### Real Madrid head coach Chus Mateo:

"We knew it was going to be a tough game until the end and we played with big heart today, especially in the last quarter, when we came back. Their lead was 7 to 9 points and it was not easy, but we did a very big effort and our supporters brought us to victory. It was a very good game. Gabi Deck... if someone represents this big heart, probably it's him. We are very happy with him and with all the other players that were involved in a such tough, difficult game.

"It was a very thrilling game, and probably a nice one for those who watched it. But I think we didn't start the game the way we wanted. We wanted to be way more aggressive and allowed Barca to guide the game from the start, in a first quarter in which they took a big difference. We had to fight a lot to return to the game. I think that helps us read the game better. We found a way to play much better defense, anticipating the passing lanes a lot better in the second quarter. We were able to return to the game but each time we got close, they took another 7-9 point lead. Sometimes it looked like we were matching their game but they kept getting leads that looked big. We had heart and were able to fight to get closer. We played better offense in the fourth quarter, hitting shots that we didn't hit earlier. We fought for rebounds and were able to match their energy in the fourth quarter. 

"I am happy because in the end, our character and heart sometimes, in games in which you are not brilliant, leads to winning. And we keep that character: we were able to come back and finish the game. We could have won by a bigger margin but winning the game was important, especially after seeing how Wizink Center looked, with so many people supporting us. We made them see that when we play with heart, it is hard to beat Real Madrid at home, and this is how we want to defend our court."

Game Videos

### FC Barcelona head coach Sarunas Jasikevicius:

"When you don't kill a good team on the road, you are going to lose the game... 

"Congratulations to Real Madrid and Chus \[Mateo\]. I don't know which team was the better one, but Real won. I am hugely disappointed for having played so bad, with the game under control and after that, almost giving it away. It feels very bad that we had 22 turnovers and be into the game, with the lead. We finished *El Clasico* with 25 turnovers and that hurts a lot, to be honest. We came out soft, without winning any 50-50 balls. Real was jumping over us. After that, we took some of these 50-50 balls but in the end, it couldn't be done."

### Real Madrid guard Sergio Llull:

"I think we played against a really tough team but I think in the end, we recovered our soul, our character. You can win or lose games, but cannot never lose your character, your DNA as a team. And I think that in the last quarter and in overtime, we showed that character to win. I also want to say thank you to the crowd. Gabi \[Gabriel Deck\] is amazing. He is a quiet guy that doesn't speak too much off the floor. But on the floor, you saw his character. He never puts his arms down, and we really need him."

### Real Madrid guard Dzanan Musa:

"It was unbelievable. First of all, I am very proud of the team. I am very proud of the coach, of everybody for maintaining the focus, because basically, they were a better team for the whole game. But you can never discount Real Madrid. We have a great heart, and we fight until the end. And we showed that tonight. This is a big game for us, a big game for the standings and especially, it is nice to win in *El Clásico*. It is unbelievable, especially in overtime, with our people behind us. It is really an amazing feeling, and I hope that I will have that throughout my career, more and more."

Game News

Sergio Llull, Real Madrid: 'We recovered our soul'

Real Madrid v FC Barcelona (2023-01-26T19:45:00.000Z)

 Musa's OT heroics decide El Clásico, 91-86 

In a thrilling Turkish Airlines EuroLeague version of El Clásico, Real Madrid needed overtime to beat archrivals FC Barcelona 91-86 in the Spanish capital on Thursday. Real improved to 14-7 in the standings while Barca dropped to 13-6. Since overtime points don't count for tie-breakers, and Barca grabbed a two-point, non-overtime win against Los Blancos in Round 2, it would have the tie-break advantage over Los Blancos (1-1, +2) at the end of the regular season.

Dzanan Musa made the difference in the game, scoring half of his 18 points in overtime to propel Real to the win. Gabriel Deck led the winners with 23 points, while Sergio Llull added 19 and Walter Tavares 10 for Los Blancos. Nikola Mirotic led Barca with 17 points. Jan Vesely and Tomas Satoransky each added 12 while Cory Higgins got 10 for the guests, who saw their three-game road winning streak come to an end. Barca led 50-59 after three quarters but was outscored 41-27 in the fourth quarter and OT.

