Final Four news: Anadolu Efes Istanbul

Final Four news: FC Barcelona

Final Four news: Real Madrid

Final Four news: Olympiacos Piraeus

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. 

AWARDS

ANGT Finals news

### Dunston inspires Efes off the bench

Bryant Dunston was the game’s first substitution, coming in for Tibor Pleiss, and he made an instant impact. Even though he failed to slow down Fall, Dunston drew a foul from the Olympiacos starter and made a free throw, nailed a jumper to beat the shot clock and blocked a Papanikolaou shot in the paint to help force a shot-clock violation. With Dunston on the court, Efes outscored Olympiacos 5-13 to lead 14-18 before the Reds regained the lead after 10 minutes.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Dunston with the big block!⛔️<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/F4GLORY?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#F4GLORY</a> I <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/7DAYSMagicMoment?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#7DAYSMagicMoment</a> <a href="https://t.co/vrDoybvvz4">pic.twitter.com/vrDoybvvz4</a></p>&mdash; Turkish Airlines EuroLeague (@EuroLeague) <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroLeague/status/1527322842085220352?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 19, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

### Big men make early impact

Moustapha Fall scored the first basket of the game for the Reds and Thomas Pleiss’s hook shot put Efes up 4-5. Olympiacos scored a three on the next possession only after the ball went inside to Fall, he dunked on the ensuing possession, then drew a foul and splie free throws before assisting Kostas Papanikolaou on a layup to make it 12-5. After all the focus on the backcourt stars, the big men are making the big impact early.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="tr" dir="ltr">Olympiacos karşısında ilk 5️⃣:<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NewQuest?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NewQuest</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BenimYerimBuras%C4%B1?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BenimYerimBurası</a> <a href="https://t.co/WL0JUqvNUF">pic.twitter.com/WL0JUqvNUF</a></p>&mdash; Anadolu Efes SK (@AnadoluEfesSK) <a href="https://twitter.com/AnadoluEfesSK/status/1527318046762643456?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 19, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">The starting five! Let&#39;s do it!<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/OlympiacosBC?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#OlympiacosBC</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WeAreOlympiacos?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WeAreOlympiacos</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TogetherWeFight?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TogetherWeFight</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/EveryGameMatters?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#EveryGameMatters</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/OLYEFS?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#OLYEFS</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/F4GLORY?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#F4GLORY</a> <a href="https://t.co/I5EhdqyTxM">pic.twitter.com/I5EhdqyTxM</a></p>&mdash; Olympiacos B.C. (@olympiacosbc) <a href="https://twitter.com/olympiacosbc/status/1527318135677759494?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 19, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">🗣 Printezis : “We are better team, better players”!!!<br><br>Let’s do this!!! 💪🏽💪🏽💪🏽 <a href="<https://twitter.com/hashtag/OlympiacosBC?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#OlympiacosBC</a>> <a href="<https://twitter.com/hashtag/WeAreOlympiacos?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WeAreOlympiacos</a>> <a href="<https://twitter.com/hashtag/TogetherWeFight?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TogetherWeFight</a>> <a href="<https://t.co/FdjAowFZ9K">pic.twitter.com/FdjAowFZ9K</a></p>&mdash>; Olympiacos B.C. (@olympiacosbc) <a href="<https://twitter.com/olympiacosbc/status/1527313859597303810?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May> 19, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="<https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js>" charset="utf-8"></script>

### The teams have taken the court

After the earlier shootarounds, both teams came in for proper warmups just moments apart. It is now confirmed that Krunoslav Simon will not play tonight. He is not in uniform, nor is Dogus Balbay for the reigning champs.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">I FEEL DEVOTION <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroLeague?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@EuroLeague</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/F4GLORY?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#F4GLORY</a> <a href="https://t.co/lmVkEZChoC">pic.twitter.com/lmVkEZChoC</a></p>&mdash; Jaime Alonso (@JaimeAlonso_) <a href="https://twitter.com/JaimeAlonso_/status/1527308554104754176?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 19, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

### They teams are warming up!

More than an hour till tip-off of the first semifinal and Stark Arena is already abuzz. The Olympiacos takeover of the stands can be seen and heard with the pockets of red from all corners of the arena. And it’s only going to get louder as we approach game time!

Different players are taking different approaches as the warmup with Olympiacos’s Tyler Dorsey wearing headphones as he shoots to help block out all the noise and focus, while his teammates Moustapha Fall and Hassan Martin spent a few moments sitting by the side and taking in the atmosphere. The loudest noise was reserved for the boos when Efes star Shane Larkin came out. What a night it’s going to be!

Olympiacos Piraeus-Anadolu Efes Istanbul, Teaser

Follow all the latest news and updates news for Thursday's semifinals games here with the Game Blog!

Game Blog: Olympiacos, Efes face off in first semifinal!

Stark Arena pregame - Final Four Belgrade 2022 - EB21

Dogus Balbay - Anadolu Efes Istanbul arrival - Final Four Belgrade 2022 - EB21

Tyler Dorsey - Olympiacos Piraeus - Final Four Belgrade 2022 - E21-FFS

For 32-year-old Antoni and his six friends, basketball is a way of life. The basketball floor in Tarragona, a town just outside Barcelona, is also a place where Antoni hurt his knee while trying to make a last-second play this past weekend. 

"Talking to my friends, we realized that my injury will not stop us from going to the Final Four,” Antoni explains.

Antoni rolls around in a wheelchair through the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague FanZone, with one of his friends in charge of holding his crutches. They already had a little adventure because his wheelchair broke on the airplane, so they spent Thursday morning looking for new ones to rent in Belgrade. 

But they already proved nothing will stop them from enjoying the experience, because this is the Final Four.

"We watched the whole season, the series against Bayern, and we said, ‘We have to do it.’ Yes, basketball is definitely the way to live."

He says being a fan of all Barcelona sport teams has been little rough in the past few years, but hopes are up for this Final Four. 

"Last season we lost in the final. Hopefully, this is a chance to win this trophy.”

FC Barcelona fan Antoni Carreras hurt his knee on Saturday playing in an amateur basketball game. It did not stop him, or his friends, from coming to Belgrade for the Final Four this week.

