BELGRADE 2022 FINAL FOUR

AWARDS

The Top 10 photos of the week: Adrien Moerman of Anadolu Efes Istanbul sticks his tongue out as he dunks against Milan.

The Top 10 photos of the week: Vladimir Lucic of FC Bayern Munich drives past Barcelona's Rokas Jokubaitis. 

The Top 10 photos of the week: Guerschon Yabusele of Real Madrid dunks in Tel Aviv. 

The Top 10 photos of the week: Paris Lee of AS Monaco keeps the ball away from Olympiacos's Thomas Walkup.

The Top 10 photos of the week: Ognjen Jaramaz of FC Bayern Munich tries to shoot under pressure from Barcelona's Dante Exum and Brandon Davies.

The Top 10 photos of the week: Vincent Poirier helps Real Madrid complete a sweep of Maccabi with this Game 3 dunk.

The Top 10 photos of the week: Shane Larkin of Anadolu Efes Istanbul splits the defense against Milan.

The Top 10 photos of the week: Will Thomas of AS Monaco emotes after dunking against Olympiacos. 

The Top 10 photos of the week: Tyler Dorsey of Olympiacos Piraeus drives to the basket in Monaco.

The Top 10 photos of the week: Nigel Hayes-Davis of FC Barcelona defends against Bayern's Ognjen Jaramaz. 

GAME REPORTS

Real Madrid: Did you know...?

...Real Madrid 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 won the competition in 1964, 1965, 1967, 1968, 1974, 1978, 1980, 1995, 2015 and 2018.

...Real is making its 11th Final Four appearance since the format was adopted in 1988? Real previously reached the Final Four in 1993, 1995, 1996, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018 and 2019.

...Real looks for its 19th EuroLeague Championship Game appearance? It leads the all-time list with 18 championship games. Maccabi Tel Aviv has been to 14 EuroLeague 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, *Los Blancos* have won four Saporta Cups, 1 Korac Cup and 1 ULEB Cup – now known as the 7DAYS EuroCup.

...Rudy Fernandez belongs to a select group of players to have won both the EuroLeague and the EuroCup? Fernandez won the EuroCup with DKV Joventut Badalona in 2008 and EuroLeague crowns with Real in 2015 and 2018. The list includes two other Spanish players: Felipe Reyes and Ricky Rubio, and also features stars Nando De Colo, Nick Calathes and Romain Sato.

...Fernandez and Sergio Llull belong to a group of 23 players who have won the EuroLeague, EuroBasket and Basketball World Cup titles? Llull and Fernandez are two of the four 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.

...Fernandez headlines the shortlist of players to have won a Basketball World Cup, EuroBasket, EuroLeague and EuroCup? He is joined only by Dejan Tomasevic and Reyes.

...Coach Pablo Laso has previous Final Four experience as a player? He played at the 1995-96 EuroLeague Final Four with his current team, Real Madrid, coached by Zeljko Obradovic. He is entering his seventh Final Four as a head coach.

...Llull is at his eighth Final Four? He was previously there with Real in 2011, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018 and 2019. Victor Khryapa leads the list with 12 Final Four appearances. Only one other Spanish player has made it to eight Final Fours: Juan Carlos Navarro.

...Fernandez is at his seventh Final Four? He already played the Final Four with Real in 2013, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018 and 2019.

...Llull is one of two EuroLeague MVPs present at the Final Four? Llull earned that honor in 2017. Vasilije Micic was the 2020-21 EuroLeague MVP.

...Llull is the fifth-best scorer in EuroLeague history? He has amassed 3,489 points in 343 EuroLeague career games. Llull ranks seventh in assists (1,251), too.

...Thomas Heurtel ranks fourth all-time in assists (1,340)? Nick Calathes leads the standings with 1,689 assists, followed by Vassilis Spanoulis (1,607) and Sergio Rodriguez (1,561).

...Fernandez ranks seventh all-time in steals? He has collected 327 in 303 games. Dimitris Diamantidis leads the standings with 434 steals.

...Fernandez is one of only four players with more than 2,000 points, 800 rebounds and 700 assists in EuroLeague history? Krunoslav Simon, Dimitris Diamantidis and Nick Calathes are the others.

...Walter Tavares ranks third all-time in blocks? He has 280 blocked shots in 160 games. Bryant Dunston is first with 307 blocks, followed by Kyle Hines (286).

...Fabien Causeur is the only French player to play in the Final Four with two different foreign teams? Causeur appeared in the Final Four with Laboral Kutxa Vitoria Gasteiz in 2016 and with Real in 2018 and 2019.

...Fernandez, Llull and Coach Laso won the EuroLeague title with Real in 2015 and are still with the team? Real has seven of its players who won the 2018 EuroLeague title, too.

...Adam Hanga and Tavares are two of the three former EuroLeague Best Defenders at the 2022 Final Four? Hanga won the trophy in 2017 and Tavares did it in 2019 and 2021. Bryant Dunston of Efes (2014, 2015) has also won the award in the past.

...Hanga can become the first Hungarian player to win the EuroLeague? Kornel David came closest when he reached the championship game with Tau Ceramica in 2005.

...Hanga is the first player to make it to the Final Four with three different Spanish teams? Hanga played the 2016 Final Four with Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz and returned with FC Barcelona in 2021.

...Llull ranks sixth on the Final Four's career scoring list? Llull has 167 points and could climb a few spots in Belgrade. Nikos Galis leads the list with 231 points followed by J.R. Holden (194), Nando De Colo (179) and Trajan Langdon (172).

...Llull has a good chance to climb into first place on the Final Four's career assists list? He already ranks third with 53 assists. Theo Papaloukas leads the all-time charts with 59 assists at Final Four action.

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

...Fernandez and 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.

...Tavares, the only player from Cape Verde to have won the EuroLeague, ranks second in the EuroLeague in blocks at 1.7 per night this season? Georgios Papagiannis of Panathinaikos OPAP Athens is first with 1.72 per game, so Tavares could take over first place at the Final Four!

...Tavares ranks seventh in the EuroLeague in two-point shooting percentage this season (69.5%, 146 of 210) and is also ranked second all-time (578 of 833, 69.4%)?

...Jeffery Taylor is the only Swedish player to have won the EuroLeague?

...Alberto Abalde 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. Luka Doncic is the only player to get both; he was the ANGT MVP in 2015 and won the EuroLeague in 2018 with Real.

...Gabriel Deck can join an impressive list of Argentines that won the EuroLeague title? The list features Hugo Sconochini (Virtus 1998, 2001), Facu Campazzo (Real 2015, 2018), Manu Ginobili (Virtus 2001), Pepe Sanchez (Panathinaikos 2002) and Andres Nocioni (Real 2015). Nicolas Laprovittola of FC Barcelona can also join this list in 2022.

Real Madrid: Did you know that...?

FC Barcelona v Real Madrid (2022-05-19T19:00:00.000Z)

FC Barcelona: Did you know...?

...FC Barcelona will compete at its 16th Final Four? Only CSKA Moscow (19) has more appearances in the Final Four era, which began in 1988.