Satoransky got Barca going with a three-pointer, then Vesely added a jumper and a couple of layups in transition for a 2-9 lead. Nico Laprovittola's three-pointer soon made it a double-digit game, 6-18. Musa and an outstanding Deck brought Real within 16-20 after 10 minutes. Alex Abrines struck from downtown to boost his team's lead to 16-25. Deck kept pacing Real, getting help from Tavares and Musa to get the hosts within 28-31. Laprovittola fed James Nnaji for an alley-oop dunk and followed Satoransky's triple with a bomb from beyond the arc, good for a 32-39 Barca lead at halftime.

Mirotic and Laprovittola quickly restored a double-digit Barca lead, 34-44, soon after the break. Deck and Sergio Rodriguez fueled an 8-0 run that made it a two-point game, 42-44. Nikola Kalinic stepped up with back-to-back three-pointers, getting help from Satoransky and Higgins to restore a 50-59 Barca lead after 30 minutes. Deck and Llull stepped up to put Real in charge, 69-67, with over 3 minutes remaining. Higgins single-handedly but Barca in charge, 69-73, but Hezonja hit an off-balance shot and Llull added free throws to send the game to overtime, 73-73.

Musa stepped up early in overtime with a driving layup, a pair of free throws and an off-balance, one-handed jumper that forced Barca to call timeout at 81-76. Musa ignited the crowd with a bomb from downtown but Barca got within 87-84 on a jumper by Mirotic. Llull drew a couple of fouls and hit 4 of 4 free throws to put Real's victory on ice!

Dzanan Musa's OT heroics decide El Clásico, 91-86

 EuroLeague injury report: Round 21 

Check out all injuries and absences expected in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague before Round 21:

**ALBA Berlin**

Marcus Eriksson is out indefinitely due to a leg injury.

**Anadolu Efes Istanbul**

Dogus Balbay is out after undergoing surgery on his left hip.

**AS Monaco**

[Chima Moneke](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/news/monaco-brings-in-forward-chima-moneke/) has been registered to play ahead of Round 21.

**Cazoo Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz**

[Pierria Henry](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/news/baskonia-henry-suspend-their-agreement/) is unavailable until further notice.

Tadas Sedekerskis missed last weekend's domestic game due to discomfort in the adductor muscle in his left leg.

Pavel Savkov has been registered to play ahead of Round 21.

**Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade**

Hassan Martin has been sidelined with a knee injury since Round 13.

Zvezda signed Facu Campazzo, but he has not been registered in the EuroLeague yet.

**EA7 Emporio Armani Milan**

[Shavon Shields ](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/news/milan-loses-shields-at-least-6-8-weeks/)has not played since Round 4 due to a foot injury and won't return before February.

[Kevin Pangos](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/news/milans-pangos-out-at-least-six-weeks/) has been out since Round 10 with a knee injury and is not expect back until February.

Tommaso Baldasso is due out until March with a broken hand.

**FC Barcelona**

[Sergi Martinez](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/news/barcas-martinez-to-undergo-knee-surgery/) is out due to a knee injury that required surgery.

Martin Iglesias has been registered to play ahead of Round 21.

**FC Bayern Munich**

[D.J. Seeley ](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/news/d-j-seeley-returns-to-bayern/)has been registered to play ahead of Round 21.

[Andreas Obst](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/news/bayerns-obst-sidelined-by-elbow-injury/?pageTitle=FC%20Bayern%20Munich&historyUrl=/euroleague/teams/fc-bayern-munich/mun/) will miss several weeks due to an elbow injury suffered ahead of Round 15.

Vladimir Lucic remains sidelined with an elbow injury for Round 21.

Zan Sisko has not played since Round 1 and is out indefinitely.

Othello Hunter did not play in Sunday's domestic game due to an eye infection.

**Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul**

[Tonye Jekiri](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/news/fenerbache-jekiri-to-have-surgery-bjelica-to-begin-practicing/) has undergone a groin surgery and is not set to return until March.

