Check out some bold predictions from EuroLeague.net staff members for Round 10 of the 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season.

Bold predictions for Round 10

### Bayern will rain on ASVEL's parade

#### *by Frank Lawlor*

It's a bottom-of-the-table clash with extra meaning [as LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne (2-7) welcomes FC Bayern Munich (3-6)](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2023-24/ldlc-asvel-villeurbanne-fc-bayern-munich/E2023/82/) for opening night of the new LDLC Arena, which will be a boon for French basketball and the host club far into the future. ASVEL aims to celebrate the occasion with a victory, and the French club has indeed played with admirable fire since Gianmarco Pozzecco took over the bench, winning two of their five games together. But without Nando De Colo, who is injured, to lend his experience, it will be a tall order for ASVEL to get its first home win this season in its new home. Bayern, despite losing four of its last five games, seems to be coming together under new head coach Pablo Laso. Three of those losses were on the road and came by a total of 10 points. This will be Bayern's seventh of 10 games so far away from Munich, and save for a trip to Barcelona, the German team has been in every one of them, even winning at Baskonia. It won't be the least bit easy, but mark this one down as Bayern's second road win and fifth in succession against ASVEL. 

### Milan will finally win on the road

#### *by Frankie Sachs*

[When EA7 Emporio Armani Milan  (3-6) visits Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade (3-6) on Friday](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2023-24/crvena-zvezda-meridianbet-belgrade-ea7-emporio-armani-milan/E2023/88/), it will be carrying a streak of seven straight road losses with it. And that is where it will end. Milan is one of just three teams without a road win so far this season. The other two are Zvezda and ALBA Berlin. At home, Milan has looked like a different team. Head coach Ettore Messina's men have a winning record (3-2) at Mediolanum Forum and have averaged 88.3 points over their last three home games. Now, they have found their offensive groove, with the likes of Devon Hall and Nicolo Melli both coming off their best games of the season. If Milan brings that type of firepower to Belgrade, it should come in handy against Zvezda, which has held the last two visitors to Stark Arena to 68 and 56 points. 

With two teams in the midst of opposite trajectories, Zvezda pursue more momentum and a seventh win succession when they welcome a stuttering Milan outfit in urgent need of encouragement if they're to improve their dwindling prospects of a playoff-place.

Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade vs EA7 Emporio Armani Milan - Round 14 - Highlights

### Monaco will bounce back in Vitoria 

#### *by Javier Gancedo*

AS Monaco (5-4) is currently on a two-game losing streak, [which should end at Buesa Arena](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2023-24/baskonia-vitoria-gasteiz-as-monaco/E2023/90/). In Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz (5-4), Mike James plays against one of his former teams, the one he made his Turkish Airlines EuroLeague debut with. He lost his last four games at Buesa Arena with Milan, CSKA Moscow and Monaco, and should be extra motivated to have a monster performance. Baskonia has already lost three home games, as many as in the entire 2022-23 EuroLeague season, so the pressure should be on head coach Dusko Ivanovic's team. Monaco can match Baskonia's intensity and Chima Moneke should not have it easy against a top-class defender like John Brown. Although Jordan Loyd is listed as questionable to play, Monaco is ready to show his best version in Round 10 and steal a road victory.

### Howard and James will combine for more than 60 points

#### *by Igor Petrinovic*

In two victories last week Baskonia sharpshooter Markus Howard totaled 61 points, knocking down 12 triples on 24 attempts over two games. After a slow start to the season, Howard is the leading scorer in the EuroLeague since Round 4, and over those last six games he has been averaging 22.3 points per game. Howard has scored more than 25 points three times during that span, and I think he keeps it going when Monaco comes to Vitoria-Gasteiz. This time, however, [he will have a scoring showdown](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2023-24/baskonia-vitoria-gasteiz-as-monaco/E2023/90/) with Mike James, who knows Buesa Arena really well, having played there for couple of seasons More importantly, James will be super-motivated to get Monaco back to winning ways against a red-hot opponent. James has not scored 25 or more points so far this season, with his season-high being 24 in 21 minutes of a Round 5 blowout win against Maccabi. I see James putting up big numbers on Friday night against Baskonia's defense.