...Barca is looking for its third EuroLeague title? It previously lifted the trophy in 2003 and 2010. It lost in the championship game in 1984, 1990, 1991, 1996, 1997 and 2021.

...Sarunas Jasikevicius has a chance to become the fourth person to win the EuroLeague as a player and coach? Jasikevicius won four EuroLeague titles as a player. Armenak Alachachan, Lolo Sainz and Svetislav Pesic are the only three members of this exclusive club.

...Coach Jasikevicius is still the only player to win the EuroLeague with three different teams? Jasikevicius lifted the trophy with Barca in 2003, Maccabi Tel Aviv in 2004 and 2005 and Panathinaikos Athens in 2009.

...Sertac Sanli can join a exclusive list of players to win consecutive EuroLeague titles with different teams? He won the EuroLeague with Anadolu Efes Istanbul in 2021 and has a chance to go all the way with Barca. Dejan Bodiroga (Panathinaikos 2002, Barca 2003), Jasikevicius (Barca 2003, Maccabi Tel Aviv 2004) and Ramunas Siskauskas (Panathinaikos Athens 2007, CSKA Moscow 2008) are to date the only players to do so.

...Nikola Mirotic leads the 2021-22 EuroLeague in PIR average (19.4)?

...Mirotic is just the second player in EuroLeague history to post 65-45-85 shooting percentages, making 65.6% of his shots inside the arc, 45.5% from downtown and 87.5% of free throws. Yotam Halperin of Olympiacos Piraeus also did so (67.6% 2FG, 51.9% 3FG, 95.7% FT), but he attempted only 64 field goals compared to Mirotic's 343.

...Mirotic has been chosen as MVP of the month a EuroLeague record seven times? He won the award in December 2011, October 2013, December 2019, February 2020, March 2021, October 2021 and December 2021. No one else has won the award more than three times. Barcelona players Nick Calathes (November 2017, March 2018) and Brandon Davies (April 2017) have also won the award in the past.

...Rolands Smits can become the first Latvian player to win the EuroLeague in the Final Four era? ASK Riga won three EuroLeague titles from 1958 to 1960, but no Latvian player has lifted the trophy since the restoration of Latvian Independence in 1991.

...Nick Calathes is one of 19 players to win the EuroLeague and the 7DAYS EuroCup titles? He won the EuroLeague with Panathinaikos in 2011 and the EuroCup with Lokomotiv Kuban Krasnodar in 2013. Milos Teodosic (CSKA Moscow 2016, Virtus Segafredo Bologna 2022) and Daniel Hackett (CSKA 2019, Virtus 2022) were the latest players to join this club just last week.

...Calathes can join an elite group of Greek players to win the EuroLeague with a foreign team? That list includes Nestoras Kommatos (Maccabi 2005), Theo Papaloukas (CSKA 2006, 2008), Nikos Zisis (CSKA 2008), Ioannis Bourousis (Real 2015) and Kostas Sloukas (Fenerbahce 2017).

...Calathes leads the EuroLeague’s all-time assists charts with 1,689? He is also the only player in competition history with more than 1,000 rebounds (1,006) and 1,000 assists.

...Cory Higgins heads to his sixth consecutive Final Four? No other player has been to all of the last six Final Fours.

...Higgins can win his third EuroLeague title? He previously lifted the trophy with CSKA in 2016 and 2019. No player ever has won the EuroLeague with both CSKA and Barcelona.

...Alex Abrines is the only Barcelona player who has been in the team's last three Final Four appearances? Abrines is at his fourth Final Four with Barcelona.

...Rokas Jokubaitis can become the fourth player to win the EuroLeague Rising Star Trophy and the EuroLeague title in the same season? Ricky Rubio (2009-10, Barca), Kostas Papanikolaou (2012-13, Olympiacos) and Luka Doncic (2017-18, Real) have done so in the past.

...Jokubaitis, Mirotic and Abrines are three of the five Rising Star trophy winners present at the 2022 Final Four? Mirotic won it in 2011 and 2012, and Abrines in 2016. Rudy Fernandez of Real Madrid (2007) and Papanikolaou (2013) also won the award.

...Nicolas Laprovittola ranks second in free-throw shooting (91.5%) this season? Kyle Kuric is fourth (91.2%).

...Dante Exum can become the fourth Australian player to win the EuroLeague? David Andersen (Virtus 2001; CSKA 2006, 2008), Aleks Maric (Panathinaikos 2011) and Joe Ingles (Maccabi 2014) belong to this list.

...Laprovittola can join a list of Argentines that won the EuroLeague title? The list features Hugo Sconochini (Virtus 1998, 2001), Facu Campazzo (Real 2015, 2018), Manu Ginobili (Virtus 2001), Pepe Sanchez (Panathinaikos 2002) and Andres Nocioni (Real 2015). Gabriel Deck of Real Madrid can also join this list in 2022.

FC Barcelona: Did you know that...?

Anadolu Efes Istanbul: Did you know...?

...Anadolu Efes Istanbul has advanced to the Final Four for the fifth time? Efes previously reached the EuroLeague Final Four in 2000, 2019 and 2021, as well as the SuproLeague Final Four in 2001.

...Efes has a chance to win a second consecutive Turkish Airlines EuroLeague title? Maccabi Tel Aviv (2004, 2005) and Olympiacos Piraeus (2012, 2013) are the only teams to do this since the turn of the millennium.

...Efes became the first Turkish team in any sport to win a European competition? It did so when it raised the Korac Cup in 1996. Efes won its first EuroLeague crown 25 years later.

...Efes returns to the Final Four with 11 players and the coach who played in the 2021 EuroLeague Championship Game? Sertac Sanli is the only player who is not with the team – but he will be at the Final Four with FC Barcelona. Elijah Bryant, Filip Petrusev and Egemen Guven were not with the team last season.

...Bryant Dunston and Vasilije Micic head to their fourth Final Fours? Dunston played at his first Final Four with Olympiacos in 2015 and Micic at the 2018 Final Four with Zalgiris. They both went to the 2019 and 2021 Final Fours with Efes.

...Ergin Ataman has won four different continental titles! He won the Saporta Cup with Montepaschi Siena in 2002, the EuroChallenge with Besiktas Istanbul in 2012, the 7DAYS EuroCup with Galatasaray Istanbul in 2015 and the EuroLeague with Efes in 2021. Only two other coaches have won four different European competitions: Dusan Ivkovic (EuroLeague, EuroCup, Saporta, Korac) and Aito Garcia Reneses (EuroCup, Saporta, Korac, EuroChallenge).

...Coach Ataman is one of four coaches to win European competitions with four different teams? He won titles with Siena, Besiktas, Galatasaray and Efes. Zeljko Obradovic has won European titles with six different teams: Partizan Belgrade, Joventut Badalona, Benetton Treviso, Real Madrid, Panathinaikos Athens, and Fenerbahce. Ivkovic (Partizan, AEK Athens, Olympiacos Piraeus, Dynamo Moscow) and Bozidar Maljkovic (Split, Limoges, Panathinaikos, Unicaja Malaga) have won with four teams apiece.