Injury could not keep Barca fan from Belgrade

Antoni Carreras and his friends - Fans - Final Four Belgrade 2022 - EB21

Among a sea of Olympiacos fans in Belgrade, the father and son were loving every second of the Final Four in the lead-up to Friday’s semifinals.

"It is not just games, it is the whole event," Gerasimos said. "It is a long trip from Kefalonia, but every minute was worth it."

Father and son go to Olympiacos games as much as they can. For Gerasimos, it is his second Final Four experience.

"I was at the Final Four in 2010, in Paris. That did not finish good for us," Gerasimos laughs.

Olympiacos lost a championship game against FC Barcelona that season. He and his son, as well as the rest of Reds' fans, hope it will be a different story this time around.

"We have a strong team, we have a lot of fans here. I am very optimistic," says Gerasimos.

Gerasimos Vasilatos and his 10-year-old son Konstantinos traveled from the island of Kefalonia to experience the Final Four and support their beloved Olympiacos Piraeus.

Father and son Olympiacos fans love Final Four experience

Gerasimos and Konstantinos Vasilatos - Fans - Final Four Belgrade 2022 - EB21

Oscar is not a newcomer, as he has been to some other Final Fours before. But for this one, he convinced Mario, a friend of his, to join him. 

"Oscar comes every year. This year I decided to join in, because it looked to me like a fantastic experience that I had never experienced before, and I really wanted to do it this year,” Mario said. “Oscar has totally convinced me.”

Oscar says his passion for the game goes beyond fandom to encompass his devotion to basketball: "We are here because we love basketball. Because we love basketball, it is what moves us in life".


"We couldn't miss being here,” Oscar said. “If you like basketball, you have to come to the Final Four. This event caps the season at the highest level. It is the greatest European basketball event of the year, and the fact that it is celebrated in cities like Belgrade, where basketball is everywhere around, makes it impossible to miss for any true basketball fan.”
 makes it impossible to miss for any true basketball fan.”

Oscar and Mario are two friends that came to Belgrade not only to cheer for and support Real Madrid, but to live a unique experience in a unique city.

Real fans are clear: ‘Basketball is what moves us’

Real Madrid Fans - Final Four Belgrade 2022 - EB21

"We love basketball. I watch the EuroLeague every time I can, and I found the chance to come. We try to attend every Final Four we can. The last one we shared was Vitoria 2019, but we were here in Belgrade four years ago, too, so we are happy that we were able to come again," said Khoran, who lives in Bucharest.

He is not the only one of the group living outside Turkey. 

"We live in different places after all, so this is like a gathering for us," says Korhan. "We like the atmosphere, with the best teams of the Euroleague playing the tournament. This year's Final Four looks great, and also the weather is very good, which makes everything much better. We are happy to be here, and to have the opportunity of getting together in such a great place and event.”

Anadolu Efes Istanbul fans Korhan, Ozgur, Yavuz and Hakan have few occasions when they can be together as two of them live in Turkey, one in Romania and one in the United States. But the Final Four served as the perfect excuse for them to come together again.

Quartet of Efes friends reunite in Belgrade

Anadolu Efes Istanbul Fans - Final Four Belgrade 2022 - EB21

Watch on [Euroleague TV](https://www.euroleague.tv/) to hear the expert commentary of former EuroLeague champions Joe Arlauckas and Jiri Zidek as they call the games with Ronald McIntosh and Liam Canny.

Fans can get a second-screen experience, too, by [watching along with Anthony Goods of Swish Cultures on YouTube](https://youtu.be/llLFLGbxC4U) as he analyzes the action in real time with special guest and former EuroLeague player Michael Roll

What's more, after the success of last season's first Final Four VR broadcast, this year Turkish Airlines is enabling the technology from YBVR to bring fans to Stark Arena directly from their homes. To access the YBVR experience, fans need to purchase the Euroleague TV Final Four pass.

The action is not limited to the games at Stark Arena, however. The same high production standards are on display for the Euroleague Basketball Adidas Next Generation Tournament which may be followed [live on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=merw9rDVw24).

**Armenia:** VIVARO

**Australia:** FOX SPORTS

**Balkans:** SPORTKLUB

**Baltic:** TV3 SPORT

**Belgium:** VOOsport World (BETV)

**Bulgaria:** MAX SPORT

**Brazil:** BANDSPORTS and DZAN

**China:** ESPN

**Czech Republic:** O2 TV SPORT

**Denmark: VIAPLAY**

**Eurasia:** SETANTA SPORTS

**France:** L'EQUIPE

**Georgia:** SILK SPORT 2 HD

**Germany:** MAGENTA SPORT

**Greece:** NOVASPORTS

**Iberoamerica:** DIRECT TV GO

**India:** DISCOVERY

**Internet:** [EUROLEAGUE.TV](http://EUROLEAGUE.TV)

**Israel:** SPORT 5

**In Flight:** SPORT 24

**Italy:** SKY SPORT and ELEVEN SPORTS

**Lithuania:** LRT and 3SPORT

**Mexico:** ESPN

**Philippines:** TAPSPORTS LIVE

**Poland:** POLSAT SPORT EXTRA

**Portugal:** SPORT TV

**Spain:** DAZN

**Taiwan:** ELEVEN SPORTS

**Thailand:** 3BBTV

**Turkey:** beIN SPORTS

**United Kingdom:** FREESPORTS

**Vietnam:** FPT

The Final Four will be the center of attention this weekend for a worldwide basketball audience who will be treated to a state-of-the-art broadcast production that includes 31 live cameras, five others dedicated to behind-the-scenes action, and three more equipped for virtual reality broadcasts.

The Final Four broadcast experience!

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

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

Dressing room Anadolu Efes Istanbul - Final Four Belgrade 2022 - EB21

The Final Four host city of Belgrade is filled with basketball lovers, and some were more than happy to share their opinions, predicting the outcome of Thursday's semifinals and the Final Four as a whole.

What the Serbs say: local Final Four predictions!

