Vote for the best All-EuroLeague First Team in history: 2017 vs. 2009

Round Two Continues! This time, it’s 2017 vs. 2009: two explosive lineups packed with firepower, finesse, and EuroLeague pedigree.

Each season, the top five players in Europe’s premier basketball competition are honored with All-EuroLeague First Team selections. Over the past quarter century, these elite squads have featured legends, icons, and unforgettable performances.

This summer, we’re putting them head-to-head to answer one big question: Which All-EuroLeague First Team stands above the rest?

Our panel of in-house EuroLeague experts seeded all 24 teams into a bracket. Several times a week, we reveal a new matchup on the official EuroLeague Instagram account — and you vote for your favorite. Eight teams are already out. Sixteen remain. Who will punch their ticket to the quarterfinals?

2017

Sergio Llull, Real Madrid (age 29)
Nando De Colo, CSKA Moscow (age 29)
Bogdan Bogdanovic, Fenerbahce (age 24)
Georgios Printezis, Olympiacos (age 32)
Ekpe Udoh, Fenerbahce (age 30)

2009

Terrell McIntyre, Montepaschi Siena (age 31)
Juan Carlos Navarro, Barcelona (age 28)
Igor Rakocevic, Baskonia (age 31)
Ioannis Bourousis, Olympiacos (age 25)
Nikola Pekovic, Panathinaikos (age 23)

We have a stylistic clash between two teams that would thrive in very different ways. Team 2017 features a high-octane trio in Llull, De Colo, and Bogdanovic, who are all capable of creating off the dribble, shooting from deep, and pushing the pace. Llull’s 2016-17 MVP season was a masterclass in clutch shot-making and leadership. De Colo brings silky scoring and elite pick-and-roll play. Bogdanovic, the youngest of the bunch, was already a killer in isolation and transition.

Team 2009 counters with a more deliberate but deadly trio. McIntyre was the engine of Montepaschi’s offense, a cerebral floor general with a lethal pull-up jumper. Navarro, in his prime, was still the most feared shooter in Europe. Rakocevic added another layer of scoring punch, with his off-ball movement and midrange game.

In the frontcourt, Udoh and Printezis bring contrasting styles. Udoh was a defensive wall and among the best rim protectors in EuroLeague history as well as a smart passer out of the post. Printezis, with his signature one-legged fadeaway, was a clutch scorer and savvy cutter. But Team 2009’s bigs bring power. Bourousis had the size and touch to battle Udoh inside or take him outside. Pekovic, at just 23, was already a bruising force as a low-post monster who could overpower nearly anyone one-on-one.

This one’s razor-close. Team 2017 has more modern spacing and defensive flexibility, while Team 2009 has more pure scorers and interior dominance. If Udoh controls the paint and Llull gets hot, 2017 could run away with it. But if Navarro and Rakocevic find rhythm and Pekovic asserts himself early, 2009 could grind out a win. Different AI simulations gave me different results, but all of them had the game as close. Personally, I think the 2009 squad was a touch stronger. Now it’s your turn to decide. Head to the EuroLeague Instagram and vote for your favorite!