...Shane Larkin owns the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Championship Game scoring record in the Final Four era? Larkin scored 29 points in the 2019 championship game for Efes in a losing effort against CSKA.

...Larkin ranks sixth all-time in points scored at a single Final Four? He had 59 points in the 2019 Final Four, which were the most by any player in 26 years. Nikos Galis had 69 points in the 1990 Final Four and also scored 67 in 1988 and 61 in 1989, all with Aris. Bob McAdoo, who had 64 points in the 1988 Final Four with Milan, and Alexander Volkov, who got 61 with Panathinaikos in 1994, are also ahead of him.

...Larkin can set a record for the highest cumulative PIR in a EuroLeague season? He has a combined PIR of 698. Luka Doncic finished the 2017-18 season with 711.

...Larkin ranks second in PIR this season with 18.9 per game? Nikola Mirotic of FC Barcelona leads the league with a PIR average of 19.4.

...Larkin ranks third in free-throw shooting (91.4%)?

...Vasilije Micic is this season’s top scorer with 18.2 points per night? He was both the regular season (18.1 ppg.) and playoff (18.5 ppg.) leader in scoring.

...Micic is one of five players to earn EuroLeague MVP and Final Four MVP honors in the same season? Micic got both awards last season. Dimitris Diamantidis (2010-11), Vassilis Spanoulis (2012-13), Nando De Colo (2015-16) and Luka Doncic (2017-18) have also done so.

...Micic can become the second player to win the EuroLeague as that season's competition’s top scorer? Only De Colo (CSKA, 2015-16) has done so in the past.

...Krunoslav Simon is one of only four players with more than 2,000 points, 800 rebounds and 700 assists in EuroLeague history? Rudy Fernandez, Dimitris Diamantidis and Nick Calathes are the others.

...Rodrigue Beaubois is one of 10 players to win both the EuroLeague and the NBA titles? He won the NBA crown with Dallas in 2011 and helped Efes lift the EuroLeague trophy in 2021.

...Elijah Bryant, who won the NBA title with Milwaukee in 2022, will join that list if Efes goes all the way?

...Bryant Dunston is one of the three EuroLeague Best Defender Trophy winners present at the 2021 Final Four? Dunston won it in 2014 and 2015. Real Madrid players Walter Tavares (2019, 2021) and Adam Hanga (2017) have also won the award in the past.

...Dunston is the EuroLeague's all-time leader in blocked shots with 307 and counting! He is also 10th all-time in rebounds with 1,265.

...Dunston ranks third this season in two-point shooting (71.1%)?

Anadolu Efes Istanbul: Did you know that...?

Olympiacos Piraeus v Anadolu Efes Istanbul (2022-05-19T16:00:00.000Z)

Shane Larkin - Anadolu Efes Istanbul - EB21-RS34

Olympiacos Piareus: Did you know...?

...Olympiacos is at its 11th Final Four? Its six most-recent appearances have come over the last 13 years - 2009, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2015 and 2017. Olympiacos has the chance to win its fourth EuroLeague title.

...Olympiacos is one of the four teams that have successfully defended the EuroLeague crown in the Final Four era? Olympiacos won back-to-back EuroLeague titles in 2012 and 2013. Olimpia Milano (1987, 1988), KK Split (1989, 1990, 1991) and Maccabi Tel Aviv (2004, 2005) have also defended the title in the Final Four era. Anadolu Efes Istanbul can join the list if it lifts the trophy in Belgrade.

...Olympiacos is looking for its sixth consecutive semifinal win? The last semifinal game it lost was against Panathinaikos Athens in 2009. Since then, it has won five straight semifinals (2010, 2012, 2013, 2015 and 2017). Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv has the longest winning streak in the semifinals with six (2004, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2011 and 2014) and counting.

...Olympiacos is 8-2 in the semifinals? Only Maccabi (10-2) has a better record in the semifinals.

...three current Olympiacos players have won back-to-back EuroLeague titles together? Kostas Sloukas, Georgios Printezis and Kostas Papanikolaou won the competition in 2012 and 2013.

...Papanikolaou, Printezis and Sloukas played in the 2017 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Championship Game? Sloukas helped Fenerbahce win the title against Olympiacos. Sloukas and Printezis were with Olympiacos at the 2015 EuroLeague Championship Game, too.

...Papanikolaou is one of five Rising Star Trophy winners at this Final Four? He is joined by newly crowned Rising Star Rokas Jokubaitis, Alex Abrines and Nikola Mirotic of FC Barcelona and Rudy Fernandez of Real Madrid.

...Sloukas has the chance to win his fourth EuroLeague title? Sloukas won titles with Olympiacos in 2012 and 2013 and lifted the trophy again with Fenerbahce in 2017.

...Sloukas is 6-1 in the EuroLeague Semifinals? Sloukas won in six consecutive semifinal appearances (Olympiacos 2012, 2013, 2015; Fenerbahce 2016, 2017, 2018) before losing against Anadolu Efes with Fenerbahce in 2019.

...Sloukas can join a list of four-time winners with different teams? Dino Meneghin (five titles with Varese, two with Milan), leads the table. Fausto Bargna (two with Cantu, two with Milan), Kyle Hines (two with Olympiacos, two with CSKA) and Sarunas Jasikevicius (one with Barcelona, two with Maccabi, one with Panathinaikos) belong to this list.

...if he makes it to the championship game, Sloukas will tie Matjaz Smodis for the most finals appearances this century? Smodis played in seven EuroLeague finals: two with Virtus Bologna (2001, 2002) one with Fortitudo Bologna (2004) and four with CSKA (2006, 2007, 2008, 2009).

...Sloukas is fifth all-time in assists with 1,297? Two of the players ahead of him in the standings are in the 2022 Final Four: Nick Calathes of FC Barcelona(1st, 1,689) and Thomas Heurtel of Real Madrid (4th, 1,340).

...Printezis ranks second in EuroLeague game played? He has taken part in 373 EuroLeague games. Only Paulius Jankunas (392) is ahead of him.

...Printezis ranks fourth all-time in scoring with 3,597 points and counting! He is second all-time in two-point shots made (1,193).

...Printezis ranks sixth all-time in rebounds with1,452? He is fourth in defensive boards (1,065).

...Coach Georgios Bartzokas is at his third Final Four? He won the EuroLeague title with Olympiacos Piraeus in 2013 and took Lokomotiv Kuban Krasnodar to the 2016 Final Four.

...Bartzokas is one of two Greek coaches to win the EuroLeague. He led Olympiacos to the 2013 crown. Dimitris Itoudis (CSKA 2015, 2018) is the other.

...Sasha Vezenkov ranks sixth in PIR this season (17.8)? He is ninth in rebounds (5.8 rpg.).

...Sloukas ranks fifth in assists this season? He has dished 4.9 per night.