Dejan Tomasevic and Igor Rakocevic are Belgrade natives with storied EuroLeague careers. Tomasevic is a former champion and a two-time All-EuroLeague selection, who would have had more accolades if those awards were handed out in the earliest years of the century, including the 2000-01 season when he had the highest PIR in the league. Rakocevic is a three-time Alphonso Ford Top Scorer Trophy winner and played for two of the teams at this Final Four, Anadolu Efes Istanbul and Real Madrid. 

“In general, there is no favorite, especially since they are playing on a neutral court,” Tomasevic said of the Olympiacos Piraeus vs. Efes showdown. “Of course, Olympiacos will have an advantage with the fans because a lot of fans will come from Athens and people from Belgrade like Olympiacos. 

“In the other game, I like Nikola Mirotic. He is a really good friend of mine and is an unbelievably good guy. So my heart in this game will be with Barcelona. I believe that Barcelona will win \[the championship\] because they have the best player, Nikola Mirotic, and I hope he will be the MVP.” 

Dusko Savanovic was an All-EuroLeague choice in 2011 and played three seasons for Efes during his career. Retired since 2017, he runs the Akademija Vojvoda basketball academy here in Belgrade. 2017 champion and Crvena Zvezda mts Belgrade captain Nikola Kalinic knows these teams as well as anyone. In fact, he helped his team beat three of the Final Four teams this season. 

"I don't know what is going to happen. I mean, it's so unpredictable but there are things that you can count on,” Savanovic said. “Both teams are going to put their maximum and play 100% because it is the last game that counts in the EuroLeague. If you don't, you go home, you are done. That, for sure, is going to be extremely tough and fast, and in that type of basketball, it is going to be interesting… I am an Efes fan. I spent three years there. I feel it like my home club. If you talk about quality basketball, it's Efes. And if you look at Efes and Olympiacos, they began the season terribly, both teams. Efes struggled a lot and Olympiacos didn't play their beautiful game. Their games were not nice to watch but they were effective. They went on and advanced and advanced, like a machine. So that proves to you that the quality is there. I cannot predict what's going to be, but I am cheering for Efes.

Savanovic had an even tougher time choosing a winner in the other game, though he made it clear which player he would fear the most if he were still playing. 

“You have Mirotic on one side, who is already well-known as a world player. And you have Real Madrid, which has also dominating players. They have this giant Tavares - I was looking at him yesterday and maaan, good thing I didn’t play in his era! I don't know what would I do. I could cry next to him. The guy is like an Avatar, he is huge. So no matter which side on the court you choose, both teams have pluses and minuses, and it just depends on how they are going to use them… I would go with 50-50 if I can answer like that. I cannot predict, but I can see an interesting game, a typical Spanish game: a lot of points, a lot of running, so it is going to be extremely interesting to watch.”

Nikola Kalinic predictions!

According to the fans, four teams have equal shot to make it to the championship game and win the crown.

"I think Barcelona will beat Real Madrid and Olympiacos will get past Efes because they will have more fans here," 16-year old Luka Karaklajic said. "Then I think championship game will be a one-possession game, and Barca will take the title."

Luka, who practices basketball at the local club Cerak, does add: "I think Barcelona has the best roster, but I don't know how well they will play. It's the Final Four. Everyone can beat each other."

Luka's friend Uros Dimitrijevic, 17, mostly shares his opinion.

"It will be a hard-fought game, with Olympiacos having more fans, but I think Efes will pull it out. In the second semifinal game, I think Barca goes through against Real because it has beaten them many times already and it has the MVP, Nikola Mirotic. I think Mirotic will also be the Final Four MVP and Barcelona will win it all."

Sisters Ana (17) and Ivana Dimitrijevic (25) see it differently.

"I see Real and Efes going through," predicts Ana, who follows the EuroLeague throughout the season, with her sister nodding in approval. "Efes is the defending champion, and I simply think they are better than Olympiacos. But I think Real has the quality, with Coach Laso. And I think Walter Tavares will have a good tournament."

"I feel Efes has the most experience, and I just have a gut feeling about them. I don't think Olympiacos will stand a chance. Larkin and Micic will take care of them," 28-year-old Stefan Colovic says. "I will also support Real, even though I admit Barcelona has more quality on its roster. But I think Efes wins the title no matter what and Barcelona ends up in third place."

On the other hand, Milos Jovanovic, 36, admits that his opinion might be a little biased.

"I hope Serbia's own Vasa Micic will lead Efes over Olympiacos," Milos says. "I will also cheer for Real over Barcelona, but I also think it is realistic that Real beats Barcelona. And in the final, I think Real will lift the crown, I think it will be Real's 11th."

The Final Four host city of Belgrade is filled with basketball lovers and some were more than happy to share their opinions, predicting the outcome of Thursday's semifinals and the Final Four as a whole.

Luka Karaklajic - Fans - FanZone - Final Four Belgrade 2022 - EB21

Ana and Ivana Dimitrijevic - Fans - FanZone - Final Four Belgrade 2022 - EB21

Vasilije Micic - Best Scorer 2021-22 - Final Four Belgrade 2022 - EB21

### Semifinals are here!

The day has finally arrived! The Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Final Four gets underway with both semifinals, Olympiacos Piraeus vs. Anadolu Efes Istanbul and FC Barcelona vs. Real Madrid. All EuroLeague fans have been waiting for this moment for a long time. All teams practiced and are ready to go. Olympiacos fans are all around the arena, wearing their red and white uniforms with a lot of pride, but there many Efes fans around, too. A great atmosphere is guaranteed when the ball goes up in the air - Stark Arena, one of the biggest basketball arenas in the worlds, is sold out. 

As always, we will be covering the game on [EuroLeague.net](http://EuroLeague.net). Our Game Blog will be active before the start of the first semifinals until we know which two teams made it to the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Championship Game on Saturday. Stay tuned for inside information, game analysis, exclusive footage and much more. Finally, it's Final Four time! Good luck to all four teams!

### FanZone open for business

It's Semifinals Thursday at the Final Four, which also means the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague FanZone has opened its doors. Located at the spacious Savski Square, along the trendy Belgrade waterfront, the FanZone will once again be the Final Four's starting point for fans of all ages.