Nemanja Bjelica (calf) remains sidelined. He has not played this season.

[Tarik Biberovic](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/news/fenerbahces-biberovic-out-six-weeks/) is out with a hamstring injury until at least early February.

[Ismet Akpinar](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/news/fenerbahces-akpinar-out-with-sprained-ankle/) is sidelined with a sprained ankle until late January.

**LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne**

[Joffrey Lauvergne](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/news/asvels-lauvergne-suffers-torn-acl/) is out indefinitely due to a torn ACL.

**Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv**

Maccabi has confirmed that guard [Lorenzo Brown](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/news/maccabi-star-lorenzo-brown-to-miss-2-3-weeks-with-sprained-ankle) will be out of action for between two and three weeks after suffering a sprained ankle in Round 20.

[Suleiman Braimoh](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/news/maccabi-adds-braimoh-to-its-frontcourt/) has been registered to play ahead of Round 21.

[Alex Poythress ](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/news/maccabi-loses-poythress-for-at-least-four-months/?pageTitle=Maccabi%20Playtika%20Tel%20Aviv&historyUrl=/euroleague/teams/maccabi-playtika-tel-aviv/tel/)remains sidelined since Round 11 with a broken hand.

**Olympiacos Piraeus**

Olympiacos has its entire roster available.

**Panathinaikos Athens**

Panathinaikos signed Nikos Pappas, who is not yet registered in the competition.

Lefteris Bochoridis remains out for Round 21.

**Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade**

[Balsa Koprivica](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/news/partizan-announces-injuries-to-exum-koprivica/) has been diagnosed with mononucleosis and is expected to be out indefinitely.

**Real Madrid**

Carlos Alocen (knee) is out indefinitely.

Petr Cornelie was a last-minute scratch before Round 21.

Head coach Chus Mateo confirmed that Alberto Abalde (ankle) will miss Round 21.

Anthony Randolph (knee) has not played this season and is out indefinitely.

**Valencia Basket**

[Shannon Evans](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/news/valencia-signs-guard-shannon-evans/) has been registered to play ahead of Round 21.

Bojan Dubljevic (ankle) is out for Round 21.

[Victor Claver](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/news/claver-to-miss-a-few-weeks-for-valencia-with-rib-fracture/) (rib) has traveled with the team to Germany ahead of its Round 21 game.

Sam Van Rossom is out indefinitely due to a knee injury.

[Martin Hermannsson](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/news/valencia-re-signs-guard-hermannsson/) is out with a knee injury.

Millan Jimenez is sidelined due to an ankle problem.

[Jasiel Rivero](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/news/valencias-jasiel-rivero-and-jared-harper-sidelined/) is due to remain sidelined until mid-February.

**Virtus Segafredo Bologna**

Nicolo Mannion (shoulder) returned to domestic action, but has been not played in the EuroLeague since Round 18.

[Awudu Abass](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/news/virtus-abass-to-undergo-knee-surgery/) has been out long term with a knee injury.

**Zalgiris Kaunas**

[Keenan Evans](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/news/zalgiris-evans-suffers-torn-achilles/) will miss the rest of the season after suffering an Achilles injury.

[Tyler Cavanaugh](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/news/zalgiriss-tyler-cavanaugh-out-more-three-months/) (back) has been sidelined since Round 14, and will remain out until late April after undergoing back surgery.

Zalgiris will be without [Isaiah Taylor](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/news/zalgiriss-isaiah-taylor-suffers-hamstring-injury) for the next few weeks after the guard suffered a hamstring injury.

[Mantas Kalnietis has announced that he will retire](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/news/zalgiris-icon-mantas-kalnietis-to-retire-this-month/) at the end of January.

Liutauras Lelevicius is sidelined with a leg injury.

EuroLeague injury report: Round 21

It is always exciting to see Real Madrid and FC Barcelona share a basketball court. When the teams are part of a four-way for first place in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Regular Season, *El Clasico* becomes even more exciting. Real and Barca have faced each other hundreds of times and their Round 21 showdown will be their 38th meeting in European competitions. 

