Barcelona](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/monaco-beats-barcelona-85-84-to-confirm-final-four-return/), and his backcourt partnership with the smooth scoring skills of [Elie Okobo](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/elie-okobo/011212/) and the three-point shooting threat of [Matthew Strazel](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/matthew-strazel/008099/) will propel the Monaco offense.

A key player for Olympiacos will inevitably be effortlessly elegant forward [Sasha Vezenkov](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/sasha-vezenkov/003469/), who followed a fabulous regular season by being named [Playoffs MVP](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/sasha-vezenkov-is-the-2025-turkish-airlines-euroleague-playoffs-mvp/) with averages of 19 points and 7 boards in the 3-1 series victory over Real Madrid.

\- In the 2023 Final Four semifinals in Kaunas, Olympiacos came back from 12 points down to beat Monaco 76-62. Kostas Papanikolaou had 15 points and 8 rebounds in that game.

\- Monaco and Olympiacos have met 14 times since November 2021 and each team has won seven games after splitting road victories during the regular season.

\- In Round 32, Monaco pulled out a 77-80 win in Piraues with Jaron Blossomgame scoring a career-high 18 points.

\- Olympiacos won the matchup of these two teams in Monaco, 80-89 in Round 13, which happened to be the second game on the bench for Monaco head coach Vassilis Spanoulis.

\- Olympiacos ousted Monaco 3-2 in the 2022 playoffs. Olympiacos won Games 1 and 3, while Monaco took Games 2 and 4. In the deciding Game 5, Olympiacos rallied to pull out a 94-88 win with Shaquielle McKissic scoring 18 points.

\- Monaco head coach Vassilis Spanoulis is an Olympiacos Piraeus legend. He spent 11 seasons there and led the team to EuroLeague titles in 2012 and 2013, as well as championship games in 2015 and 2017.

\- Larentzakis, Walkup, Papanikolaou, Naz Mitrou-Long have all played under Coach Spanoulis on the Greek national team.

\- Olympiacos center Moustapha Fall played for Monaco during the 2014-15 season, when the club was in the French second division.

\- Monaco's Terry Tarpey and Elie Okobo were teammates of Moustapha Fall and Evan Fournier on the French national team and won silver medals together at EuroBasket 2022.

\- Fall and Fournier have been teammates of Monaco's Petr Cornelie on the French national team. They won silver medals together at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo.

\- Fournier and Monaco's Matthew Strazel have been teammates on the French national team and won silver medals at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

\- Monaco's Petr Cornelie and Olympiacos guard Nigel Wiliams-Goss were teammates at Real Madrid during the 2022-23 season and won the EuroLeague championship.

\- Olympiacos center Nikola Milutinov and Monaco's Mike James were teammates at CSKA Moscow during the 2020-21 season.

\- Monaco point guard Nick Calathes was a teammate of Olympiacos guard Tyler Dorsey at Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul for the last two seasons. Monaco center Georgios Papagiannis was with them at Fenerbahce last season.

\- Papanikolaou, Thomas Walkup, Dorsey and Giannoulis Larentzakis have all been teammates of Calathes and Papagiannis on the Greek national team.

\- Georgios Papagiannis blocked a career-high 5 shots while playing for Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens against Olympiacos in December 2021.

\- Monaco point guard Nick Calathes posted his career high in rebounds with 13 while playing for FC Barcelona against Olympiacos in October 2021.

\- Olympiacos guard Tyler Dorsey tied his career-best 7 rebounds while playing for Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul in Game 1 of the 2024 playoff series against Monaco. He also had 7 rebounds while playing for Olympiacos against Monaco in November 2021.

\- Monaco guard Mike James recorded a career-high 5 steals while playing for Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz against Olympiacos in March 2015.

\- Monaco guard Matthew Strazel made a career-high 5 three-pointers while playing for LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne against Olympiacos in March 2022.

Game Notes: Olympiacos vs. Monaco

Now streaming on YouTube, “The 7th Star” – the latest documentary produced by Euroleague Basketball Originals – follows Panathinaikos BC’s postseason journey towards winning the club’s seventh EuroLeague championship.

“The 7th Star” is now available to watch on YouTube! 

How does a team go from 17th in the standings one year to winning the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague title the next? The [Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/panathinaikos-aktor-athens/pan/) team of 2023-24 had the answer.

Now streaming on YouTube, “The 7th Star” – the latest documentary produced by Euroleague Basketball Originals – follows the Greens’ postseason journey towards winning the club’s seventh EuroLeague championship. 

During the 50-minute documentary, some of the main protagonists from Panathinaikos’s run to the 2024 EuroLeague title take center stage in “The 7th Star”, including club owner Dimitris Giannakopoulos, coach Ergin Ataman, [Kostas Sloukas](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/kostas-sloukas/001926/), [Mathias Lessort](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/mathias-lessort/003842/) and [Kendrick Nunn](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/kendrick-nunn/012774/).

The 7th Star | Trailer

After a manic summer in 2023, in which two-time champion Coach Ataman arrived, together with 10 new players, hopes were high for a Panathinaikos side hoping to lift its first EuroLeague championship since 2011.

Sloukas’s decision to move across the Greek divide by changing the red of Olympiacos Piraeus for the green of Panathinaikos sent shockwaves across Europe, while All-EuroLeague center Lessort had already signed on the dotted line 11 days prior. But it was the addition of Nunn in late October that really put Panathinaikos on the right track towards achieving its ultimate goal.

There were ups and downs for Panathinaikos in the playoffs and moments of adversity at the Final Four, but the Greens – led by Coach Ataman, Sloukas, Lessort and Nunn – wrote history by flipping the culture of the club and bringing a EuroLeague title back to Athens.

