For Olek Balcerowski, he has always known his father, Marcin, in a wheelchair. The Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens big man was born in November 2000, but 27 months prior, in August 1998, a severe car crash resulted in Marcin seriously injuring his spine and spinal cord, leaving him wheelchair-bound. Yet, the sport of basketball provided a second opportunity to Olek’s father.

Olek Balcerowski, Panathinaikos: ‘Basketball saved my father’s life’

For [Olek Balcerowski](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/aleksander-balcerowski/007553/), he has always known his father, Marcin, in a wheelchair. 

The Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens big man was born in November 2000, but 27 months prior, in August 1998, a severe car crash resulted in Marcin seriously injuring his spine and spinal cord, leaving him wheelchair-bound. 

Yet, the sport of basketball provided a second opportunity to Olek’s father, who was a semi-professional player before the crash and went on to become a star wheelchair basketball player, even representing the Polish national team at the 2012 Olympic Games. 

Last summer, shortly after Olek had joined Panathinaikos, Marcin came out of retirement to sign for the Greens’ wheelchair team, allowing them to play for the same club team for the first time in their careers.

More Olek Balcerowski News

The father of the Greens’ center was involved in a car crash and has been in a wheelchair ever since

### Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens

**Streaks**

Mathias Lessort has pulled down at least 5 rebounds in five straight and 19 of his last 20 games.

Lessort had PIRs of 10 or more in seven straight games.

Kendrick Nunn has scored at least 10 points in 19 of his last 20 games.

Nunn has made multiple three-point shots in 12 of his last 13 games.

Nunn had double-digit PIRs in nine of his last 10 games.

Kostas Sloukas has made at least 1 three-pointer in 22 of his last 23 games.

Sloukas has had a double-digit PIR in nine of his last 10 games.

Sloukas has scored 12 or more points in nine of his last 10 games.

**Season rankings**

Mathias Lessort ranks second in average index rating with 19.6 per game.

Kendrick Nunn ranks seventh in scoring with 15.9 points per game.

Nunn leads the league in free throw shooting at 95.7%.

Marius Grigonis ranks 10th in free throw shooting at 90.0%.

Dinos Mitoglou ranks seventh in rebounding with 6.3 per game and Lessort ranks eighth with 6.2 per game.

Lessort ranks fifth in offensive rebounding with 2.4 per game.

Kostas Sloukas ranks fifth in assists with 5.7 per game.

Jerian Grant ranks third in steals with 1.5 per game.

Panathinaikos ranks third in the league in three-point shooting at 38.7%.

Panathinaikos has allowed 77.9 points per game, which is the second lowest in the league.

Panathinaikos holds opponents to 34.0% three-point shooting, second lowest in the league.

**Records/Milestones**

Kostas Sloukas ranks third all-time with 1,694 assists. Sergio Rodriguez of Real Madrid is second with 1,868 and counting.

Sloukas is in fifth place all-time with 898 free throws made. Felipe Reyes is fourth with 967.

Sloukas is ranked eighth all-time with 3,669 career points. Sergio Rodriguez is seventh with 3,753 and counting.

Sloukas is ranked fourth all-time with 4,553 index rating points. Mike James of AS Monaco is third with 4,723 and counting.

Sloukas ranks 16th all-time in free-throw accuracy at 88.6%.

Marius Grigonis ranks seventh all-time in free-throw accuracy at 90.5%.

Grigonis ranks 17th all-time in three-point accuracy at 43.3%.

Luca Vildoza needs 5 assists to reach 500 for his career.

Kostas Sloukas ranks third in Final Fours this century in assists with 61. Sergio Llull of Real Madrid is second with 67 and counting, and Sergio Rodriguez of Real Madrid is the leader with 70.

Sloukas is tied with David Andersen for seventh in Final Fours this century in accumulated PIR with 168 each. Nikola Mirotic is sixth with 169 and Trajan Langdon is fifth with 170.

Sloukas is tied with Trajan Langdon for second place in Final Fours this century with 47 free throws made each. Nando De Colo is the leader with 59.

Sloukas ranks eighth in Final Fours this century in scoring with 163 points. Theo Papaloukas is seventh with 164 points and Juan Carlos Navarro sixth with 168 points.

Sloukas is tied with Matjaz Smodis and Felipe Reyes for ninth place in Final Fours this century with 34 two-pointers made. Nando De Colo is eighth with 36 two-pointers made.

Sloukas is tied with De Colo and Shane Larkin for 16th place in Final Fours this century with 16 three-point shots made. Victor Khryapa and Rudy Fernandez of Real Madrid are tied for 14th with 17 apiece.