The two teams are guaranteed to face each other at least four times during the season, but as successful powers in Spain, that number increases often. The maximum number of *Clasicos* in one season is 16 if both teams face each other in the Spanish SuperCup, the Spanish Copa del Rey and in both the EuroLeague and the Spanish League playoffs. 

Real and Barca are battling for first place and the tie-break advantage should be critical in this game. In Round 2, Barca edged Real [75-73](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2022-23/fc-barcelona-real-madrid/E2022/12/) behind 14 points from Sertac Sanli. Jan Vesely added 13 and Tomas Satoransky 12. Gabriel Deck led all scorers with 21 points for Real. There are some differences this time around. Barca superstar and reigning EuroLeague MVP Nikola Mirotic is available this time, as well as sharpshooter Kyle Kuric. Real has Rudy Fernandez and Adam Hanga available, too. 

One of the most famous sporting rivalries in the world takes centre stage as Barça and Los Blancos go head-to-head for the first clasico of the campaign with two powerfully rebuilt rosters for a EuroLeague showpiece event.

FC Barcelona vs Real Madrid - Round 2 - Highlights

Hanga and Mirotic are two of the nine players who have worn both teams' jerseys in the EuroLeague this century. Nico Laprovittola played for Real before joining Barca, and Mario Hezonja went the opposite direction. Hezonja played for Barca as a teenager and joined Real last summer. The list also includes Alain Digbeu, Thomas Heurtel, Maciej Lampe, Pepe Sanchez and Ante Tomic. None of these players won the EuroLeague with either Real or Barca: Sanchez is the only EuroLeague champion on this list; he lifted the trophy with Panathinaikos Athens in 2002. Ioannis Bourousis won the EuroLeague with Real in 2015 and briefly played for Barca in 2006, but not in the EuroLeague.

If you go back to the 20th century, however, the list gets longer. Current Euroleague Basketball president Dejan Bodiroga won the Saporta Cup with Real in 1997 and one of his three EuroLeague titles with Barca in 2003. The list of players who wore both jerseys features two more continental champs, Sasa Djordjevic and Zoran Savic, and is completed by Piculin Ortiz, Jose Luis Galilea, Derrick Alston and Michael Hawkins.

Real and Barca have never faced each other in a continental final, football or basketball. When it comes to the EuroLeague Final Four, they have clashed on four occasions, all in the semifinals. In 1996, Barca topped Real 76-66 behind 24 points from Arturas Karnisovas and 22 from Dan Godfread. Joe Arlauckas had 22 points to lead Real.

Preview: Real Madrid-FC Barcelona

They had to wait until 2013 to meet again in the Final Four. Real rallied to beat Barca [67-74](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2012-13/fc-barcelona-regal-real-madrid/E2012/251/) behind 17 points from Felipe Reyes and 13 from Sergio Llull. A year later, in 2014, Real overwhelmed Barca [62-100](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2013-14/fc-barcelona-real-madrid/E2013/250/) to reach the Championship Game. Sergio Rodriguez led *Los Blancos* with 21 points off the bench. 

Last season, Real and Barca met again in the semifinals. *Los Blancos* recorded an [83-86](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/game-center/2021-22/fc-barcelona-real-madrid/E2021/327/) victory with 18 points each from Fabien Causeur and Guerschon Yabusele. Mirotic led Barca with 26 points, 12 rebounds and 5 assists, matching a career-high with a PIR of 39. 

Remarkably, each time these teams have met in the EuroLeague semifinals, the winner lost in the championship game. Barca lost against Panathinaikos in 1996, and Real could not beat Olympiacos Piraeus in 2013, Maccabi Tel Aviv in 2014 or Anadolu Efes Istanbul in 2022.

Generally speaking, each *Clasico* is tougher and more important than the previous one and that is certainly the case this time as a win may have a big impact on the regular season standings. With so much talent on both sides of the court and so many games played between both teams, *El Clasico* is always unpredictable. So sit back, relax and enjoy one of the greatest spectacles in sports.