Tens of thousands of people are expected to flock over the next three days to the FanZone where everyone will be able to participate in a wide array of activities. Thanks to Euroleague Basketball partners Turkish Airlines, 7DAYS, BKT, Adidas and many more, the visitors will be able to do a variety of things at more than a dozen stands and pavilions set up in the FanZone. The activities range from measuring hang time and testing basketball knowledge to taking photos with the EuroLeague trophy or recording a video with some EuroLeague stars. Fans will also be able to buy merchandise and souvenirs, win prizes, see some of the Euroleague Basketball legends and – of course – shoot hoops.

The non-stop fun will be highlighted with One Team activities and a 3x3 tournament. And for those not lucky enough to have a ticket for the games at the Stark Arena, the FanZone will also be a great place to watch the Final Four games on a jumbo screen.

Make sure not to miss the FanZone!

### Laprovittola’s moustache grows… on the wall

FC Barcelona arrived at Stark Arena as a team for the first time on Thursday evening to practice on the court. When they arrived at the locker-room, the players marveled at the supersized head shots of each player at his locker. Since those headshots were taken at the team’s preseason media day, there is always the possibility that a player or two might look a little different.

Such is the case with Barca guard Nicolas Laprovittola, who over the course of the season has groomed an impressive mustache. When Laprovittola was not in the room, an unnamed teammate took matters into his hands to “improve” Laprovittola’s photo by scribbling on a mustache. Does the light-hearted atmosphere speak well about the mental state of the Barca players? We’ll know more tomorrow!

### French stars meet up

There was a buzz even before Real Madrid met with reporters. Los Blancos filled their locker room and the hallway with players signing balls and meeting dignitaries. In that time, Olympiacos center Moustapha Fall walked by and ran into his countryman and national teammate Vincent Poirier of Real Madrid. The two, who helped Les Bleus to the silver medal at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, embraced and chatted for a few minutes before Fall headed to the showers and Poirier to the mixed zone where he would meet with reporters before his team’s practice. It was a nice moment between friends who could yet meet in the paint on Sunday.

### Schortsanitis interviews his former team

Olympiacos Piraeus was the next team to pass through the mixed zone and meet the media ahead of its practice at Stark Arena. While there were hundreds of journalists eager to meet the players, one of them stood out above the rest. He is former EuroLeague champion and All-EuroLeague First Team selection Sofoklis Schortsanitis.

"Big Sofo" is in Belgrade on assignment for a Greek television station and was curious to hear what some of his former teammates had to say. Schortsanitis, who played for the Reds from 2005 to 2010, had Georgios Printezis as well as the very young Kostas Papanikolaou and Kostas Sloukas as teammates there and on the Greek national team.

### Efes meets the press before practice

Reigning Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Anadolu Efes Istanbul was the first team to meet the press in the mixed zone before their Wednesday practice at Stark Arena. All the players and Coach Ergin Ataman were available for interviews about the big game against Olympiacos Piraeus tomorrow. Additionally, Elijah Bryant and last season's Final Four MVP Vasilije Micic were interviewed online for all media who could not attend the event.

Semifinal pre-game quotes: Vasilije Micic, Anadolu Efes Istanbul

"Even when people know we are known as an offensive team, in the last four playoffs game against Milan we showed a great part of our defensive ability, which gave us an extra boost," Micic said, perhaps foretelling a key to that semifinal.

Micic singled out Tyler Dorsey as one player who could be especially dangerous. "He is a very talented guy with a lot of points in his hands," he said. "Sasha Vezenkov is also a really unique player, very smart, a very clever guy to read the game."

### MVP Mirotic calls out Calathes in speech

The highlight of the annual EuroLeague awards ceremony is always the naming of the MVP. This season, one of the winner’s teammates saw it coming and worked his way into the speech. After Nikola Mirotic received the MVP trophy from coaching legend Zeljko Obradovic, he grabbed the microphone to share his thoughts.

<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">The MVP did not forget about his teammate <a href="https://twitter.com/Nick_Calathes15?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Nick_Calathes15</a>!<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/F4GLORY?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#F4GLORY</a> <a href="https://t.co/Uqq9LuyZTd">pic.twitter.com/Uqq9LuyZTd</a></p>&mdash; Turkish Airlines EuroLeague (@EuroLeague) <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroLeague/status/1526887142022123520?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 18, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

“A couple of weeks ago, my dear fiend Nick Calathes said in case you win, please remember me in your speech, so I said to him I will,” Mirotic revealed to the smiles of all on hand, including their coach, Sarunas Jasikevicius. Mirotic got a little more serious before adding: “I also want to thank Nick because he makes my life way easier on the court and he’s been an amazing teammate and friend.”

Mirotic’s full comments can be read [here](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/news/2021-22-turkish-airlines-euroleague-mvp-nikola-mirotic-fc-barcelona/).

### ANGT Finals underway!

If the semifinals and the championship game at the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Final Four are the main course, the Euroleague Basketball Adidas Next Generation Tournament Finals are a tasty appetizer. The ANGT Finals are underway with U18 Mega Mozzart Belgrade and U18 PFYM INSEP Paris in action in the first game at Hala Sportova Ranko Zeravica. The tournament will feature 12 games through Friday and the winners of each group will square of on Saturday in the championship game. For more information on the games, check out [www.euroleaguebasketball.net/ngt](http://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/ngt).

### Barcelona’s arrival completes the foursome

We can now turn the page from Final Four anticipation to the count down for the tip-off. With the arrival of FC Barcelona, all the teams have checked in! Interestingly, the first Barca man into the hotel was Coach Sarunas Jasikevicius, who looked like a general leading his troops. Last in was Euroleague Legend Juan Carlos Navarro, who now serves as the director of Barcelona’s basketball section. In between, the roster filled in and a few of them had some interesting thoughts.

The experience was an unusual one for Sertac Sanli, who lifted the crown last season as an Anadolu Efes Istanbul player and saw many old friends as he entered the hotel. "I am really excited! I didn't know how I would react after I see them," he said. “It is going to be fun! I am trying to enjoy being in the Final Four, being in Belgrade. It is going to be different for me.”