Kostas Sloukas is tied with Kostas Papanikolaou of Olympiacos Piraeus in 13th place in Final Fours this century with 33 defensive rebounds. Rudy Fernandez is 12th with 34 defensive rebounds and Walter Tavares of Real Madrid 11th with 38.

### Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul

**Streaks**

Johnathan Motley has PIRs of 10 or more in 13 of his last 14 games.

Nigel Hayes-Davis has scored 10 or more points in 12 of his last 13 games.

Hayes-Davis has made at least 1 triple in 12 of his last 13 games.

Hayes-Davis has made 9 consecutive free throws. 

Scottie Wilbekin has PIRs in double figures in 11 of his last 12 games.

Wilbekin has made at least 1 three-point shot in seven straight and 11 of his last 12 games.

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

Wilbekin has made 11 consecutive free throws. 

Marko Guduric has made at least 1 three-point shot in seven straight games.

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

Calathes has at least 1 steal in five of his last six games.

**Season rankings**

Marko Guduric ranks ninth in free throw shooting at 90.1%.

Scottie Wilbekin ranks second in average three-pointers made with 3.0 per game.

Tarik Biberovic leads the league in three-point shooting at 54.4%.

Tyler Dorsey ranks ninth in three-point shooting at 46.4%.

Nick Calathes ranks 10th in assists with 4.9 per game.

Georgios Papagiannis ranks ninth in two-point shooting at 67.0%.

Fenerbahce leads the league in three-point shots made with 11.5 per game.

Fenerbahce leads the league in three-point accuracy at 39.5%.

**Records/Milestones**

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

Nick Calathes is the EuroLeague all-time leader in assists with 2,077.

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

Calathes is the EuroLeague all-time leader in steals with 446.

Calathes is the all-time leader with 309 career games started.

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

Calathes ranks sixth all-time with 4,221 index rating points. Kyle Hines is fifth with 4,299.

Calathes is ranked 15th all-time in scoring with 3,228 points. Paulius Jankunas is 14th with 3,241 points.

Scottie Wilbekin is ranked 16th all-time in scoring with 3,161 points.

Calathes needs 7 two-point shots made to reach 1,000 for his career.

Scottie Wilbekin ranks fourth all-time in three-point shots made with 604. Sergio Rodriguez of Real Madrid ranks third with 606 three-point shots made and counting.

Georgios Papagiannis ranks seventh all-time with 213 blocks. Tibor Pleiss of Anadolu Efes Istanbul is sixth with 228 blocks.

Papagiannis ranks 15th all-time in two-point accuracy at 64.1%.

Melih Mahmutoglu needs 12 points to reach 1,000 for his career.

Dyshawn Pierre needs 1 three-point shot made to reach 100 for his career.

Nick Calathes ranks 10th in Final Fours this century in assists with 40. Victor Khryapa and JR Holden are tied for eighth with 45 apiece while Dimitris Diamantidis, Saras Jasikevicius and Milos Teodosic are all tied for fifth with 46 assists apiece.

Sertac Sanli is tied for 18th place in Final Fours this century with 5 blocks.

Game Videos

Game News

Game Facts: Panathinaikos vs. Fenerbahce

Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens v Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul (2024-05-24T16:00:00.000Z)

\- In Round 26, Panathinaikos beat Fenerbahce 74-63 in Athens, holding Fenerbahce to its lowest scoring output of the 2023-24 regular season.

\- When Fenerbahce beat Panathinaikos 83-69 in Round 3, Dyshawn Pierre collected a career-high 10 rebounds.

\- Fenerbahce became the first team to sweep a best-of-five EuroLeague Playoff series without having the home-court advantage when it ousted the Greens in 2017. Fenerbahce guard Nick Calathes played for Panathinaikos in that series.

\- Calathes spent eight seasons with Panathinaikos over two stints - from 2009 to 2012, and from 2015 until 2020. Calathes helped the Greens win the EuroLeague in 2011 and set a series of assist records in the Greens' uniform.

\- During his time at Panathinaikos, Calathes was a teammate of current Greens of Ioannis Papapetrou and Konstantinos Mitoglou.

\- Georgios Papagiannis played for Panathinaikos for the past five years, after re-joining the club in 2018 and before signing with Fenerbahce this summer. That was his second stint with the club; he first joined Panathinaikos in 2014 and played two seasons there.

\- During his time at Panathinaikos, Papagiannis was a teammate of current Greens Panagiotis Kalaitzakis, Marius Grigonis, Alexandros Samontourov, Eleftherios Mantzoukas, Ioannis Papapetrou and Dinos Mitoglou.