Nicolas Laprovittola is one of the latest players to wear Real Madrid and FC Barcelona's jerseys.

Laprovittola: from Real to Barca

A look back: 'El Clásico'

Real Madrid v FC Barcelona (2023-01-26T18:00:00.000Z)

Round 21 of the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Regular Season is around the corner, and that gives our managers another chance to win in EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge powered by Ardu Prime.

The standings remain as balanced as they can be, with four teams ahead everyone else by a very narrow margin. Olympiacos Piraeus, Real Madrid, Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul and FC Barcelona have 13-7 records, and every game between these teams will be critical in the race to get to the playoffs, considering that 11th-ranked Valencia Basket (10-10) is just three wins behind the leaders. Round 21 brings not just a must-watch 'El Clásico' to the Spanish capital, but the second edition of the Serbian derby between Crvena Zvezda mts Belgrade and Partizan NIS Belgrade at the legendary Aleksandar Nikolic Hall. All rounds bring unique games!

As for my team Gancedato, I went all-in with Vasilije Micic of Anadolu Efes Istanbul and he didn't deliver, getting a PIR of 3 as team captain for just 6 fantasy points. Everything else was halfway decent, with a winning coach and a couple of theorical backup players, Uros Trifunovic of Partizan and Josep Puerto of Valencia, stepping up to save this round. Even with that, I ended up getting just 109.2 fantasy points, which made me drop a few spots in the standings. My goal was to make it into the top 3,000 this week, and I now rank 2,960th, so it must have been a very tough week for everyone, I guess.

Three trades are allowed before each round, and you can trade your head coach, too. I am letting go of mine from last week, Oded Kattash of Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv, and signing AS Monaco boss Sasa Obradovic instead. His team plays at home against EA7 Emporio Armani Milan, a very talented team not in its best moment right now. I am trading Mathias Lessort of Partizan because I have a different player in mind, his teammate Dante Exum because I expect the Serbian derby to be a very physical one in which any star can get into foul trouble, plus I had five players from either Partizan or Zvezda in Round 20. That's why I am also trading Ognjen Dobric of Zvezda.

I am going for two very classic Fantasy Challenge players. I am signing [Walter Tavares](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/walter-tavares/005791/) of Real. He usually plays well against Barca but didn't have a high PIR in the last EuroLeague clásicos because of foul trouble. He should be ready to bounce back. I am also getting someone who has been the Fantasy Challenge king for over a decade, [Nando De Colo](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/nando-de-colo/002100/) of LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne. If you follow the competition, you will notice that De Colo always plays well against his former teams, and ASVEL faces Fenerbahce. I have just enough credits left to buy last season's EuroLeague Rising Star, Barca playmaker [Rokas Jokubaitis](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/rokas-jokubaitis/007519/), who has been playing better lately.

You can take a look at my team here:

As you can see, my team features six players taking the court on Thursday, with Tavares as team captain, and four more on Friday, three of them potential starters. I am keeping two players who heavily underperformed last week, Micic and Dwayne Bacon of Panathinaikos Athens. Micic has a reputation for bouncing back. As for Bacon, playing at home should make him perform at his usual, stellar level. 

Remember, the 2022-23 EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge powered by Ardu Prime features better prizes than ever, so get your game on now!

And don't forget to use #fantasychallenge on social media all season long. Good luck!

Fantasy Challenge: Leaning into El Clásico

Euroleague Basketball and Meta, the company that builds technologies that help people connect, find communities and grow businesses, are pleased to announce their collaboration to launch [EuroLeague Pick & Play fantasy game on Facebook App](https://www.facebook.com/fantasy_games/euroleague), available for Android and iOS mobile devices.

Euroleague Pick & Play allows fans everywhere to predict the winning teams of selected EuroLeague games throughout the 2022-23 season and compete to win points. They can also compete with their Facebook friends and even the global Facebook community.

Already, there are 533,000 users enjoying Euroleague Pick & Play!

This collaboration marks another step forward in Euroleague Basketball's digital strategy by bringing interactive opportunities to all fans in collaboration with global technology leaders.