Markus Howard Top Plays from 10/28/2023 to 11/23/2023

Markus Howard's best scoring plays in the last four rounds

### Olympiacos to cause another headache for Zalgiris

#### *by Geoff Gillingham*

Just before the 2023-24 EuroLeague season got underway, Olympiacos Piraeus (5-4) threw a spanner in the works of Zalgiris Kaunas's plans by paying Ignas Brazdeikis's buyout. Then, on Tuesday, the Reds returned to the Lithuanian club by once again paying the buyout of one of its players, Naz Mitrou-Long. Although it only Brazdeikis can play [in Round 10 on Friday night](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2023-24/olympiacos-piraeus-zalgiris-kaunas/E2023/89/), with Mitrou-Long not able to feature until January, Zalgiris (4-5) will likely take to the floor at Peace and Friendship Stadium with revenge on its mind after losing two key pieces to its rotation. Yet, I think Olympiacos will still have too much for the visiting Zalgiris, as the Reds should improve to 6-4 and cause Kazys Maksvytis's squad to drop to 4-6. What's more, I expect Brazdeikis to try and put on a show, despite having had a limited role in Georgios Bartzokas's offense so far.

Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz v AS Monaco (2023-11-24T19:30:00.000Z)

Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade v EA7 Emporio Armani Milan (2023-11-24T19:30:00.000Z)

Olympiacos Piraeus v Zalgiris Kaunas (2023-11-24T19:15:00.000Z)

Anadolu Efes Istanbul v Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade (2023-11-24T17:30:00.000Z)

Real Madrid v ALBA Berlin (2023-11-23T19:45:00.000Z)

Virtus Segafredo Bologna v Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul (2023-11-23T19:30:00.000Z)

Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens v Valencia Basket (2023-11-23T19:15:00.000Z)

Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv v FC Barcelona (2023-11-23T19:05:00.000Z)

LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne v FC Bayern Munich (2023-11-23T19:00:00.000Z)

Maccabi Tel Aviv B.C. hosts Barça Basket in Belgrade, Serbia, in Round 10 of the 2023-24 EuroLeague Regular Season in what should be a fantastic showdown.

Maccabi Tel Aviv, Barça Basket looking to lay down a marker

Games between Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv and FC Barcelona tend to guarantee entertainment. At 20:05 CET on Thursday in Belgrade, Serbia, [the 5-3 Maccabi hosts the 7-2 Barca](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2023-24/maccabi-playtika-tel-aviv-fc-barcelona/E2023/83/) in what should be another exciting contest between the two teams, with plenty of star power on show.

The two teams are currently situated in the top four of the 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague standings, with Maccabi in fourth with a game in hand and Barca in second. Surely the two head coaches, Oded Kattash and Roger Grimau, respectively, would be happy if their teams finished in those positions come the end of the season, but there’s still a long time to go before we start thinking about the playoffs, let alone the Final Four.

### Maccabi’s home away from home

Nevertheless, Maccabi is continuing to keep ploughing forward, despite its unusual situation. Just last Thursday, in Round 9, Maccabi’s backcourt duo of [Lorenzo Brown](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/lorenzo-brown/009622/) and [Wade Baldwin](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/wade-baldwin-iv/009863/) combined for 30 points, 6 rebounds, 7 rebounds and 6 steals as the Israeli side beat Olympiacos Piraeus 78-73. That game also saw notable performances from forwards [Bonzie Colson](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/bonzie-colson/009783/) and [James Webb](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/james-webb-iii/011971/), with the former recording a 13-point, 14-rebound double-double while the latter added 10 points and 7 rebounds.

Maccabi continue their home stretch in Belgrade as they welcome Fenerbahce with both teams looking to rebound from defeats. Maccabi were edged out by Olympiacos, while Fenerbahce were blown away by Zvezda, but who can revive their postseason-credentials here?

Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv-Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul | Round 9 Highlights | 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague

It was by no means a vintage Maccabi performance, but Coach Kattash’s squad got the job done. After a period in which Maccabi has been uprooted and moved to Belgrade, it has so far gone 2-1 at its new home, Aleksandar Nikolic Hall, as it slowly gets familiar with its new surroundings. There may be no fans in attendance for its home games, but getting a win against Barca would only strengthen the feeling inside Maccabi’s camp that this could be a special season.

### Barcelona has cooled off

Barca, meanwhile, responded from a tough loss at Baskonia in Round 8 by beating fellow Spanish side Valencia Basket 74-70 at Palau Blaugrana, where Coach Grimau’s charges have a perfect record. [Jan Vesely](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/jan-vesely/000925/) and [Alex Abrines](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/alex-abrines/003478/) were the only players to score a double-digit number of points on the night, which was the same story at Baskonia just a couple of days earlier as [Nicolas Laprovittola](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/nicolas-laprovittola/006435/) and [Oscar Da Silva](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/oscar-da-silva/011244/) scored 14 and 12 points, respectively. Coach Grimau will certainly be hoping that star players [Willy Hernangomez](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/willy-hernangomez/003196/), [Tomas Satoransky](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/tomas-satoransky/002939/) and [Jabari Parker](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/jabari-parker/012745/) can pick up their play in Round 10. 

FC Barcelona-Valencia Basket | Round 9 Highlights | 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague

Things, therefore, are not quite going to plan on offense for Barca. However, one area that the Spanish team has been able to lean on is its defense, with the Blaugrana giving up an average of 74.0 points, the third-best mark in the entire EuroLeague. Up against a Maccabi side that ranks third on offense with 83.8 points per game, it should make for quite the battle.

### The recent history between Maccabi and Barcelona

In fact, last season, Barca won both of its games against Maccabi, 79-86 in Tel Aviv and 83-78 in Barcelona, but had previously lost five straight to the side from Israel. What’s more, since Barca’s 83-92 win at Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade in Round 3 this season, every one of its games has been won by the home team. Will that run of home wins continue in Round 10?

Well, only time will tell, but Maccabi has the chance to make a statement with a win against Coach Grimau’s charges. Conversely, if Barca can come away from Belgrade with a win in Round 10, it will improve to 8-2 and keep up the pressure on league leader Real Madrid, which is a perfect 8-0 and has a game in hand. Make sure to follow the game’s live blog on [Euroleague.net](http://Euroleague.net) from 19:20 CET on Thursday evening before the action gets underway at 20:05 CET.

The two teams are among the favorites to reach the Final Four, but who will come out on top in Belgrade on Thursday night?

Maccabi, Barcelona looking to lay down a marker

Olympiacos (5-4) will look to make it three wins in a row as it welcomes a Zalgiris (4-5) team battling to get back into the playoffs zone.

Game Preview: Olympiacos Piraeus vs. Zalgiris Kaunas

[Rosters](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2023-24/olympiacos-piraeus-zalgiris-kaunas/E2023/89/#roster)| [Facts](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/news/tae2324-rs10-game-facts-oly-zal) | [Notes](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/news/tae2324-rs10-game-notes-oly-zal) | [Quotes](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/news/tae2324-rs10-prequotes-oly-zal/) |[ TV](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/tv-listings-el/) | [Fantasy](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/news/fantasy-tips-big-bargains-for-two-rounds/)

Olympiacos grabbed a vital victory over Zvezda last time out behind 28 points from [Alec Peters](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/alec-peters/008829/), while the Lithuanian team also comes with confidence renewed after narrowly overcoming Bayern to end a four-game losing slide. Olympiacos is one of the best defensive teams in the league, allowing just 75.8 points per game, and will hope [Moustapha Fall](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/moustapha-fall/008811/) continues to dominate the boards after he grabbed 14 rebounds last week. Zalgiris will counter him with in-form [Laurynas Birutis](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/laurynas-birutis/005504/), who had 10 points and 9 rebounds in the win against Bayern.