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

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

\- Panathinaikos center Kostas Antetokounmpo played for Fenerbahce last season.

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

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

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

\- Fenerbahce's Scottie Wilbekin was a teammate of Mathias Lessort for the first part of the 2021-22 season at Maccabi.

\- Fenerbahce playmaker Yam Madar was a teammate of Panathinaikos duo Mathias Lessort and Ioannis Papapetrou at Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade last season. Together they helped Partizan reach the EuroLeague Playoffs and win the Adriatic League title.

\- Panathinaikos guard Jerian Grant and Fenerbahce forward Nate Sestina were teammates at Turk Telekom Ankara last season when they helped the team reach the EuroCup Finals.

\- Panathinaikos matched its club record with 18 three-point shots made against Fenerbahce in October 2014.

\- Panathinaikos playmaker Luca Vildoza set his career-high with 7 rebounds playing for Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz against Fenerbahce in November 2020.

\- Fenerbahce guard Tyler Dorsey posted his career-highs in assists (7) and steals (4) playing for Maccabi Tel Aviv against Panathinaikos in December 2019.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Game Notes: Panathinaikos vs. Fenerbahce

Very few teams have ever come so close to the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague title without being able to lift the trophy than Olympiacos Piraeus a year ago. Back for a club-record third consecutive Final Four in Berlin this weekend, the Reds are ready to learn from that experience, starting with a 2023 championship game rematch in the semifinals against Real Madrid on Friday at Uber Arena.

'Now it's time for us to win': Final Four preview, Olympiacos

Very few teams have ever come so close to the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague title without being able to lift the trophy than Olympiacos Piraeus a year ago. Back for a club-record third consecutive Final Four in Berlin this weekend, the Reds are ready to learn from that experience, starting with a 2023 championship game rematch in the semifinals against Real Madrid on Friday at Uber Arena.

"We should have won that game," point guard Thomas Walkup remembered. "We didn't, and that's on us, but we're going back with that same mindset, that we're here to win this thing."

Nobody knows better than Olympiacos forward Kostas Papanikolaou what such success takes. He was a young buck when the Reds took back-to-back titles in 2012 and 2013, and now he's a veteran cherishing every opportunity that comes his team's way.

"It's the same feeling, the same excitement like the first time. You cannot get enough of it," Papanikolaou says. "All this is what sports is about. This is what you love about playing basketball, or sports in general; to be on the center stage and competing for big titles."

Guiding Papanikolaou and his teammates back in 2013 was head coach Georgios Bartzokas, who masterminded a 17-point comeback in that year's title game to beat none other than Real Madrid. Despite last season's last-gasp loss and Real's dominance all of this season, Bartzokas says his team is ready.

"We believe in ourselves," the Reds' boss says. "We are sure that we're going to be really competitive."

MORE OLYMPIACOS NEWS

Now it's time for us to win | Final Four preview | Olympiacos

Last year's oh-so-close runners-up are aiming to take their destiny one shot further to a title at the Final Four in Berlin.

U18 Real Madrid has been the leading force of the Euroleague Basketball Adidas Next Generation Tournament for nearly the last decade, but the Spanish powerhouse will face stiff competition at the 2024 ANGT Finals with a loaded field looking to dethrone the reigning champion. 

Will Real Madrid‘s reign continue at loaded ANGT Finals?

U18 Real Madrid has been the leading force of the Euroleague Basketball Adidas Next Generation Tournament for nearly the last decade, but the Spanish powerhouse will face stiff competition at the 2024 ANGT Finals with a loaded field looking to dethrone the reigning champion. Real is one of four clubs to compete this week in Berlin that has hoisted the trophy at Europe‘s premier youth club competition - the others being U18 FC Barcelona, U18 PFBB INSEP Paris and U18 Mega MIS Belgrade. The remaining four teams competing in group play from May 23-25 at Uber Eats Music Hall are host U18 ALBA Berlin, U18 EA7 Emporio Armani Milan, ANGT Finals debutant U18 ratiopharm Ulm and a select team from the United States-based Overtime Elite program - the first time a US team is competing in the ANGT Finals.

The eight teams are broken down into two groups of four with the teams in each group facing each other in a round-robin format. The two group winners will square off in the ANGT Championship Game on Sunday at 12:30 CET to crown the 2023-24 continental champion.

Group A consists of Real, Mega, Milan and Ulm while Group B features Barcelona, PFBB, ALBA and OTE.