"We are delighted to collaborate with Meta by developing new initiatives that help us bring our digital presence one step forward," Alex Ferrer Kristjansson, Euroleague Basketball's Brand and Communications Senior Director, said. "One of the key areas of our digital strategy is to create interactive and engaging products for all our fans to bring them closer to the action they experience on a weekly basis with our games. EuroLeague Pick & Play fits perfectly into that strategy."

Euroleague Basketball joins a prestigious list of sports properties already collaborating with Meta, such as the NBA, NFL, LA LIGA, MLB or MotoGP.

"Facebook Fantasy Games are free, simple prediction games that help fans enjoy sports. These games bring the social fun of traditional fantasy sports to simpler formats that are easy to play for people. We are delighted with the launch of EuroLeague Pick & Play, a new way to engage and bring EuroLeague and basketball fans closer together," Kike Levy, Southern Europe Lead Sports at Meta, said.

Euroleague Basketball, Meta join forces for Pick & Play fantasy game 

 Baskonia, Henry suspend their agreement 

Cazoo Baskonia Vitoria-Gazteiz announced on Wednesday that its contract with point guard Pierria Henry was being suspended by agreement between both parties due to the provisional suspension of his playing license by FIBA following a doping control test given by the international federation, in accordance with EuroLeague by-laws, following a recent Turkish Airlines EuroLeague game.

Baskonia's statement is as follows.

*"SASKI BASKONIA, S.A.D. and player Pierria Henry wish to communicate:*

*Following the administration of a routine anti-doping control to player Pierria Henry by FIBA authorities, the latter decided to open an inquiry into the results and apply a provisional suspension of his license until the case is resolved.* 

*Neither the inquiry nor the license suspension derive from a positive result for prohibited substances from the anti-doping control, but rather from procedural questions.* 

*Given that until the finalization of the inquiry, the suspension of the player's license will remain in force, Saski Baskonia and Mr. Pierria Henry have agreed to temporarily suspend the existing contract between both parties until the conclusion of the inquiry and while the suspension persists. Both are confident in a timely and satisfactory resolution of the situation as soon as possible.*

*Any updates about the issue will be notified when appropriate."*

Baskonia, Henry suspend their agreement

Providing inspiration for the next generation is something that many athletes aspire to, but some are able to go above and beyond. One who did so is FC Barcelona guard [Tomas Satoransky](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/tomas-satoransky/002939/), who wanted to give something back to his hometown of Prague last summer.

With the COVID-19 pandemic having impacted many people in the Czech Republic, particularly those from a lower socioeconomic background, Satoransky decided to use his platform to do something that would positively impact many people – regardless of age – in Prague. As the 31-year-old explained to Euroleague Basketball, he helped refurbish a legendary streetball court in a bid to increase the number of people playing basketball, as he looks to use the sport a force for good.

"I was thinking about \[refurbishing the court\] for a long time. Actually, when I got to the NBA, because I saw so many other players doing that," said Satoransky. "It's kind of like giving back to the basketball community, to try and motivate kids to not just do basketball but sports in general. I think, during the COVID era, it was super important that something like that happened or was made reality. I was very thrilled that this happened during the summer; it was a lot of work and we did it in a pretty short time period, because we tried to do it before our EuroBasket that we hosted \[in the Czech Republic\]. I think it was super cool."

"It's something that I wanted to do for a long time."

While the old court design was more in the classic style, Satoransky helped bring more life and energy with his fresh ideas. Previously, the court was largely green and had an orange area for the paint, whereas now, there are a number of colors that immediately stand out. What's more, there is an image of someone playing basketball as part of the design, as well as Satoransky's logo in the middle and also a screen for the best plays to be shown when events are held there. In short, Satoransky has made the court feel like something fit for the 2020s. 

"They sent me a couple of different ideas," Satoransky stated. "I wasn't the one making it, but I was just picking the coolest things for me. I was also seeing it from a different view, because sometimes there's a lot of things on \[the court\] but you don't see the lines. You want the court to be practical, but also cool. I think we picked the right one."