…Moustapha Fall ranks fouth in blocks at 1.0 per night? He is sixth in two-point shooting percentage (70.2%), too.

...Livio Jean-Charles can join an exclusive list of Adidas Next Generation Tournament MVPs who also won the EuroLeague title? Jean-Charles was the ANGT MVP in 2010 with INSEP. Luka Doncic is the only player to get both; he was the ANGT MVP in 2015 and won the EuroLeague in 2018 with Real Madrid. Alberto Abalde, the 2013 ANGT MVP, is also in this year’s Final Four with Real.

...other than Sloukas, Papanikolaou and Printezis, no other Olympiacos player has previous Final Four experience?

...Olympiacos ranks second in PIR average this season (93.2)? Its semifinals opponent Anadolu Efes Istanbul (94.8) is the only team ahead of the Reds.

...Olympiacos ranks first overall in two-point shooting percentage. At 58.1%, it is the competition’s ninth-highest percentage ever and the best since Fenerbahce Istanbul buried 58.3% of its two-pointers in the 2018-19 campaign.

Olympiacos Piraeus: Did you know that...?

Kostas Papanikolaou - Olympiacos Piraeus - EB21-RS33

Kostas Sloukas - Olympiacos Piraeus - EB21-RS24

The math worked this season, sending the quartet of teams that proved most efficient until now all the way to the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Final Four in Belgrade. Here's what to watch out for when they match up in the semis.

Stats Review: Sizing up the semis

### Final Four Reset

FC Barcelona and Olympiacos Piraeus both earned hard-fought wins in the decisive fifth games of their respective quarterfinal series to join Real Madrid and Anadolu Efes Istanbul in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Final Four. 

Those four teams had the league's highest efficiency differentials, making this season an instance where the numbers matched reality. However, if history is any indicator, what happens from here is more complicated. Just two of the last five teams to raise the trophy have held the league's highest efficiency differential. 

### Semifinal B: Efes vs. Olympiacos

The reigning champions have looked the part after a sluggish start to the season and defended better than expected in their quarterfinal victory of AX Armani Exchange Milan. While they split their regular season series with Olympiacos, they averaged 1.10 points per possession in those matchups thanks in large part to a stellar shooting effort from Rodrigue Beaubois in their Round 10 victory. 

Olympiacos is looking to make its first championship game appearance since a stretch where they went 2-2 in finals across six seasons starting back in 2011. As usual, the Reds were dominant at home this season, but fought through considerable adversity to beat Monaco who handed them one of their bigger home losses in recent memory in the quarterfinals. The rise of Sasha Vezenkov has been a bright spot among many in a bounce-back year for the historic franchise, but it was Kostas Sloukas and Tyler Dorsey who delivered in their win over Efes in Round 26.

Led by Round 9 MVP Vasilije Micić, Efes try to build on an impressive triumph at Berlin versus Olympiacos, who look to address a run of four straight away losses.

Anadolu Efes Istanbul v Olympiacos Piraeus - Round 10 - Highlights

### What to watch: Ball Screens

Olympiacos and Efes ranked first and second in the EuroLeague by creating 48% and 45% of their half-court possessions, respectively, out of pick-and-rolls this season. They also ranked in the top four in efficiency in both ball-screen and overall efficiency. In regular season matchups with Olympiacos, Efes aggressively looked to Vasilije Micic and Shane Larkin to attack individual matchups on the perimeter, so guard play figures to be at a premium in this matchup. Which team's shooters deliver and which big men step up when guarding the two-man game will also factor heavily into how this season's two most prolific pick-and-roll offenses fare.

### Semifinal A: Barcelona vs. Real

Barca has beaten Real five straight times this season after dropping their first matchup in the preseason Supercup nearly nine months ago. Barca will need to extend that streak to six to earn a chance to redeem their finals loss a year ago. In their two EuroLeague wins, Barcelona pivoted from playing through the post to a more pick-and-roll-centric attack. Nikola Mirotic and Nicolas Laprovittola were the heroes in those wins. Laprovittola was also critical to Barcelona's Game 5 win over FC Bayern Munich in what was a grueling quarterfinal series for this year's top seed.

Real, in contrast, made quick work of Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv, winning all three of their quarterfinal games by double-digits with Sergio Llull catching fire. They have hung their hat on the defensive end all season but will need someone to step up on the offensive end to reverse their fortunes against Barcelona. Llull struggled against Barcelona in the regular season, making his recent resurgence a point of interest in the Final Four. Walter Tavares's foul situation is also something to monitor as he was a bright spot in Real's pair of losses to Barca amid foul trouble.

The first Euroleague El Clásico of 21-22 sees pace-setters Barça tipping-off against second-placed Madrid with the fierce-rivals colliding via identical records and with top-spot up for grabs.

FC Barcelona v Real Madrid - Round 14 - Highlights

### What to Watch: Catch-and-Shoot Jumpers

No teams made catch and shoot jump shots more consistently than Barca and Real, who ranked first and second in the EuroLeague, shooting eFG%s of 58% and 59%, respectively.  Real only attempted 9.5 catch-and-shoot jumpers per game within their set offense in their two EuroLeague losses to Barca – well below their 18.1 per-game season standard. How steadily they can create clean looks on the perimeter figures to be their x-factor in this game.

The latest Euroleague Basketball Originals documentary, "Land of MVPs", is now available for streaming on Euroleague.TV, YouTube and Facebook.

Watch "Land of MVPs", Euroleague Basketball's latest documentary

In 2021, the MVPs of the world's three most prestigious professional basketball competitions all hailed from the same small European country, Serbia. It was more than an unprecedented coincidence. It was a testament to that country's passion for the game and the star quality of the talent produced and nurtured there. 

"Land of MVPs" brings us to Serbia's far north to meet the NBA MVP, Nikola Jokic; the center of the country to hear from 7DAYS EuroCup Regular Season and Final MVP, Milos Teodosic; and south, which is where Vasilije Micic, the 2020-21 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague MVP, grew up.

The 62-minute documentary features original footage from their hometowns and their current cities. 



Micic grew up in Kopaonik and played for five teams, including Mega, before becoming a EuroLeague superstar with Anadolu Efes Istanbul. 

"For such a small country as Serbia, with so small number of population, it is an amazing award and privilege to represent Serbia this way," Micic says. "For me, specifically, it means a lot because I am one of these guys, and it will be remarkable for probably the history of basketball. Each of us deserved it." 

Teodosic was born in Valjevo, became a EuroLeague MVP with Olympiacos Piraeus, won the EuroLeague with CSKA Moscow and earned back-to-back EuroCup Regular Season MVP honors with Virtus Segafredo Bologna. 

"For sure, part of this is something natural, something with which you are born, but I had two, three coaches who helped me so much," Teodosic says. "When I pass it, I never to watch in your eyes, but to watch left or right, to have this feeling, where is the player, to read the game. Most of the time, I know where I am going to pass but you need to be also lucky. Usually, these passes you never even try anywhere and the situation in the game allows you to and open space allows you to try a pass. And sometimes, even you are surprised."