One of the few Final Four newcomers on the Barcelona squad is Nigel Hayes-Davies, who had the following to say: “Some of the guys have been here before, some of the guys have won before. For a couple of us, it’s the first one. It's an exciting time. It is an honor and privilege to be here. In basketball, you work throughout your career to win championships, and to be here and have an opportunity to do that is something that you cherish because the championships and winning is not guaranteed in our sport... So all we can focus on is playing Barcelona basketball and if we do that for 40 minutes, we'll see what happens.”

Of course, there is still much more to happen until the first game on Thursday. Wednesday will bring about the awards ceremony, where this season’s MVP will be crowned; the opening press conference; team practices at Stark Arena and more. Check back on these pages for more updates as they happen.

Nick Calathes - FC Barcelona - Final Four Belgrade 2022

Alex Abrines - FC Barcelona - Final Four Belgrade 2022

Sarunas Jasikevicius - FC Barcelona - Final Four Belgrade 2022

Nigel Hayes-Davis - FC Barcelona - Final Four Belgrade 2022

Sertac Sanli - FC Barcelona - Final Four Belgrade 2022

Rokas Jokubaitis - FC Barcelona - Final Four Belgrade 2022

### Los Blancos strut into Belgrade

The award for the best-dressed arrivals goes to Real Madrid, hands down. Los Blancos checked into the Final Four wearing identical sleek black suits and ties with sharp white shirts. Although they could have passed for members of the Men in Black, the Madrid men are not concerned about protecting earth from extraterrestrial life, but rather protecting the paint from their opponents.

"Having experience in this event helps. When you are a first-timer, you have more anxiety in the before the games and experience helps you feel better on the court - hopefully better than in my first time," Real forward Gabriel Deck said. "As a team, we try to face each game in the same way, with the same intensity and character, but this is a Final Four game. It is a do-or-die game and the pressure is on but that goes the same for all four teams in Belgrade. All of them are here with the same goal: making it to the final and lifting the trophy."

"It's really exciting \[to be here\]. We are really enjoying the moment, but we are here to win, so we don't have to enjoy it too much, as the main reason we are here is to compete," Vincent Poirier added. "We feel good, we are doing great. I think we are playing the best basketball of this season. We are confident and we are ready."

Jeffery Taylor - Real Madrid - Final Four Belgrade 2022

Pablo Laso - Real Madrid - Final Four Belgrade 2022

Guerschon Yabusele - Real Madrid - Final Four Belgrade 2022

Alberto Abalde - Real Madrid - Final Four Belgrade 2022

Adam Hanga - Real Madrid - Final Four Belgrade 2022

Rudy Fernandez - Real Madrid - Final Four Belgrade 2022

Vincent Poirier - Real Madrid - Final Four Belgrade 2022

### The champs roll into town

Half of the participating teams at the 2022 Final Four are checked in with the arrival of defending champion Anadolu Efes Istanbul. The team’s arrival was slightly delayed when the skies opened up and poured down as Efes was landing in Belgrade. Nonetheless, the players and staff were all smiles as they encountered all those waiting for them in the lobby of the headquarters hotel.

Despite the presence of Efes’s star-studded roster, it was an 8-year-old boy who stole the show. Filip, a Partizan NIS Belgrade fan who has quickly adopted Efes as his favorite in the EuroLeague, was decked out in a No. 44 Krunoslav Simon jersey, which he patiently waited and asked Efes players to sign and to pose for photos with him. Soon, all of the assembled media saw Filip and turned their attention to his exploits.

“It is always nice to see kids wearing your jersey because sports is all about that, to see them interested in the sport and this is the best thing about the sport,” Simon said. “I am glad he is an Efes fan. This is a big club. We might not have as many fans as some clubs that have soccer teams, but I think it is good to have all kinds of fans of our club from all over.”

Bryant Dunston, after seeing Filip and some other Efes supporters there to welcome his team, spoke about the return of fans to the Final Four: "It was weird playing the last game of last season with no fans there - winning, celebrating, jumping up and down, and then looking around and there was nobody there... Hopefully, we are going to have that same result but with the fans there."

Adrien Moerman - Anadolu Efes Istanbul - Final Four Belgrade 2022

Shane Larkin - Anadolu Efes Istanbul - Final Four Belgrade 2022

Ergin  Ataman - Anadolu Efes Istanbul - Final Four Belgrade 2022

Krunoslav Simon - Anadolu Efes Istanbul - Final Four Belgrade 2022

Chris Singleton - Anadolu Efes Istanbul - Final Four Belgrade 2022

### Olympiacos arrival signifies start of Final Four!

The arrival of Olympiacos Piraeus to the headquarters hotel in Belgrade symbolized the lighting of the torch for the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Final Four. The other three teams will join them shortly, but the Reds had the honor of opening the proceedings. Select members of the media were allowed to pepper players with questions about their arrival.

One Olympiacos player looked a bit trimmer than before. Big man Livio Jean-Charles trimmed his beard: "Yes! It was just a choice of haircut, but definitely, I shaved the beard!" he said. "I am excited, for sure. There are a lot of talented players who have never made it to the Final Four in their careers, so I am pretty glad to be here."

Kostas Papanikolaou, who is among the Reds’ most-experienced players, added: “It does not matter how many \[Final Fours\] you had before, each one coming is new, it's beautiful and you want to take the best out of it… The most important thing that I said to the guys is to enjoy it. You never know if you are going to be able to have an experience like this in your life.”

Hassan Martin and Shaquielle McKissic - Olympiacos Piraeus - Final Four Belgrade 2022

Thomas Walkup - Olympiacos Piraeus - Final Four Belgrade 2022

Kostas Papanikolaou - Olympiacos Piraeus - Final Four Belgrade 2022

Sotirios Oikonomopoulos - Olympiacos Piraeus - Final Four Belgrade 2022

Welcome to the Final Four blog! The EuroLeague staff will be on the ground covering all of the big events in Belgrade and sharing what’s going on behind the scenes all week long.

Final Four live blog: Semifinals are here!