You may be wondering why Satoransky chose this specific court and not another in Prague. Well, when he was younger and even when he was taking his first steps as a professional basketball player, he came to this court as a sort of safe haven; it was the go-to spot for basketball fans in the Czech capital.

Tomas Satoransky, Barcelona: Refurbishing Prague court was 'super cool'

"That's the most legendary streetball court," Satoransky noted. "I would sometimes go and play, even when I was in Spain, in the summer. You know, before I was worrying about injuries and all that stuff. I think, also, to open the court outside, it's something that I wanted to do for a long time, because it's also a different feeling playing basketball outside; it's like more freedom, I would say."

When the refurbished court opened last summer, one of the first events that took part there was a 3x3 tournament organized by Red Bull, who partnered with Satoransky to help update the design and implement some new features. On the day that the final took place, Satoransky couldn't believe what he was seeing.

"Red Bull was one of the main sponsors and they did a great, great job. The opening was part of their streetball tournament that they host," Satoransky said. "There were three different tournaments, and then the final was on the court that was opening. A lot of people went there. There were like 2,000 people – I did not expect that, so I got chills when I saw that. That's not normal in the Czech Republic for basketball."

<center>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">It took several months to refurbish the legendary basketball court in Prague, but we made it! 😍 The place I fell in love with this beautiful game deserved something special, and I’m thrilled that it’s finally open to the public again! How do you like it? 👀 <a href="https://t.co/vptGzEYHnr">pic.twitter.com/vptGzEYHnr</a></p>&mdash; Tomas Satoransky (@satoransky) <a href="https://twitter.com/satoransky/status/1558773447009964032?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 14, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Now, though, Satoransky is so motivated by the success of this project that he is thinking about taking it across the Czech Republic, although he first wants to see more of the public's reaction before doing so. Nevertheless, he has called on his fellow players and athletes to try and replicate something similar.

"I felt like that this was also a tryout for us to see if we can make it and what it's going to do," he commented. "Maybe we're going to motivate some other players or different athletes to do something like that. I feel like the court can be designed, renovated or built not only in Prague but around the Czech Republic. Hopefully I can continue with that! We'll see, when I go back after the season, how much it really affected everybody and we'll try to see the feedback, but I hope that we can do many more projects like that."

Satoransky has shown himself to be a role model with his actions, and his decision to refurbish this court could provide a platform for the next Satoransky or Jan Vesely to be born. 

- **Selected Turkish Airlines EuroLeague games to be broadcasted on VR.**
- **Real Madrid vs. FC Barcelona to be first game offered, on Thursday.**
- **VR games to be available to [EuroLeagueTV](https://eur04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Ftv.euroleague.net%2F&data=05%7C01%7Cedu.roca%40euroleague.net%7C34b913fa4ca34c3322b808dafecf4f12%7C2b3d64f0329542979f1528435f0a62ce%7C1%7C0%7C638102463594479381%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=46J4YqFiIdozQ%2BNwSqxvsCw0Dqs0dmnnTOivbpW8MRw%3D&reserved=0) subscribers and on [XTADIUM](https://eur04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.xtadiumvr.com%2F&data=05%7C01%7Cedu.roca%40euroleague.net%7C34b913fa4ca34c3322b808dafecf4f12%7C2b3d64f0329542979f1528435f0a62ce%7C1%7C0%7C638102463594489334%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=W79SfmVe4DarbQMnO%2FmvkHyXjyoobpk%2FtOshiVH25wg%3D&reserved=0), the  virtual reality (VR) home of sports on  the Meta Quest headsets.**

Euroleague Basketball and YBVR have reached an agreement that will bring select Turkish Airlines EuroLeague games into a whole new dimension that offers an immersive and social experience to fans.