Born in Sombor, Jokic started his career with Belgrade-based Mega. He went from being chosen with the 41st pick in the 2014 NBA Draft to unthinkable heights in the NBA with the Denver Nuggets. 

"To be honest, I didn't think about being in the NBA. My goal, at that moment, when I started to play basketball back home, it was playing the EuroLeague because that was kind of the closest top league in my country," Jokic says in the film. "I can play in some big clubs in Serbia and kind of grind my way up, but when the Denver Nuggets drafted me, it was an opportunity for me to become an NBA player." 

Their achievements were no fluke. The trio each garnered top awards in the 2021-22 campaign as well with Jokic repeating as NBA MVP, Teodosic claiming EuroCup Final MVP honors and Micic capturing the EuroLeague's Alphonso Ford Top Scorer Trophy. 

Together, these players embody a devotion to basketball excellence that courses throughout their country. Follow each of them home to learn how Serbia became a "Land of MVPs".

"Land of MVPs" features well-known names in European basketball such as two-time EuroLeague champion Facu Campazzo, former EuroLeague MVP Nemanja Bjelica and former All-EuroLeague center Nenad Krstic, and coaches Ettore Messina, Sergio Scariolo, Dejan Milojevic and Ergin Ataman. The documentary also focuses on Jokic, Micic and Teodosic in their early days as well as in their everyday lives in Denver, Belgrade and Bologna, respectively.  

"There are players coming from Belgrade, but we all come from small cities where it was very tough to live, to just survive, and I think these things give us more confidence, or self-confidence, or whatever you call it, just what we need when it comes to basketball and sports," Krstic says. "You learn how to survive in life and this pressure, when it comes to basketball or other sports, is nothing compared to this. And this is something that makes Serbs special." 

"Land of MVPs" joins a long list of premium, long-form content from the Euroleague Basketball Originals platform. Among the other documentaries available are ["Istanbul: Hoops Hub"](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WkvOcVieCV0) and ["Limitless: Vassilis Spanoulis"](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vf2QOa2Mzkg).

Here are some of the milestones of the season that took Anadolu Efes Istanbul to the Final Four stage in Belgrade.

Road to Belgrade, Anadolu Efes Istanbul

\- Efes's title defense started on the wrong foot, with four straight losses. Its first winning streak waited until Round 9, when [it pounded host ALBA Berlin 63-90](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2021-22/alba-berlin-anadolu-efes-istanbul/E2021/75/) in what proved to be the first of four consecutive victories.

\- Efes showed its resilience in Round 17 when rallying from 6 points behind inside the final 2 minutes [to defeat visiting Crvena Zvezda mts Belgrade 84-83](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2021-22/anadolu-efes-istanbul-crvena-zvezda-mts-belgrade/E2021/145/). Vasilije Micic scored his team's final 10 points, including the game-winning free throws with 0.9 seconds left, to lift Efes to its third consecutive victory and a 9-8 record.

Champions Anadolu Efes hope to wave goodbye to an unforgettable year with a win when they welcome a resolute Crvena team that can boast one of the best defences in the competition.

Anadolu Efes Istanbul v Crvena Zvezda mts Belgrade - Round 17 - Highlights

\- Making sure it remained top dog at home, [Efes overpowered Fenerbahce Beko 84-79](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2021-22/anadolu-efes-istanbul-fenerbahce-beko-istanbul/E2021/245/) in Round 28 to conclude a regular-season sweep of the Istanbul derby. Micic had 24 points to lead the charge in that one.

\- By mid-March, Efes was rolling in peak form as it reeled off four wins in five games to clinch a playoff berth, headlined by [a 93-90 home victory over Real Madrid](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2021-22/anadolu-efes-istanbul-real-madrid/E2021/272/) that saw Micic shine once again with 29 points.

\- Efes took charge of its playoff series in Game 1 with [a defensive masterpiece in holding AX Armani Exchange Milan to just 48 points](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2021-22/ax-armani-exchange-milan-anadolu-efes-istanbul/E2021/309/). When the series moved to Istanbul, the defending champs won both games to get to their third straight Final Four.

In a first playoff series meeting between the teams, reigning-champs Efes resume their title-defence versus a formidable Milan outfit, who've overcome the visitors in their previous four encounters.

AX Armani Exchange Milan v Anadolu Efes Istanbul - Playoffs Game 1 - Highlights

Rodrigue Beaubois - Anadolu Efes Istanbul - EB21-RS28

Here are some of the milestones of the season that took FC Barcelona to the Final Four stage in Belgrade.


Road to Belgrade, FC Barcelona

\- Head coach Sarunas Jasikevicius's team started the season with six straight victories, including a [Round 3 thriller against eventual Final Four qualifier Olympiacos Piraeus](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2021-22/fc-barcelona-olympiacos-piraeus/E2021/27/) that went to overtime before Barca grabbed a 79-78 victory. Nikola Mirotic was the key man in that game and was in similarly great form throughout the early weeks of the campaign to earn[ October's MVP of the month](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/news/mvp-for-october-nikola-mirotic-fc-barcelona/) award.

\- One victory particularly enjoyed by the fans during that run was [a comfortable El Clásico triumph over Real Madrid](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2021-22/fc-barcelona-real-madrid/E2021/126/). Mirotic – who was also named MVP of the month for December – was again the star as he poured in a joint career-high 31 points and completed a double-double with 10 rebounds in the 93-80 victory.

In this highly-anticipated showdown, el clásico comes to the European stage with high stakes, as a place at the summit awaits for the team that can emerge victorious.

Real Madrid v FC Barcelona - Round 26 - Highlights

\- Another memorable game in December [came at home against UNICS Kazan](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2021-22/fc-barcelona-unics-kazan/E2021/148/), which jumped to a 15-point lead midway through the final quarter. The home team – and the crowd – sparked to life when UNICS sharpshooter Isaiah Canaan celebrated a three-pointer with a finger-to-the-lips "shush" celebration, after which a remarkable comeback was mounted and completed with 10 points in overtime from Kyle Kuric.

\- A five-game winning run between late January and early March sealed Barca's place in the playoffs and featured [another easy El Clásico victory over Real](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2021-22/real-madrid-fc-barcelona/E2021/234/) along with Nick Calathes becoming the competition's all-time assists leader during a home victory over AS Monaco in Round 28.

\- A hard-fought playoff series against FC Bayern Munich came down to the fifth and last game in Barcelona. The hosts were trailing 31-37 at the break but dominated the second half with a [career-best game by Nico Laprovittola that secured a ticket to the Final Four](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2021-22/fc-barcelona-fc-bayern-munich/E2021/323/) in Belgrade.

Bayern upset the odds once again to stifle Barça and bring the series to a winner-take-all conclusion. Can the visitors spark another monumental triumph or will it be the regular-season champs to emerge victorious?

FC Barcelona v FC Bayern Munich - Playoffs Game 5 - Highlights

Here are some of the milestones of the season that took Olympiacos Piraeus to the Final Four stage in Belgrade.