More Panathinaikos News

The new documentary showcasing Panathinaikos’s 2024 EuroLeague title is 

Real Madrid v Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens (2024-05-26T18:00:00.000Z)

The two semifinal games at the upcoming 2025 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Final Four held in Abu Dhabi will feature two matchups that we saw in the two previous editions of the tournament.

The strange cases of déjà vu in the 2025 EuroLeague semifinals

The two semifinal games at the upcoming 2025 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Final Four held in Abu Dhabi will feature two matchups that we saw in the two previous editions of the tournament.

[Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/panathinaikos-aktor-athens/pan/) and [Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/fenerbahce-beko-istanbul/ulk/) get the Final Four underway in a rematch of last season’s semifinal. While Fener will be aiming to get some payback and advance to the championship game for the first time since 2018, the Greens are looking to repeat what happened last season and get one step closer towards winning back-to-back titles.

Not that they need any extra motivation but it’s certain that several [AS Monaco](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/as-monaco/mco/) players who were present at the 2023 Final Four haven’t forgotten the way they lost to [Olympiacos Piraeus](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/olympiacos-piraeus/oly/) in that semifinal and will also be looking for vengeance.

“It seems inevitable that we're always gonna meet them no matter what happens, so it's almost like fate," said Monaco superstar Mike James. “So, we gotta take care of business this time.”

On the other hand, Olympiacos is more than aware of that. After three straight trips to the Final Four but zero championships in that time, Giorgos Bartzokas and his players know that they must first overcome Monaco before attempting to finally bring the EuroLeague title back to Piraeus.

Eurohoops takes a look back at what happened in the last time we had these exact Final Four semifinal matchups and what decided each contest.

Read the rest of the article [HERE](https://www.eurohoops.net/en/trademarks/1826397/the-strange-cases-of-deja-vu-in-the-2025-euroleague-semifinals/).

Eurohoops looks at the last time we saw these teams facing off in the semifinals

Johanathan Motley had a EuroCup season to remember, capped off with the title and the EuroCup Finals MVP trophy.

Tribute to the Champs: Johnathan Motley

When [Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/hapoel-shlomo-tel-aviv/hta/) signed [Johnathan Motley](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/players/johnathan-motley/011157/) last summer, it was with one goal in mind – to win the BKT EuroCup and secure a place in next season’s Turkish Airlines EuroLeague. Not only did Motley live up to the billing, but he was the EuroCup Finals MVP as Hapoel won its first-ever European title.

Motley had already starred in the EuroCup before with Lokomotiv Kuban in 2021-22, but after two years in the EuroLeague with Fenerbahce, expectation levels were high with regard to what he could do this time around. His season averages of 16.7 points, 4.8 rebounds and 2.5 assists show the impact he had, yet his importance to Hapoel grew even further in the latter stages of the campaign.

In a semifinal series that many before the season tipped to be the EuroCup Finals, Motley posted 15.3 points, 5.0 rebounds and 2.7 assists as Hapoel defeated Valencia 2-1, which included 26 points in Game 2 as the Israeli side forced a do-or-die Game 3 at La Fonteta. Motley then averaged 22.0 points, 3.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.0 steal in the EuroCup Finals as Hapoel swept Dreamland Gran Canaria. Having signed him for the big occasions, he made sure to step up when the lights shine the brightest.

Motley, who played 20 times this season, finished the campaign leading Hapoel in PIR (19.4) and points (16.7 PPG), while he was tied for first in rebounds (4.8 RPG) with Tomer Ginat, while his 0.5 blocks per night were third on the team. For the skillful big man, he showed why Hapoel was so delighted to have signed him last summer.

More Hapoel Tel Aviv News

He was named the Finals MVP after a dominant showing with the title on the line

On the fourth episode of The Crossover this season, Joe Arlauckas is joined by Mike Batiste and coach Dimitris Itoudis to revisit Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens's legendary run in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague from 2007 to 2011, which saw the Greens become European champion in 2007, 2009 and 2011.

Dimitris Itoudis, Mike Batiste remember their Panathinaikos successes on The Crossover

On the fourth episode of The Crossover this season, Joe Arlauckas is joined by [Mike Batiste](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/mike-batiste/ajv/) and coach [Dimitris Itoudis](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/eurocup/teams/hapoel-shlomo-tel-aviv/hta/itoudis-dimitris/) to revisit [Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/panathinaikos-aktor-athens/pan/)'s legendary run in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague from 2007 to 2011, which saw the Greens become European champion in 2007, 2009 and 2011.

While Batiste was a star player at Panathinaikos alongside Dimitris Diamantidis, who also lifted these three EuroLeague titles, Coach Itoudis was an assistant to Zeljko Obradovic for the triumphs in Athens (2007), Berlin (2009), and Barcelona (2011).

With the 2025 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Final Four in Abu Dhabi just one week away, Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul star Tarik Biberovic appeared on the EuroLeague & Friends podcast at the club's pre-Final Four Media Day. He was also joined at points by teammate Wade Baldwin and club mascot Yellow!

Tarik Biberovic joined by two surprise guests on pre-Final Four EuroLeague & Friends podcast

With the 2025 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Final Four in Abu Dhabi just one week away, [Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/fenerbahce-beko-istanbul/ulk/) star [Tarik Biberovic](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/tarik-biberovic/006961/) appeared on the EuroLeague & Friends podcast at the club's pre-Final Four Media Day. He was also joined at points by teammate Wade Baldwin and club mascot Yellow!

During the podcast, they discussed Vasiliki not picking Biberovic in the EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge, his great playoff series against Paris Basketball, how he has improved under Saras Jasikevicius, and much more.