Hassan Martin and Shaquielle McKissic - Olympiacos Piraeus - Final Four Belgrade 2022 - EB21

Thomas Walkup - Olympiacos Piraeus - Final Four Belgrade 2022 - EB21

Kostas Papanikolaou - Olympiacos Piraeus - Final Four Belgrade 2022 - EB21

Sotirios Oikonomopoulos - Olympiacos Piraeus - Final Four Belgrade 2022 - EB21

Thomas Walkup 2- Olympiacos Piraeus - Final Four Belgrade 2022 - EB21

Adrien Moerman - Anadolu Efes Istanbul - Final Four Belgrade 2022 - EB21

Shane Larkin - Anadolu Efes Istanbul - Final Four Belgrade 2022 - EB21

Ergin  Ataman - Anadolu Efes Istanbul - Final Four Belgrade 2022 - EB21

Krunoslav Simon - Anadolu Efes Istanbul - Final Four Belgrade 2022 - EB21

Shane Larkin 2- Anadolu Efes Istanbul - Final Four Belgrade 2022 - EB21

Chris Singleton - Anadolu Efes Istanbul - Final Four Belgrade 2022 - EB21

Jeffery Taylor - Real Madrid - Final Four Belgrade 2022 - EB21

Pablo Laso - Real Madrid - Final Four Belgrade 2022 - EB21

Guerschon Yabusele - Real Madrid - Final Four Belgrade 2022 - EB21

Alberto Abalde - Real Madrid - Final Four Belgrade 2022 - EB21

Adam Hanga - Real Madrid - Final Four Belgrade 2022 - EB21

Rudy Fernandez - Real Madrid - Final Four Belgrade 2022 - EB21

Vincent Poirier - Real Madrid - Final Four Belgrade 2022 - EB21

Alex Abrines - FC Barcelona - Final Four Belgrade 2022 - EB21

Nick Calathes - FC Barcelona - Final Four Belgrade 2022 - EB21

Sarunas Jasikevicius - FC Barcelona - Final Four Belgrade 2022 - EB21

Nigel Hayes-Davis - FC Barcelona - Final Four Belgrade 2022 - EB21

Sertac Sanli - FC Barcelona - Final Four Belgrade 2022 - EB21

Rokas Jokubaitis - FC Barcelona - Final Four Belgrade 2022 - EB21

Adrien Moerman - Anadolu Efes Istanbul practices - Final Four Belgrade 2022 - EB21

Krunoslav Simon - Anadolu Efes Istanbul practices - Final Four Belgrade 2022 - EB21

Ergin Ataman 2- Anadolu Efes Istanbul practices - Final Four Belgrade 2022 - EB21

Rodrigue Beaubois 2- Anadolu Efes Istanbul practices - Final Four Belgrade 2022 - EB21

Filip Petrusev - Anadolu Efes Istanbul practices - Final Four Belgrade 2022 - EB21

Sasha Vezenkov - Olympiacos Piraeus practices - Final Four Belgrade 2022 - EB21

Olympiacos Piraeus practices - Final Four Belgrade 2022 - EB21

Shaquielle McKissic - Olympiacos Piraeus practices - Final Four Belgrade 2022 - EB21

Georgios Bartzokas - Olympiacos Piraeus practices - Final Four Belgrade 2022 - EB21

Sofoklis Schortsanitis 2- Final Four Belgrade 2022 - EB21

Players FC Barcelona practices - Final Four Belgrade 2022 - EB21

Sertac Sanli - FC Barcelona practices - Final Four Belgrade 2022 - EB21

Cory Higgins - FC Barcelona practices - Final Four Belgrade 2022 - EB21

Kyle Kuric - FC Barcelona practices - Final Four Belgrade 2022 - EB21

Vincent Poirier - Real Madrid practices - Final Four Belgrade 2022 - EB21

Jeffery Taylor - Real Madrid practices - Final Four Belgrade 2022 - EB21

Fans Olympiacos Piraeus 2- Final Four Belgrade 2022 - EB21

To put a ball in a basket with five sizeable and athletic opponents doing everything to prevent that from happening in the middle of the high-speed chess match that is a Turkish Airlines EuroLeague basketball game is a hard job to begin with. To do all that when 18,000 leather-lung fans making all the noise they can, in unison, makes concentration even more difficult.

Final Four stars know the fans will be a factor

But if you listen to the players who will take the floor at the Final Four in Belgrade, they wouldn't have it any other way.

This is the first generation of players to know what a EuroLeague game with no fans is like, and to a man they are thrilled to be present at the return of those fans to the Final Four, not least because all that noise actually helps them play better. 

"It brings you energy. It's like a standard answer, but that's what it is. It's like you come into the game, you feel the fans, and the adrenaline in your whole body goes to the top, " Fabien Causeur of Real Madrid says. "It's just more fun. You can have them with you or against you, but they will give you extra motivation and the extra energy to give your best. And I feel that now is the kind of moment, in your season or in your career, that you 

No one in Belgrade has played in more Final Fours than Kostas Sloukas of Olympiacos Piraeus, a late-game specialist who knows that his team's fans, who bought the most tickets of any team in Belgrade, will be a true sixth man for the Reds.

"You come into the game, you feel the fans, and the adrenaline in your whole body goes to the top."

"Our fans always give us energy, give us a boost," Sloukas says. "The opposing fans try to boo you, to make your life more difficult. It's always better to play in a full arena, and it will be an amazing experience here in Belgrade."

Last season's Final Four MVP and a native Serbian, Vasilije Micic of Anadolu Efes, prides himself in remaining calm, cool and collected on the court, but he knows that the atmosphere at a EuroLeague in his country's capital is second to none in the world and likely to influence the outcome.

"The fans make everything more beautiful," Micic said on the eve of the semifinals. "These fans are passionate people. They try to express their emotions in the games. They don't have to act good. They can be a little bit wild. They can be emotional and show their real energy, and we definitely feel that on the court. I have many friends on my team who like that boost from the fans, and tomorrow, whether it's our fans or other fans, they will get more motivated by that atmosphere."

"Last year, you could hear a pin drop... For every player, it's 100 times better to have the fans in the stands."

Nick Calathes of FC Barcelona was among the Final Four participants last year in Cologne, Germany, when the fans could not be present due to pandemic restrictions. Though his club's fans will be in the minority this weekend at Stark Arena, he doesn't mind that one bit.

"The fans are what makes the game exciting, if you're home or away, just to hear chants and feel their presence," Calathes said. "Last year, you could hear a pin drop and you didn't have the feel of the crowd, the emotion. For us, I think for every player, it's 100 times better to have the fans in the stands. It's great, either home or away, and for me away is even better, because you like to hear the crowd against you and try to take advantage of it."