Real has claimed the title a record four times - in 2015, 2019, 2021 and 2023. The Spanish side also reached the final in 2014. Real has played in the ANGT Finals in each of the last nine seasons and booked its spot in Berlin by winning the ANGT Podgorica qualifying tournament. Mega has been the closest team to Real in recent years in terms of results - winning the crown in 2022 and reaching the championship game in 2017 and 2019. Mega received a wild card for Berlin after it took fifth place at ANGT Belgrade. 

Milan finished second at ANGT Belgrade, losing to Barcelona in the first-place game. The Italian side‘s only previous ANGT Finals showing came as EuroLeague Final Four host in 2014. Ulm will be making its first ANGT Finals appearance after it won the ANGT Dubai, becoming the first German club to win a qualifying tournament.

In Group B, Barcelona will be playing in the ANGT Finals for the 11th time. The Catalan side won its lone championship in 2016 and has lost in the final game three times: 2008, 2013 and 2021. Barcelona, which beat Real Madrid in the final of the Spanish U18 domestic championship earlier this month, made it to Berlin by winning the ANGT Belgrade. PFBB is one of six teams to win two or more ANGT crowns along with Real (4 times), U18 CSKA Moscow (3), U18 FMP Belgrade (2), U18 Rytas Vilnius (2) and U18 Zalgiris Kaunas (2). PFBB took the crown in 2010 and 2017. The famed French institution lost to U18 Next Generation Team France in the ANGT Paris first-place game but was given a wild card for Berlin. 

This will be the third time ALBA is playing in the ANGT Finals with the other instances coming when the German capital hosted the EuroLeague Final Four in 2009 and 2016. ALBA slumped to sixth place at the ANGT Podgorica but received a wild card for the season-ending event. The final team in Group B also received a wild card and will be making its much-anticipated ANGT debut. Overtime Elite will send a select team to Berlin, representing some of the best young talent in the eight-team U20 league based in Atlanta, Georgi

ANGT FINALS NEWS

Seven other loaded squads, including a few exciting newcomers, will be out to dethrone 'Los Blancos'

Will Real Madrid's reign continue at loaded ANGT Finals?

U18 FC Barcelona v U18 ALBA Berlin (2024-05-23T11:30:00.000Z)

U18 PFBB INSEP Paris v U18 Overtime Elite (2024-05-23T13:45:00.000Z)

U18 Real Madrid v U18 EA7 Emporio Armani Milan (2024-05-23T07:00:00.000Z)

U18 ratiopharm Ulm v U18 Mega MIS Belgrade (2024-05-23T09:15:00.000Z)

 The Euroleague Basketball Business Summit comes to the Final Four 

With a who’s who of industry leaders descending upon Berlin for the 2024 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Final Four, there is a perfect opportunity for an exclusive get-together that will enrich the experience for all. Prepare for the 2024 Euroleague Basketball Business Summit, which will be among the highlights as Berlin takes its place as the global capital of sports for the weekend of May 24-26.

Euroleague Basketball will gather 100 invitation-only attendees – a group comprised of executives from the league, its clubs and their partners, as well as IMG and other right-holders, brands and media and broadcasters – for an exclusive event in collaboration with Official Business Partners KORE and YouGov and Official Media Partner SportBusiness on topics linked to innovation in the context of sport business.

On the agenda are four 45-minute panel discussions. “Navigating the Changing Landscape of Media Consumption” will be moderated by Callum McCarthy, the editor-in-chief of SportBusiness, with guest panelists Adam Kelly, the President of Media at IMG; Dorothea Jacob, the VP of Proposition & Content TV at  Deutsche Telekom; and Sarah Melville, the Global Media Director at YouGov Sport.

The panel on “Embracing Innovative Approaches to Sponsorship in the Digital Age” will include Euroleague Basketball’s Senior Director of Corporate Partnerships & Licensing, Gawain Davies;  Halfspace Group’s Co-Founder, Sanjit Atwal; and will be moderated by Ravi Krishnan, Chairman & Co-Founder at Stepathlon.

The guest panelists for the session on “Elevating Fan Experiences through Diverse Touchpoints in Global Sports” include David Dowgiello, the Director of Global Social Media at Adidas; and Gael Caselli, the Vice President for Sports at AEG Europe.

The day’s fourth and final panel will be “Scoring Big with Data: Revolutionizing Sports Sponsorship and Fan Engagement, presented by KORE”. Justin Friedman, SVP of Strategy & Analytics at the New York Mets; Kris Knief, the vice president of Strategy & Innovation at Foley Entertainment Group; Saoed Habieb, Database Manager at Eredivisie CV; and Adam Grow, the Chief Operating Officer at KORE. 