Following a strategy to deliver new levels of innovation, Euroleague Basketball already collaborated with YBVR during the Final Fours in [Cologne](https://eur04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fybvr.com%2Fcase-studies%2Feuroleague-final-four%2F&data=05%7C01%7Cedu.roca%40euroleague.net%7C34b913fa4ca34c3322b808dafecf4f12%7C2b3d64f0329542979f1528435f0a62ce%7C1%7C0%7C638102463594509246%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=Ln0ZfSQqK2ColHdMs7WAoCWxZodi2plCY1tE708%2BAII%3D&reserved=0) and [Belgrade](https://eur04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.euroleaguebasketball.net%2Feuroleague%2Fnews%2Fturkish-airlines-introduces-a-new-level-of-innovation-to-the-final-four%2F&data=05%7C01%7Cedu.roca%40euroleague.net%7C34b913fa4ca34c3322b808dafecf4f12%7C2b3d64f0329542979f1528435f0a62ce%7C1%7C0%7C638102463594519203%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=ikzjkR9bUpMVwOonE2%2FsEOi6AUKmzKMAMCP1xu9MVnE%3D&reserved=0), allowing fans to take control of the action as though they were sitting at courtside through 180 and 360-degree cameras spread around the court.

This Thursday's *clásico* between Real Madrid and FC Barcelona will be the first regular season game to be offered through this cutting-edge technology, and with both Spanish powerhouses tied atop the standings with 13 victories, it promises to be intense.

The revolutionary production approach through VR will not just affect what the fans will watch but the ways in which they can interact while following the games, allowing them to change between cameras anytime they want with seamless interaction. Fans watching on [XTADIUM](https://eur04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.xtadiumvr.com%2F&data=05%7C01%7Cedu.roca%40euroleague.net%7C34b913fa4ca34c3322b808dafecf4f12%7C2b3d64f0329542979f1528435f0a62ce%7C1%7C0%7C638102463594529160%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=HHO%2BB3W1fyXrAf4VM7PMNLJMn8t3iYPHQK25Ci2qXTs%3D&reserved=0) will also get real-time statistical overlays that can be toggled on or off and  will be able to create private watch parties to enjoy the games with friends.

The VR games package will be included in all [EuroLeagueTV](https://eur04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Ftv.euroleague.net%2F&data=05%7C01%7Cedu.roca%40euroleague.net%7C34b913fa4ca34c3322b808dafecf4f12%7C2b3d64f0329542979f1528435f0a62ce%7C1%7C0%7C638102463594539746%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=eDaU1TrjEUnGy%2BNYqsq%2B6fYNkM3BqqTw9y8GTFTNpAo%3D&reserved=0) subscriptions for all the countries where the service is operational, while USA fans will  have the chance to watch on  [XTADIUM](https://eur04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.xtadiumvr.com%2F&data=05%7C01%7Cedu.roca%40euroleague.net%7C34b913fa4ca34c3322b808dafecf4f12%7C2b3d64f0329542979f1528435f0a62ce%7C1%7C0%7C638102463594539746%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=7WwoY1jUjH3md3xor%2BeQtZRktrPLGyqrNvOWkjhL7sM%3D&reserved=0),  the VR App developed by YBVR that is available on the Meta Quest Store.

"We are delighted to bring our partnership with YBVR to a next level. Their technology is terrific, and it really enables you to feel like if you were on the court, almost touching these incredible athletes," Alex Ferrer Kristjansson, Euroleague Basketball Marketing and Communication Senior Director, stated. "We are constantly looking at every opportunity to elevate the experience we deliver to our fans, and technology nowadays is unlocking enormous opportunities to do that."

“We are excited to be pioneers with Euroleague in this immersive game experience. Our long-term agreement with them is already shaping the way in which basketball fans enjoy the sport. After being part of two Final Fours in a row, commercializing Virtual Tickets, it is really rewarding for the YBVR team to bring the best European basketball to [XTADIUM](https://eur04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.xtadiumvr.com%2F&data=05%7C01%7Cedu.roca%40euroleague.net%7C34b913fa4ca34c3322b808dafecf4f12%7C2b3d64f0329542979f1528435f0a62ce%7C1%7C0%7C638102463594539746%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=7WwoY1jUjH3md3xor%2BeQtZRktrPLGyqrNvOWkjhL7sM%3D&reserved=0), where USA basketball fans can enjoy EuroLeague live games on watch parties with friends,” Hector Prieto, CEO of YBVR, said.

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