By Eurohoops Team/ info@eurohoops.net
Olympiacos Piraeus forward Sasha Vezenkov is the winner of the Most Valuable Player Award for the 2025 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Playoffs, as officially announced.
The Bulgarian forward left his mark all over his team’s playoff series as the Reds eliminated the 2024 runner-up, Real Madrid, in four games.
Vezenkov was a constant force for Olympiacos, averaging 19.0 points, 6.5 rebounds, 3.0 assists, and 1.3 steals per game while shooting an impressive 60.6% on two-pointers. His overall efficiency was equally remarkable, posting a Performance Index Rating (PIR) of 22.8, which led all players in the playoffs. Most telling of his impact, Vezenkov accounted for 23.8% of Olympiacos’s total points in the series, underscoring his central role in the team’s offensive success.
This award marks the first time that Euroleague Basketball has named a Playoffs MVP, and it is only fitting that a signature player like Vezenkov would be the inaugural winner. The 2022-23 EuroLeague MVP, now in his sixth season with Olympiacos, was last month named to the All-EuroLeague First Team for the third time.
Vezenkov was his usual dominant self at the start of the series against Real Madrid. He tallied 23 points, 7 rebounds, and 3 steals for a PIR of 31 in an 84-71 victory in Game 1 and followed that up with 22 points and 9 rebounds in Game 2 at Peace & Friendship Stadium. When the series moved to the Spanish capital, Real Madrid took Game 3 despite Vezenkov’s 21 points, 9 rebounds, and 4 assists.
Needing a win in Game 4 to close out the series, Vezenkov’s MVP credentials shone through as he rose to the occasion when it mattered most, even as his well-known shooting prowess briefly faltered. Vezenkov was held scoreless for the first two and a half quarters before coming alive to score 7 points late in the third quarter. He then contributed to 14 of Olympiacos’s 18 fourth-quarter points—through assists, offensive rebounds to extend possessions, and a clutch three-pointer with 2 minutes remaining—to seal both the game and the series with veteran poise and unshakable composure. He finished that game with 10 points and a season-high 6 assists.
With his blend of scoring efficiency, leadership, and timely heroics, Vezenkov proved instrumental in Olympiacos’s playoff run. And now, he leads the Reds to Abu Dhabi, where he will target his first EuroLeague crown.