[Olympiacos Stats](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/teams/olympiacos-piraeus/statistics/oly/?season=2023-24&phase=All%20phases) | [Zalgiris Stats](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/teams/zalgiris-kaunas/statistics/zal/?season=2023-24&phase=All%20phases)

Alec Peters vs. Rolands Smits: The two well-matched power forwards are among the most consistent performers at their position this season.

Last Game: 2022-23, Round 29, Zalgiris vs. Olympiacos

Olympiacos Piraeus (5-4) will look to make it three wins in a row as it welcomes a Zalgiris Kauans (4-5) team battling to get back into the playoffs zone.

Olympiacos and Zalgiris renew their rivalry

Two teams with aspirations much higher than their current standing will wrestle over a valuable victory when Efes (4-5) receives a visit from Partizan (3-5), which has lost three in a row on the road.

Game Preview: Anadolu Efes Istanbul vs. Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade

[Rosters](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2023-24/anadolu-efes-istanbul-partizan-mozzart-bet-belgrade/E2023/87/#roster)| [Facts](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/news/tae2324-rs10-game-facts-ist-par) | [Notes](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/news/tae2324-rs10-game-notes-ist-par) | [Quotes](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/news/tae2324-rs10-prequotes-ist-par/) |[ TV](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/tv-listings-el/) | [Fantasy](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/news/fantasy-tips-big-bargains-for-two-rounds/)

Legendary Partizan play caller Zeljko Obradovic faces a challenge from a man who knows him better than most: Efes boss Erdem Can served as his assistant at Fenerbahce seven years. On the court, a key duel will take place between EuroLeague rookie [Derek Willis](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/derek-willis/009664/) of Efes and Partizan's [Zach LeDay](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/zach-leday/008987/). Willis has averaged 7.0 rebounds and a PIR of 15.7 in his last three games. LeDay has scored in double digits in seven of his last eight games.

[Efes Stats](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/teams/anadolu-efes-istanbul/statistics/ist/?season=2023-24) | [Partizan Stats](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/teams/partizan-mozzart-bet-belgrade/statistics/par/?season=2023-24&phase=All%20phases)

Derek Willis vs. Zach LeDay: A EuroLeague rookie takes on a seasoned veteran in a matchup that could make the difference on Friday.

Last Game: 2022-23, Round 29, Efes vs. Partizan

Two teams with aspirations much higher than their current standing will wrestle over a valuable victory when Anadolu Efes Istanbul (4-5) receives a visit from Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade (3-5), which has lost three in a row on the road.

Efes welcomes Partizan for a pivotal showdown

In another meeting between two of the six teams currently tied with 5-4 records, red-hot Baskonia will look to extend its four-game winning streak against a Monaco team that lost twice in the double-round week.

Game Preview: Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz vs. AS Monaco

[Rosters](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2023-24/baskonia-vitoria-gasteiz-as-monaco/E2023/90/#roster)| [Facts](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/news/tae2324-rs10-game-facts-bas-mco) | [Notes](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/news/tae2324-rs10-game-notes-bas-mco) | [Quotes](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/news/tae2324-rs10-prequotes-bas-mco/) |[ TV](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/tv-listings-el/) | [Fantasy](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/news/fantasy-tips-big-bargains-for-two-rounds/)

Former Monaco forward [Chima Moneke](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/chima-moneke/012201/) is aiming to continue his spectacular form after scoring at least 16 points in each of the last five games, but the visiting team has a strong interior defense, allowing opponents to convert just 51.7% of their two-point shots, the third-best record in the league. Monaco will hope to give another dimension to its offense by seeing big-name summer signing [Kemba Walker](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/kemba-walker/012709/) find his form after totaling just 4 points in the last three games.