One Final Four without fans was one too many. As a worldwide audience will behold on this weekend, the one-of-a-kind energy that comes from EuroLeague fans is back in the room!

The stars of the ANGT Finals have reasons to dream big as several alumni from that competition will take the floor at the Final Four chasing the EuroLeague crown.

ANGT champ to EuroLeague champ? Here are your candidates 

Hundreds of young players have tested their skills at the Euroleague Basketball Adidas Next Generation Tournament Finals. Only a few dozen of them have excelled at the tournament and gone on the play at the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Final Four. Some of them are playing this season in Belgrade: Olympiacos big man Livio Jean-Charles, Real Madrid forward Alberto Abalde and  Rokas Jokubaitis of FC Barcelona.

Jean-Charles is playing in the Final Four for the first time 12 years after being chosen as the ANGT MVP. Jean-Charles played for U18 INSEP at the 2010 ANGT Finals in Paris, France, and shined with 16.3 points, 5.0 rebounds and a PIR of 18.0. He had 15 points and 7 rebounds in the championship game against U18 FMP Belgrade, in which INSEP prevailed 73-83 to lift the trophy. 

"It has been a long journey. It took me a long time to come back here as a pro. I keep that win as one of the greatest memories in my career, being on the court at halftime \[of the 2010 championship game, receiving the trophy\], being so young," Jean-Charles recalled. "It was special because it was the first year that we were doing this tournament and it was at home, in Paris. It was something different for us."

Jean-Charles is not the only player at the 2022 Final Four who has earned ANGT MVP honors. Abalde was the 2013 MVP with Joventut Badalona. Abalde completed a great tournament at the 2013 Final Four in London, averaging 17.8 points on 50% three-point shooting, 5.8 rebounds, 2.3 assists and a PIR of 18.8. He had 18 points and 9 rebounds in the championship game against U18 FC Barcelona. Abalde went on to win the 7DAYS EuroCup with Valencia Basket in 2019 and looks for his first EuroLeague crown in Belgrade. 

"I have very good memories. We played in London and the arena was packed. When you are a junior, you are impressed. I remember that my sisters came to see me play and we experienced that moment together. I had no idea that I was going to get the MVP award," Abalde said. "Everyone in the team got along well with each other, were good friends and had a great time. We won and didn't think about these things, but when I got the MVP trophy, it was a surprise. They made me feel like someone important! It was a nice moment that I will always remember." 

Most recently, Jokubaitis shined at the ANGT. Jokubaitis, the 2021-22 EuroLeague Rising Star, played for U18 Zalgiris Kaunas at the 2017 ANGT in Istanbul, Turkey. He averaged 15.3 points, 4.0 rebounds and 4.0 assists in three games. Five years later, he has the chance to lead Barca to its first EuroLeague title in over a decade. 

These players all played at the ANGT with different teams than the ones with which they reached the Final Four for the first time. Only four players - Jonas Maciulis, Nikita Kurbanov, Alexey Shved and Luka Doncic - have won the ANGT and the EuroLeague. Jean-Charles and Abalde could join this exclusive list.

Rokas Jokubaitis - Rising Star 2021-22 - Final Four Belgrade 2022 - EB21

A trio of EuroLeague stars of yesteryear shared their thoughts on how to handle some of the biggest stars in this season’s Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Final Four. 

Can the stars be stopped? Retired EuroLeague greats share their thoughts 

Nikola Vujcic, Felipe Reyes and Dusko Savanovic were not only standout players, but all three keep a close eye on the EuroLeague today. Vujcic is the most decorated center in competition history as a five-time All-EuroLeague champion. Today he is the general manager of Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv. Felipe Reyes retired last summer after a standout career with Real Madrid, with which he won a pair of EuroLeague titles and was a member of the 2015 All-EuroLeague First Team. Dusko Savanovic, an All-EuroLeague choice in 2011, runs the Akademija Vojvoda basketball academy here in Belgrade.

They shared their opinions on what must be done to win the matchups against the four All-EuroLeague First-Team members in the semifinals: Nikola Mirotic of FC Barcelona, Walter Tavares of Real Madrid, Shane Larkin of Anadolu Efes Istanbul and Sasha Vezenkov of Olympiacos Piraeus.

### Nikola Mirotic, FC Barcelona 

"How to stop Mirotic is the biggest question and the answer is that there are no secret weapons. There is no such thing as that,” said Savanovic. “Usually, winning teams do collective stuff on defense. When I was playing it was like that and it was not a long time ago. Being able to stop a superstar, or someone who is dominating, you cannot do it with one player, or by changing one thing. European basketball is beautiful because teams approach defense as a collective effort. If Madrid wants to stop Mirotic, or Barcelona wants to stop Tavares, it will have to be as a team, adjusting. I believe it is going to be like that." 

“Mirotic has superpowers,” Vujcic said in summing up the Barcelona forward’s talents. “What you cannot do is worry so much about him that you open yourself up to getting beat by other players,” explaining that with a team player like Mirotic, he is happy to get pushed off to the side if it means his teammates are controlling the game. 

Savanovic, however, said he thinks limiting Mirotic could make all the difference: "If you hold Mirotic to 14 points, that would be good defense. That would be enough for Real to make it to the final."

### Walter Tavares, Real Madrid

More than any other player mentioned here, Tavares is a dual-threat as a two-time EuroLeague Best Defender who can protect the rim and a towering presence in the paint who can dominate with efficient touches in the post and great rebounding. 

Vujcic explained that the key for FC Barcelona to neutralize Tavares on defense rests in what could be a favorable matchup. “In Davies and Sanli, they have big men who can shoot and draw Tavares outside,” he said, which is where Barcelona wants him. 

"Tavares is going to provide a certain amount of points, for sure,” Savanovic added. “All team leaders will do that. You have to prevent a 20-20 game, but he will score 10-14 points.”

### Sasha Vezenkov, Olympiacos Piraeus

"Sasha Vezenkov is a player with great shooting skills. It was very tough to defend him because you had to be very close to him, and that allowed him to drive inside more easily,” said Reyes, who has first-hand experience facing Vezenkov in recent years. “This is what you have to go through when you play against players like him, who can play both inside and outside."