Road to Belgrade, Olympiacos Piraeus

\- The Reds made the most of playing six of their first eight games at home, winning each of those showdowns at Peace and Friendship Stadium, most notably [in Round 2 against eventual Final Four qualifier Real Madrid](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2021-22/olympiacos-piraeus-real-madrid/E2021/17/), 74-68, behind 16 points and 10 rebounds from Sasha Vezenkov.

\- In Round 12, [Olympiacos put an end to its 0-4 road record](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2021-22/ax-armani-exchange-milan-olympiacos-piraeus/E2021/107/) with a resounding 72-93 victory against AX Armani Exchange Milan at Mediolanum Forum. Giannoulis Larentzakis came off the bench for 18 points and Tyler Dorsey added 14 for the Reds.

Olympiacos put an end to a streak of defeats with a morale-boosting victory over Baskonia. They entertain title-holders Efes, who've yet to cement their spot in the knockout stages.

Olympiacos Piraeus v Anadolu Efes Istanbul - Round 26 - Highlights

\- Olympiacos consummated its push for the playoffs with four victories in a row in late February and early March, helped along by a now-iconic overtime buzzer-beater from Kostas Sloukas [in Round 26 to stop defending champion Anadolu Efes Istanbul](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2021-22/olympiacos-piraeus-anadolu-efes-istanbul/E2021/228/).

\- In Round 30, [the Reds owned their home edition of the Greek Derby](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2021-22/olympiacos-piraeus-panathinaikos-opap-athens/E2021/264/) this season. They finished a near-perfect first quarter ahead by 38-13 en route to thrashing archrival Panathinaikos OPAP Athens 101-73. Sloukas and Vezenkov led six double-digit Olympiacos scorers with 16 points each.

\- In a playoff series that went the distance, [Olympiacos punched its Final Four ticket thanks to a 94-88 win](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2021-22/olympiacos-piraeus-as-monaco/E2021/326/) in Game 5 at a packed Peace and Friendship Stadium. Shaquielle McKissic scored 16 second-quarter points to keep the Reds in the game, then Sloukas tallied 13 of his 15 on the night in the final quarter to seal the deal.

Monaco rallied to the final minute to produce a remarkable comeback in Game 4 and force a final showdown decider. Olympiacos aim to heal the wounds from a frustrating evening and book their Final Four spot.

Olympiacos Piraeus v AS Monaco - Playoffs Game 5 - Highlights

Thomas Walkup - Olympiacos Piraeus - EB21-PO5

Here are some of the milestones of the season that took Real Madrid to the Final Four stage in Belgrade.


Road to Belgrade, Real Madrid

\- Real made a strong statement of intent [with an 82-69 home win over defending champ Anadolu Efes Istanbul](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2021-22/real-madrid-anadolu-efes-istanbul/E2021/4/) on the opening night of the season. Walter Tavares gave an early glimpse of his trademark inside dominance by amassing a double-double of 13 points and 12 rebounds.

\- A perfect November – five games played, five victories – saw Real climb to the top of the standings with a 10-2 record. [Tavares become the league's MVP of the Month](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/news/mvp-for-november-walter-tavares-real-madrid/) with an average performance index rating of 18.0 for November.

Two of Europe's most illustrious clubs collide for the 53rd time, with both sharing dreams to recapture former glories and stake their claim to be considered championship-contenders come the end of the campaign.

Real Madrid v CSKA Moscow - Round 17 - Highlights

\- Real finished 2021 with [a remarkable 71-65 home win over CSKA Moscow](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2021-22/real-madrid-cska-moscow/E2021/153/). Los Blancos, afflicted by an outbreak of COVID cases, had just five senior players available, but a nine-man roster supplemented by youth team players showed great resolve to grab the victory.

\- In Round 29, [Real Madrid put a halt to its four-game losing streak by downing AX Armani Exchange Milan](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2021-22/real-madrid-ax-armani-exchange-milan/E2021/257/) 92-88 as team veteran Sergio Llull soared in overtime to make sure his team would get home-court advantage in the playoffs.

\- Despite finishing the regular season with four straight losses, Real was the only team to sweep in the playoffs, defeating Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv 3-0, [including a 95-66 blowout in Game 2](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2021-22/real-madrid-maccabi-playtika-tel-aviv/E2021/312/). That dominance carried over to Game 3 in Tel Aviv, where Los Blancos won by 11 to return to the Final Four.

Real Madrid vs Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv| Playoffs Game 2 | Highlights

Guerschon Yabusele - Real Madrid - EB21-PO1

The results are in and after the tally of the votes cast by the media, fans and Turkish Airlines EuroLeague team captains and head coaches, the All-EuroLeague First Team for the 2021-22 season is here!


Meet the 2021-22 All-EuroLeague First Team!

The quintet represents the competition's biggest stars, including four who are previous All-EuroLeague selections. Nikola Mirotic of FC Barcelona and Walter Tavares of Real Madrid return after first-team selections last season while Anadolu Efes Istanbul's Shane Larkin was a second-team choice for 2020-21. Mike James of AS Monaco was on the 2018-19 All-EuroLeague Second Team. Only Sasha Vezenkov of Olympiacos Piraeus is a first-time selection this season. Congratulations to all of them.

### Mike James, AS Monaco

[Mike James](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/mike-james/005985/) was the leader and go-to guy for an AS Monaco squad that defied the expectations to reach the playoffs and then take traditional power Olympiacos Piraeus the distance in their five-game series. James did it all for his team; he ranked third in the league in both points (16.4) and assists (5.8) and was 10th in steals (1.2). He and Shane Larkin were the only players to rank in the top 10 in all three categories. Thanks to those impressive numbers, James was fifth in average performance index rating (18.1), too. He was on the floor whenever Monaco needed him, ranking second in minutes played (31:11 per game). James was the MVP of Round 15 after leading Monaco to a road win at Zalgiris Kaunas with 20 points and a career-high 14 assists for a PIR of 31. James was the Euroleague MVP of the Month for March and then raised his game again for the highest PIR average of the playoffs, 20.8. He tied for the most assists (5.8) and was second in scoring (17.6) in the playoffs, in which one took (34) or made (31) more free throws than James, who converted 91.2% of those attempts. For James, the 2018-19 Alphonso Ford Top Scorer Trophy winner, this is his second All-EuroLeague honor.

Mike James was the leader and go-to guy for an AS Monaco squad that defied the expectations to reach the playoffs and then took traditional power Olympiacos Piraeus the distance before bowing out. James did it all for his team; he ranked third in the league in both scoring (16.4 ppg.) and assists (5.8 apg.) and was 10th in steals (1.2 spg.).