[Baskonia Stats](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/teams/baskonia-vitoria-gasteiz/statistics/bas/?season=2023-24&phase=All%20phases) | [Monaco Stats](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/teams/as-monaco/statistics/mco/?season=2023-24&phase=All%20phases)

Chima Moneke vs. Alpha Diallo: Two recent teammates whose versatilty is similar will be at the center of Friday's showdown.

Last Game: 2022-23, Round 28, Baskonia vs. Monaco

In another meeting between two of the six teams currently tied with 5-4 records, red-hot Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz will look to extend its four-game winning streak against an AS Monaco team that lost twice in the double-round week.

Baskonia aims to keep streak alive vs. Monaco

Two more direct rivals intent upon climbing up the standings go head to head as Zvezda (3-6) hosts Milan (3-6).

Game Preview: Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade vs. EA7 Emporio Armani Milan

[Rosters](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2023-24/crvena-zvezda-meridianbet-belgrade-ea7-emporio-armani-milan/E2023/88/#roster)| [Facts](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/news/tae2324-rs10-game-facts-red-mil) | [Notes](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/news/tae2324-rs10-game-notes-red-mil) | [Quotes](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/news/tae2324-rs10-prequotes-red-mil/) |[ TV](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/tv-listings-el/) | [Fantasy](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/news/fantasy-tips-big-bargains-for-two-rounds/)

Milan has won the last five meetings between the teams, including three games in Belgrade, and will look to maintain that streak with confidence renewed after a good win over Efes last time out. Zvezda suffered a close defeat to Olympiacos in Round 8 despite sinking 15 three-pointers, including 5 from [Nemanja Nedovic](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/nemanja-nedovic/000848/). This game could be a shootout, as Milan is the second-most accurate three-point shooting team in the league (39.3%), led by [Nicolo Melli](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/nicolo-melli/002849/), who is converting 50.0% of his long-range shots, including 3 of 4 in the win over Efes.

[Zvezda Stats](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/teams/crvena-zvezda-meridianbet-belgrade/statistics/red/?season=2023-24&phase=All%20phases) | [Milan Stats](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/teams/ea7-emporio-armani-milan/statistics/mil/?season=2023-24&phase=All%20phases)

Joel Bolomboy vs. Johannes Voigtmann: Two big men with markedly different styles will take each other's measure on Friday.

Last Game: 2022-23, Round 23, Milan vs. Zvezda

Two more direct rivals intent upon climbing up the standings go head to head as Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade (3-6) hosts EA7 Emporio Armani Milan (3-6).

Zvezda tries to break Milan's spell in Belgrade

The Valencia guard’s game-winner in Athens last season is a shot he will remember forever.

Chris Jones, Valencia Basket: 'It was all or nothing'

In his four seasons in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague, Valencia Basket guard [Chris Jones](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/chris-jones/010568/) has made many big shots. This week is a good time to remember one of the biggest as Jones returns to the Greek capital for the first time since February when [he sunk Panathinaikos Athens 91-92](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2022-23/panathinaikos-athens-valencia-basket/E2022/216/#boxscore) with a three-pointer on the buzzer.

It was in Round 24 with Valencia in the heart of a tight playoff race. A loss to the Greens was something his team could ill-afford. And Jones stepped up when his team needed him to.

“Down the stretch, I was making some tough plays, whether it was for myself or my teammates. I felt like everything was going the way I wanted it to go,” Jones reflected.

After Matt Thomas put the hosts up 2 with 17 seconds to go, Valencia had the ball with a chance to tie it or win it. Jones had only one thought: “I knew I wasn’t going for overtime. It was all or nothing.”

During the timeout that preceded the final play, Coach [Alex Mumbru](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/teams/valencia-basket/pam/mumbru-alex/?season=E2023) made clear what he wanted to happen. “We wanted to get the ball into Chris’s hands to create a mismatch, to then be able to attack. But the players are the ones who make decisions,” Mumbru said.

Jones got the ball and through a screen created the mismatch, with agile forward Derrick Williams on him. Still, Jones made his move to shake off his defender, pump fake and drill the game-winning three on the buzzer.