“There are two approaches. You have to choose between two options,” Savanovic said. “Either you put all the effort to stop one player and not think about others, or stopping others and allow the star to score his usual points. Usually, when a player scores a lot of points, his team doesn't win the game. That's always going to be a doubt for coaches and teams preparing the game. Are we going to let a player like Vezenkov score 30 and focus on all other 11 players, or do we focus on stopping him, and not the rest of the team? That is the beauty of it.

"I guess that Anadolu Efes’s inside players will focus on attacking \[Vezenkov\] inside, as even if he can hold on inside, they could exploit some weaknesses.”

### Shane Larkin, Anadolu Efes Istanbul

“It's crystal clear that you need the whole team to be very concentrated and stuck together to be able to defend him. I don't think you can stop any of these players with just one player. You can only stop them with good team defense, altogether,” Reyes noted.

"Shane Larkin is a very explosive player, who is very difficult to stop because of his incredible quickness. He knows how to play pick and roll very well, as well as playing great coming off the screen,” Reyes observed. “Olympiacos will have a hard time defending him, not only with good team defense, because you also have Micic by his side. If you focus too much on Larkin, Micic can harm you a lot.

"I think that, in the end, the team that plays better defense, plays harder, controls the boards better, will have more chances, but I see a very balanced matchup."

Nikola Mirotic - FC Barcelona practices - Final Four Belgrade 2022 - EB21

Shane Larkin, April MVP - Anadolu Efes Istanbul practices - Final Four Belgrade 2022 - EB21

The leader of the team that rode atop the standings for most of the season, forward Nikola Mirotic of FC Barcelona has been chosen by fans, media, head coaches and team captains as the 2021-22 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague MVP.

2021-22 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague MVP: Nikola Mirotic, FC Barcelona

Mirotic, 31, was awarded his highest honor yet in a career full of accolades during the 2021-22 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Awards Ceremony in Belgrade, Serbia, on Wednesday, the eve of the 2022 Final Four. The ceremony was held at Stark Arena, where Barcelona will take on Real Madrid in the second semifinal on Thursday, right after Olympiacos Piraeus and Anadolu Efes Istanbul face off in the other.

Mirotic had another stellar season, ranking first among all EuroLeague players with an average performance index rating of 19.4 and second in scoring with 16.6 points per game. In both categories, he was the league leader on a per-minute basis, with a 32.1 PIR and 24.5 points prorated over 40 minutes. Mirotic shot the ball this season with historic efficiency, becoming just the second player in EuroLeague history to post 65-45-85 shooting percentages; he made 65.6% of his two-point shots, 45.5% of his three-pointers and 87.5% of his free throws.

Mirotic was chosen as the MVP of the Month in both October and December, which gave him a record seven such awards. He was MVP of the Round three times, too, tied for the most by any player this season. His early-season dominance led Barca to a 6-0 start and a season-long place among the top two teams in the standings. His December MVP award included the last five wins in a nine-game winning streak that propelled Barca to the best record of the regular season, 21-7.

Mirotic also was recognized on Wednesday for his second consecutive selection to the All-EuroLeague First Team. He began winning EuroLeague awards more than a decade ago when he was the back-to-back Rising Star Trophy winner in 2010-11 and 2011-12 and was selected to the All-EuroLeague Second Team in the next two seasons. Only two other active players have more All-EuroLeague selections than Mirotic, who spent five seasons in the NBA before returning to Europe to sign with Barca in 2019.

2021-22 MVP of the Season: Nikola Mirotic, FC Barcelona

Mirotic was the first choice of the head coaches, the team captains and the media in this season's MVP voting. Mike James of AS Monaco finished second in the overall voting and Sasha Vezenkov of Olympiacos Piraeus third. He is the second Barca player to be celebrated as the full-season MVP, following Juan Carlos Navarro in the 2008-09 season.

“I would like to say that it’s a big pleasure for me to receive this award from our greatest coach Zeljko Obradovic and I would like to thank my team FC Barcelona, the whole organization, coaching staff, all the players, because at the end this is a team job. A couple of weeks ago, my dear friend Nick Calathes said in case you win, please remember me in your speech, so I said to him I will. So I also want to thank Nick because he makes my life way easier on the court and he’s been an amazing teammate and friend. At the end, I want to say a couple of words to a special person here with us, my personal coach, Jadran Vujacic. He was my first coach since I started basketball and he really pushed me very hard to get to this point, all the summers working together hard. He is the person who really believed in me more than I ever believed in myself, so this trophy also goes to him.

“It feels great to have this award in my hands, but I know that the job I came here for is not done. I know why I came. Last season Micic did an incredible job and he demonstrated in the Final Four why he was the MVP. It was well deserved, hopefully, this year I can do my job.”

<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Some special messages for the MVP<br><br>📣 <a href="https://twitter.com/AntoGriezmann?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@AntoGriezmann</a> <a href="https://t.co/Ud3no8aseg">pic.twitter.com/Ud3no8aseg</a></p>&mdash; Turkish Airlines EuroLeague (@EuroLeague) <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroLeague/status/1526870831657324545?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 18, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Born in Podgorica, Montenegro, Mirotic was a late-comer to basketball, introduced to the sport at age 13 by his grandfather. Within two years, after time spent at the Joker School in his hometown, Mirotic had signed his first contract with Real Madrid, joining its youth program. By 2008, he was on Real's senior roster and made his EuroLeague debut shortly after turning 18 in a road game against Barcelona. He would help Real make its Final Four return after 15 years in 2011. In two more Final Four appearances with Real, in 2013 and 2014, they finished as the runner-up.

Mirotic went on to play in the NBA before joining Barca at age 28, right in the prime of his career, and after the 2019-20 season was discontinued, led his new team last year to its first Final Four in seven years. They lost the championship game to Efes, but Barcelona comes into this weekend in Belgrade with the best overall record of all EuroLeague teams, 24-9, and now with the MVP of the season leading a quest to take one step further to the title.

News

2021-22 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague MVP: Nikola Mirotic, FC Barcelona

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