2021-22 All-EuroLeague First Team: Mike James, AS Monaco

### Shane Larkin, Anadolu Efes Istanbul

[Shane Larkin](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/shane-larkin/007200/) posted the league's second-best average PIR (18.9) in leading Anadolu Efes Istanbul to its third consecutive Final Four. Larkin was everywhere for Efes, ranking fourth overall in assists (5.3), sixth in scoring (14.6) and seventh in steals (1.3). He was one of just two players in the top 10 in all three categories. Larkin was third in fouls drawn (5.9) and fourth in free-throw shooting percentage (91.4%), too. In the playoffs, he ranked second in PIR (18.8) and eighth in scoring (14.8) while averaging 4.8 assists and 6.3 fouls drawn. His stellar performances late in the regular season earned Larkin MVP of the Month honors for April after he helped Efes become the only team without home-court advantage to win its playoff series. Larkin shared a league-best three MVP of the Round awards. In Rounds 16, he went for 26 points, 6 rebounds and 6 assists for a PIR of 37 in a road win at Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv. Then he posted 20 points and drew 9 fouls for a PIR of 26 against FC Bayern Munich in Round 19. And finally, he tallied 28 points, 8 assists and 4 steals for a PIR of 36 in Round 33 against ALBA Berlin. This marks Larkin's second consecutive season on the All-EuroLeague Team and his first as a member of the first team.

Shane Larkin posted the league's second-best average PIR (18.9) this season in leading Anadolu Efes Istanbul to its third consecutive Final Four. Larkin did it all, ranking fourth in assists (5.3), sixth in scoring (14.6) and seventh in steals (1.3). He was one of only two players in the top 10 in all three categories.

2021-22 All-EuroLeague First Team: Shane Larkin, Anadolu Efes Istanbul

### Nikola Mirotic, FC Barcelona

FC Barcelona forward [Nikola Mirotic](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/nikola-mirotic/000796/) has been voted to the All-EuroLeague team for the fourth time in his career. Mirotic led the competition in average performance index rating (19.4) in helping Barca finish the regular season atop the standings with a 21-7 record. He ranked second in scoring with 16.6 points per game on almost unprecedented shooting efficiency. In fact, Mirotic is just the second player in EuroLeague history to post 65-45-85 shooting percentages; he made 65.6% of his shots inside the arc, 45.5% from downtown and 87.5% free throws. Mirotic was chosen as the MVP of the Month in both October and December, which gave him a record seven such trophies. He was MVP of the Round three times, too, tied for the most by any player this season. Mirotic claimed the first of those honors in Round 9 with 25 points on near-perfect shooting plus 8 rebounds for a PIR of 37 in just 18 minutes against Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz. Then he erupted for 31 points, 10 rebounds and a EuroLeague season-high and personal-best PIR of 39 in Round 14 against Real Madrid. Finally, he tallied 25 points and a PIR of 31 in Game 3 of the playoffs against FC Bayern Munich. This marks Mirotic's second straight season as a member of the All-EuroLeague First Team.

FC Barcelona forward Nikola Mirotic has been voted to the All-EuroLeague team for the fourth time in his career. Mirotic led the competition in average performance index rating (19.4) in helping Barca finish the regular season atop the standings with a 21-7 record.

2021-22 All-EuroLeague First Team: Nikola Mirotic, FC Barcelona

### Walter Tavares, Real Madrid

[Walter Tavares](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/walter-tavares/005791/) heads to his third Final Four after another standout season with Real Madrid. "Sergeant Swat" has been a major factor at both ends of the floor for Los Blancos this season, ranking third in the league with a career-best PIR of 18.5 per game. Tavares was second in both blocks (1.7) and rebounds (7.6) and seventh in two-point shooting accuracy (69.5%). He averaged 10.9 points and posted a personal-best 74.2% free throw shooting, too. No player pulled down more offensive rebounds than his 3.0 per game. Tavares started the season with a bang, posting 13 points on perfect field goals, 12 rebounds and 2 blocks against defending champion Anadolu Efes on opening night. It was the first of his seven double-doubles, which were second-most in the league. Tavares was chosen as the MVP for November after recording 11.2 points on 81.8% two-point shooting, 7.0 rebounds, 1.8 blocks and 18.0 PIR as Real went 5-0 that month. He led Real to a 20-3 start which allowed the club to stay in the driver's seat for the rest of the regular season. Once in the playoffs, Tavares helped Real advance to the Final Four with a sweep of Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv. This is his third selection to the All-EuroLeague Team and his second in a row on the first team.

Walter Tavares heads to his third Final Four after another standout season with Real Madrid. The man dubbed 'Sergeant Swat' has been a major factor at both ends of the floor for Los Blancos and ranked third in the league this season with a career-best PIR of 18.5 per game. Tavares was second in both blocks (1.7 bpg.) and rebounds (7.6 rpg.) and seventh in two-point shooting accuracy (69.5%).

2021-22 All-EuroLeague First Team: Walter Tavares, Real Madrid

### Sasha Vezenkov, Olympiacos Piraeus

[Sasha Vezenkov](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/sasha-vezenkov/003469/)'s finest season as a professional helped propel Olympiacos Piraeus back to the Final Four after five years. He led the Reds in both points (13.7) and rebounds (5.8), ranking ninth overall in the latter. Only one EuroLeague player who attempted more shots posted a higher field goal percentage (53.8%) than Vezenkov, who set career-highs in both scoring and two-point accuracy (66.7%). All those numbers led to him ranking sixth in the league in average PIR (17.8). Vezenkov started every game for Olympiacos and was one of just six EuroLeague players to average more than 30 minutes per game. He seemed to get stronger as the season progressed, and over the final 12 regular-season games was a model of consistency. He never scored fewer than 13 points or had a PIR lower than 16 in that stretch. Vezenkov was the MVP of the Round twice: first, in Round 13, he posted 17 points, 7 boards and a career-best 5 steals for a PIR of 36 in a road win at UNICS Kazan; then, in Round 32, he recorded 18 points and 10 rebounds for his third double-double of the season in a road win at LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne. Vezenkov was also the MVP of the Month for February. He makes his debut on the All-EuroLeague Team.

Sasha Vezenkov enjoyed his finest season as a professional this year to help get Olympiacos back to the Final Four. He led the Reds in both scoring (13.7 ppg.) and rebounding (5.8 rpg.), ranking ninth in the competition in the latter.

2021-22 All-EuroLeague First Team: Sasha Vezenkov, Olympiacos Piraeus

Shane Larkin celebrates - Anadolu Efes Istanbul - EB21-PO3

Nikola Mirotic - FC Barcelona - EB21-RS26

This is the 2021-22 All-EuroLeague second team!

The players who made the cut played major roles for their teams this season and most of them are not strangers to such accolades. Only one of them is a first-time All-EuroLeague selection. Both Vasilije Micic of Anadolu Efes Istanbul and Vladimir Lucic of FC Bayern Munich were membered of the first team last season. AX Armani Exchange Milan forward Shavon Shields returns to the second team for the second year running. Kostas Sloukas was a first-teamer in 2018-19. Panathinaikos OPAP Athens center Georgios Papagiannis is the only newcomer to this team. Congratulations to all of them. 

