Basketball fans were stunned to see the world-famous actor in Berlin
The story of how Bill Murray attended the Final Four
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The first semifinal at the 2024 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Final Four was coming to an end and there was a commotion outside Berlin’s Uber Arena. Alongside fans eager to get in to watch Real Madrid and Olympiacos Piraeus lock horns, there was a VIP who had decided to show up on the off chance there was a spare ticket. That person was Bill Murray.
The 73-year-old had been made aware that the Final Four was taking place in Berlin thanks to his son, Luke, who is an assistant coach for the UConn Huskies men’s basketball team, the reigning back-to-back NCAA champions. Once Murray arrived at Uber Arena, the Euroleague Basketball staff acted quickly to accommodate the star of such movies as “Ghostbusters”, “Groundhog Day” and “Space Jam”.
Fortunately for Mr. Murray, there were two Olympiacos courtside seats that were available – enough for Bill and his guest, fellow actor Marshall Bell. By the time they got comfortable, Real and Olympiacos’s semifinal clash was underway. Los Blancos were able to rush out to a 28-10 lead at the end of the first quarter and remained ahead the rest of the way, eventually winning 87-76. Speaking to the EuroLeague afterward, Murray was taken aback by the passion of the supporters.
“That’s some serious volume, that’s some real good noise,” said Murray. “I love that noise. That’s great noise. I’m a basketball lover. I don’t know either of these teams, but I’ve heard that they’re fun to watch. There are some great players, of course. It was a kick.”
For Murray, attending the Final Four was a good way to let his hair down. After all, he was temporarily based in Potsdam – about an hour’s drive from Berlin – shooting a new Wes Anderson movie, “The Phoenician Scheme”, with fellow actors Benicio del Toro and Michael Cera, so it was a good opportunity to watch the sport he loves and get a taste of the passion of a EuroLeague game.
With Friday’s semifinals in the books, Murray didn’t hesitate when it came to returning for championship game day on Sunday. As he made his way into Uber Arena ahead of the third-place game, Murray once again stopped to speak with the EuroLeague.
“I hadn’t heard enough about it because it’s much more exciting in person,” he declared. “Even getting into the stadium is a lot of laughs. It’s hilarious just to come through the singing crowds and all the people who are very, very excited, very emotional. They sing through the whole game, they shout through the whole game. The game is more physical I think than the NBA game, it’s a lot more physical game. I’m looking for a close game. So far, the games haven’t been close. I want a dogfight. I want to see a dogfight.”
Courtside, Murray was able to once again chat with Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo and Chicago Bulls legend Scottie Pippen, as he did on the Friday. The three VIPs were then treated to a fascinating third-place game between Olympiacos and Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul, which finished 87-84 in the Reds’ favor, but Murray could not hang around for the championship game as he had filming commitments on the Monday.
Murray has been able to see what NCAA and NBA basketball is like back in the United States, but his time at the EuroLeague Final Four is something he won’t forget any time soon. The passion, the fans, the basketball – he enjoyed it all.
The legendary Bill Murray is a self-confessed “basketball lover”, so what better place to be than the EuroLeague Final Four?