“Probably one of the biggest moments in basketball in my life,” Jones summed up.  

The Valencia guard’s game-winner in Athens last season is a shot he will remember forever

Chris Jones, Valencia Basket: ‘It was all or nothing’

In a region that has long stood for basketball excellence in France, the opening of LDLC Arena with a Euroleague game between ASVEL and visiting Bayern on Thursday caps off what club president Tony Parker called "an incredible human adventure."

ASVEL to unveil its new home, LDLC Arena, on Thursday

Some seven years in the making, the arena will be among the most advanced in Europe. 

The European basketball scene will change for the better on Thursday with the opening of LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne's new home, LDLC Arena in Lyon, France. The first full-scale event at LDLC Arena will be [the club's Turkish Airlines EuroLeague contest against FC Bayern Munich](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2023-24/ldlc-asvel-villeurbanne-fc-bayern-munich/E2023/82/). 

Thursday's game will mark the first of at least 12 EuroLeague showdowns that ASVEL will play this season at LDLC Arena, bringing some of the biggest names in international club basketball to the new state-of-the-art venue.

LDLC Arena instantly becomes the largest indoor multi-purpose facility in the country outside of the French capital and among the most advanced, both in terms of technological and environmental friendliness in all of Europe. Not just a home for basketball, LDLC Arena will also be fit for tennis tournaments, conferences, concerts and more. It is located next to Groupama Stadium, the home of football club Olympique Lyonnais, as part of a program to develop the area into an entertainment and commercial hub for the region. 

The opening of LDLC Arena is the latest chapter in Basketball Hall of Famer and club president Tony Parker's plan to cement ASVEL as a European power. ASVEL was already the winningest team in French basketball history when Parker first invested in the club in 2009. The relationship grew with Parker eventually becoming the club president, creating the Tony Parker Adéquat Academy, and in 2016 announcing plans for the new arena, which has now come to fruition. 

"LDLC Arena is going to be one of the nicest arenas in the world,” Parker said in the local press this week. “The opening of the LDLC Arena is the culmination of a decade of having worked very hard with people who have trusted and followed us, an incredible human adventure. I will enter at the arena with great emotion. We have won many titles, we built the academy, but it is not every day that we can achieve a big project like this.”

<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="fr" dir="ltr">On a testé la LDLC Arena en avant-première et on peut vous dire… l’essayer c’est l’adopter. 👌<br><br>🔗 Il reste des places pour l’ouverture le 23 novembre : <a href="https://t.co/AjsSTW3g02">https://t.co/AjsSTW3g02</a> <a href="https://t.co/NTKaT4sc57">pic.twitter.com/NTKaT4sc57</a></p>&mdash; LDLC Arena (@LDLC_Arena) <a href="https://twitter.com/LDLC_Arena/status/1724833577215381731?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 15, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

The arena was built in such a way as to allow for 12,000 fans for basketball games and 16,000 for concerts. Its modular seating tier system and innovative seating bowl optimize the view from every seat, to bring fans as close to the action as possible. Moreover, the high level of the surrounding hospitality services aims to bring fans to games earlier and give them reasons to stay later.  

LDLC Arena is an environmentally friendly project with sustainability at the heart of the design. It boasts 6,000 square meters of solar panels on the roof, nearly a third of the total area as green space, a large bird reservation to the north of the site, and an innovative double skin around the building to assist in regulating the temperature inside the arena, thus minimizing the need for climate control systems.

The future of ASVEL has arrived and you can experience it at LDLC Arena.

**EuroLeague games coming to LDLC Arena this season:**

November 23, Round 10, Bayern Munich 

December 8, Round 13, Valencia

December 14, Round 14, Panathinaikos

December 22, Round 16, Olympiacos

December 28, Round 17, Real Madrid

January 4, Round 19, Zalgiris Kaunas

January 12, Round 21, ALBA Berlin

January 30, Round 24, Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul

March 1, Round 27, EA7 Emporio Armani Milan

March 15, Round 29, Anadolu Efes Istanbul

March 28, Round 32, AS Monaco

April 12, Round 34, FC Barcelona

When the lights and the crowd noise subside and Olimpia Milano guard Stefano Tonut has time to do something different than basketball, he is drawn to the sea and fishing, a pastime he learned as a boy.