### Kostas Sloukas, Olympiacos Piraeus

As Olympiacos Piraeus’s floor general and emotional leader [Kostas Sloukas](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/kostas-sloukas/001926/) was often the difference-maker during a campaign that saw the Reds finish second in the regular season before ousting AS Monaco in a five-game playoff series to reach the Final Four for the first time since 2017. Coming off the bench in all but one of his 35 appearances, Sloukas ranked fifth in the league in assists (4.9 apg.) and averaged a career-high 11.9 points per game. He also set career-highs in three-pointers and free throws made with 59 and 86, respectively, and counting. Sloukas buried a game-winning jumper with 2 seconds remaining to sink Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul in Round 7 and beat the buzzer in overtime to defeat Anadolu Efes Istanbul in Round 23. The veteran playmaker stepped things up another notch during the postseason. Sloukas finished fourth in the EuroLeague Playoffs in average PIR (18.2), seventh in scoring (14.8) and eighth in assists (3.8 apg.). He made multiple three-pointers in all five playoff games. For the three-time EuroLeague champion, this is the second All-EuroLeague honor.

2021-22 All-EuroLeague Second Team: Kostas Sloukas, Olympiacos Piraeus

### Vasilije Micic, Anadolu Efes Istanbul

Fresh off helping lead the reigning Turkish Airlines EuroLeague champions back to the Final Four held in his city of Belgrade, Anadolu Efes Istanbul point guard [Vasilije Micic](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/vasilije-micic/002580/) has been selected to the All-EuroLeague Second Team. Micic, who won this season's Alphonso Ford Top Scorer Trophy award, led the EuroLeague in scoring in both the regular season (18.1 ppg.) and the playoffs (18.5 ppg.). He scored 20 or more points in exactly half of his 32 appearances this season and also finished sixth in assists (4.6 apg.) and seventh in average performance index rating (17.5 per game). Micic ranked seventh in three-pointers made (2.1 per game) and was also second on his team with 1.2 steals per game. During the season, Micic was MVP of the Round three times, which was tied for most in the league, including a double-double against Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv for a PIR of 30 in Round 27 and a 29-point effort against Real Madrid in Round 31. This is the third consecutive All-EuroLeague Team selection for Micic, who was a Second Team member in 2018-19 and on the First Team last season when he was named EuroLeague MVP.

2021-22 All-EuroLeague Second Team: Vasilije Micic, Anadolu Efes Istanbul

### Shavon Shields, AX Armani Exchange Milan

AX Armani Exchange Milan small forward [Shavon Shields](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/shavon-shields/007831/) has been selected for the All-EuroLeague Second Team for the second season running. Despite missing 14 games due to a broken forearm in the middle of the regular season, Shields was Milan's on-court leader before and after the injury. He helped the team finish third in the regular season with a 19-9 record to lead Milan to a second consecutive playoff appearance. He led the team in both scoring (13.0 ppg.) and minutes played (29:48), the latter representing the eighth-most in the league. The injury did not stop Shields from posting career-best averages in rebounds (4.0 rpg.), assists (2.8 apg.) and steals (1.1 spg.). The Milan forward recorded PIRs in double figures in 19 of his 24 appearances this season and averaged 14.2 per game. Shields was a force in the EuroLeague Playoffs; he posted 21 points and 8 rebounds in Game 2 to lead an injury-riddled squad to its lone victory in the series against Anadolu Efes Istanbul and was that phase’s steals leader (1.8 spg.) while playing the fifth-most minutes (31:34) on average.

2021-22 All-EuroLeague Second Team: Shavon Shields, AX Armani Exchange Milan

### Vladimir Lucic, FC Bayern Munich

For the second season in a row, FC Bayern Munich came within a whisker of defying the odds and reaching the Final Four for the first time and star forward [Vladimir Lucic](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/vladimir-lucic/001288/) was at the heart of the team’s challenge. Lucic led the team in performance index rating (14.2 per game) and was second in both scoring (12.2 ppg.) and rebounding (4.2 rpg.). He was sidelined for the first four games of the season as Bayern fell to 0-4. Upon his return, Bayern promptly won three in a row with Lucic scoring 17 in Round 5 at Zalgiris Kaunas and 20 in Round 6 against AX Armani Exchange Milan. He later set a career-high in rebounding with 14 boards in Round 17 against Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz. Lucic sacrificed his body time and again in drawing the fourth-most fouls (4.4 per game) and attempting the fifth-most free throws (3.5 per game). Lucic was also 10th in the league in free-throw accuracy (88.1%). Lucic led Bayern in PIR (15.4) and scoring (11.2 ppg.) in the playoffs, too. This is Lucic’s second All-EuroLeague selection.

2021-22 All-EuroLeague Second Team: Vladimir Lucid, FC Bayern Munich

### Georgios Papagiannis, Panathinaikos OPAP Athens

[Georgios Papagiannis](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/georgios-papagiannis/005844/) comes off a career-best season with Panathinaikos OPAP Athens. The Greens' center became only the fourth player in competition history to lead the EuroLeague in both rebounds (8.2 rpg.) and blocked shots (1.7 bpg.) – joining the likes of Arvydas Sabonis, Ekpe Udoh and Andrei Kirilenko – and the first this century to average better than 8.0 rebounds and 1.7 blocks. Papagiannis also led the league in defensive rebounding with 6.0 per game, which was the best in the league in five years. Papagiannis shined for Panathinaikos in many different ways, including rankings third overall with 4.7 two-point shots made per game. He did so with 64.3% accuracy, which ranked 15th in the competition this season. In addition to posting career-best marks in rebounding, defensive rebounding, blocks and two-pointers made, Papagiannis also set career-highs with 10.3 points per game, 72.7% free-throw shooting and 28:24 average minutes played. He led the league with eight double-doubles, including in the regular-season finale when Papagiannis posted 14 points, 12 boards and 4 blocks for a PIR of 31 against Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul to win MVP of the Round honors. All of that helped Papagiannis earn his first All-EuroLeague selection.

2021-22 All-EuroLeague Second Team: Georgios Papagiannis, Panathinaikos OPAP Athens

Here is your All-EuroLeague Second Team for the 2021-22 season! These five stars were selected through a voting process that included the media, fans and EuroLeague team captains and head coaches.

All-EuroLeague Second Team announced

Vladimir Lucic - FC Bayern Munich - EB21-PO3

Vasilije Micic - Anadolu Efes Istanbul - EB21-PO3

Shavon Shields - AX Armani Exchange Milan - EB21-RS30

Kostas Sloukas - Olympiacos Piraeus - EB21-RS19

News

All-EuroLeague Second Team announced

Awards

Real Madrid: Did you know that...?

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FC Barcelona: Did you know that...?

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Anadolu Efes Istanbul: Did you know that...?

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Olympiacos Piraeus: Did you know that...?

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Stats Review: Sizing up the semis

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Watch "Land of MVPs", Euroleague Basketball's latest documentary

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Road to Belgrade, Anadolu Efes Istanbul

Final Four

Road to Belgrade, FC Barcelona

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Road to Belgrade, Olympiacos Piraeus

Final Four

Road to Belgrade, Real Madrid

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Meet the 2021-22 All-EuroLeague First Team!

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