More high-profile guests will be added to some of the panels soon!

The goal of the five-hour summit is both to elevate Euroleague Basketball's status as a pioneering sports property and to provide a forum for Final Four business-oriented attendees to engage in strategic discussions and industry networking. After the sessions, the conference will conclude with a lunch buffet during which attendees can keep the conversations and networking going. 

For more information or to request an invitation, please contact [f4berlin_invitations@euroleague.net](mailto:f4berlin_invitations@euroleague.net)

The Euroleague Basketball Business Summit comes to the Final Four

The American’s hometown was hit hard during the category five hurricane

Isaiah Canaan, Olympiacos: ‘Experiencing Hurricane Katrina made me a tougher person’

Olympiacos Piraeus guard [Isaiah Canaan](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/isaiah-canaan/010612/) is getting ready to play in his second Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Final Four, but a life-changing event when he was 14 years old helped shape him into the hard-working, resilient and talented player that he is today.

In late August 2005, Canaan’s hometown of Biloxi, Mississippi, was heavily affected by [Hurricane Katrina](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Katrina) — a category five hurricane, the highest level there is. 

Canaan and some of his family members sought cover in a church and stayed there until the worst had passed. Once they went back out onto the street, they witnessed the devastation Hurricane Katrina had caused in Biloxi. 

For the Olympiacos star, he used that experience as a motivation in both life and basketball. 

“It helped me become tough. I know that when things get tough on the court, I’ve been in tougher moments,” Canaan tells [Euroleague.net](http://Euroleague.net)’s Geoff Gillingham. “When things seem impossible on the court, I’ve been in those moments where it seemed like I wouldn’t be here. That’s something impossible and I’m here. It just made me a tougher person. Strong mind and strong backbone. I know I’ve been in tougher situations, so it helps me.” 

MORE ISAIAH CANAAN NEWS

“Every time you put this jersey on, you need to win,” said All-EuroLeague First Team forward Dzanan Musa as he looked ahead to the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Final Four in Berlin and his team’s semifinals clash with Olympiacos Piraeus. “Not every player can play in Real Madrid because of the pressure.”

'We believe in each other': Final Four preview, Real Madrid

“Every time you put this jersey on, you need to win,” said All-EuroLeague First Team forward Dzanan Musa as he looked ahead to the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Final Four in Berlin and his team’s semifinals clash with Olympiacos Piraeus. “Not every player can play in Real Madrid because of the pressure.”

The reigning champs are a star-studded squad that won’t settle for anything less than successfully defending the crown, as Musa alluded to. What makes them so special is not just their ability to handle the pressure or to put the ball in the basket. According to their head coach, it’s something else entirely. 

“My team is a team with character, a lot of talented players on offense,” Coach Chus Mateo explained. “But the most important thing is that all of them are playing for the team. The strength is the team.”

Musa went even further: “All the Real Madrid organization is like one big family. That’s why in stressful moments, you believe in the family member.” 

With 11 members of last season’s championship team on the current roster, this family is as strong and connected as ever. Will that be enough to topple Olympiacos like they did in last season’s final?

“As they know us, we know them,” Musa summed up. “It’s gonna be a dogfight, but we will come prepared.”

MORE REAL MADRID NEWS

Dzanan Musa: “Every time you put this jersey on, you need to win.”

The reigning champs are a star-studded squad that won’t settle for anything less than successfully defending the crown

Dyshawn Pierre is one of the longest-tenured players at Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul. In his fourth season with the club, Pierre has finally reached his first Final Four.

Dyshawn Pierre: 'You understand how big the EuroLeague really is'

[Dyshawn Pierre](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/dyshawn-pierre/010560/) is one of the longest-tenured players at Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul. In his fourth season with the club, Pierre has finally reached his first Final Four.

During his time in Istanbul he has seen many ups and downs, experienced four coaching changes, including one this season, and suffered two playoff exits before finally making it to the end-of-season event in a crazy series against AS Monaco.

"It's amazing", Pierre, a native of Canada, says about making it to the Final Four in his fourth EuroLeague season and eighth overall on the continent.

"Going through each year, you kind of understand how big the EuroLeague really is. Getting to Fener, understanding what the goal was, understanding how hard it is to play EuroLeague sometimes, it is an accomplishment to make it to the Final Four."

Watch the entire interview as Pierre talks about, among many things, what Fenerbahce has come to mean for him, playing for head coach Saras Jasikevicius, and what his teammate with previous Final Four experience are telling him ahead of the trip to Berlin.