Stefano Tonut, Milan: 'Fishing brings out strong emotions'

Basketball is a passion for every single player and coach in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague, but during the off days, and especially in the off-season, it comes time to get away from basketball and enjoy other things. Everyone looks for ways to relax, both mind and body, and some indulge in other hobbies. For [EA7 Emporio Armani Milan guard Stefano Tonut](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/stefano-tonut/006509/), that other hobby is saltwater fishing.

Tonut developed his love for fishing at a very early age, as a little boy in his hometown of Trieste, a city on the Adriatic Coast.

"My passion was born when my father used to go fishing and I went with my family following him," Tonut remembers. "My father had a little boat and I went around with him. Through the years, I started going by myself, both fishing from the seashore and on the boat."

Over the years, it turned into a serious hobby and a true passion for Tonut, who now has a boat of his own and finds time, mostly during summer, to roam the Adriatic Sea. He either fishes close to Trieste or goes to a neighboring Croatia.

"I have some favorite places, especially in Croatia. That’s very close and there are fantastic places, with beautiful water to relax and enjoy fishing," Tonut says. "During the summer, I have more time to relax and to experiment new fishing techniques and new places."

And make no mistake, there is far more to fishing than just throwing a hook in the water. From following the weather, to the type of fish you try to catch, the bait to use and depth at which you try to catch fish.

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overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BJ-LJQeBgoh/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;" target="_blank">A post shared by Stefano Tonut® (@stevebucket07)</a></p></div></blockquote> <script async src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script>

It's like a chess match where you try to outsmart the fish. And once you do manage to catch it, it is a battle to pull it out, especially if it is a big one.

Tonut is proud he had some of those battles over the years, like when he caught a 65-kilo tuna or a leerfish that was just below 20 kilograms.

"Catching a 65-kilogram tuna was amazing," Tonut says, his eyes widening. "With tuna, you fight with your legs, you squat a lot. I battled with it for 25-30 minutes. With such big fish, you don't decide anything. It is the fish that decides where it goes, and then you react to everything."

The Milan guard explains that it was a catch-and-release situation, because of the limits Italy has on tuna fishing, but that makes no difference to the entire experience.

Taking such victories against the fish bring a lot of joy and satisfaction, as well as a big rush. All are feelings that Tonut is very familiar with from playing in packed arenas and hitting big baskets. However, he says that fishing brings a different type of rush than basketball.

"Those emotions while fishing are different from those in sports, but fishing brings out strong emotions because on the other side you don’t know exactly what you caught. A fish on a hook at the end of the string of your pole brings the sensations, the emotions and the adrenaline that gives you desire to try to do it again and again."

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To draw more parallels to basketball, there are many disappointments in fishing, too.

"Sometime you lose a fish, then you want to re-try. But you never know if and when a fish will bite, so you must be patient," he says.

From planning out days, to catching big fish, or not catching anything the entire day. The preparation and the wait. The rush and the disappointment. All of it combined is a great joy that fishing brings for Tonut.

"It's a type of yoga, something you do for stress, to clear your mind," he says. "You don't feel anything, you just hear the sea. You think about the fish, but you don't think about anything else. You can even stop and just enjoy listening to the sea.

"Enjoying the sea and the water is also something that relaxes my mind and my body."

With a super-busy season schedule and living in Milan, far from the sea, Tonut will need to wait for the next summer to enjoy his passion again, but he knows that every minute of it will be more than worth the wait.

When the lights and the crowd noise subside and Milan guard Stefano Tonut has time to do something different than basketball, he is drawn to the sea and fishing, a pastime he learned as a boy.