By Eurohoops team / info@eurohoops.net
Kendrick Nunn of Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens earned Round 1 MVP honors in the 2025-26 EuroLeague season after an outstanding individual performance in a winning effort.
He led his team to an 87-79 home victory over FC Bayern Munich. Nunn scored 21 points, shooting nine of 11 from two-point range and three of three from the free-throw line. He also contributed three rebounds, 10 assists (matching his career high), and three steals, finishing with a PIR of 29, the highest among all winning players in Round 1.
Will Clyburn of FC Barcelona posted the highest PIR of the round, but it came in a losing effort. Clyburn scored 23 points, shooting five of six from two-point range, three of five from three-point range, and four of four from the free-throw line. He also added seven rebounds, two assists, one block, and drew two fouls in Barcelona’s 103-87 loss to Hapoel IBI Tel Aviv.
Moses Wright of Zalgiris Kaunas followed closely with a PIR of 28 in his team’s 84-89 road win over AS Monaco. Wright scored 21 points, shooting eight of eight from the field, including a three-pointer, and three of four from the free-throw line. He also had six rebounds, one steal, and drew four fouls.
Nikola Milutinov of Olympiacos Piraeus and his teammate Sasha Vezenkov rounded out the top performances of Round 1, each finishing with a PIR of 27. In a 96-102 win at Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz, Milutinov posted 12 points, 14 rebounds, and one steal, while Vezenkov amassed 24 points, 13 boards, and one steal.
Individual highs
Two of the last three EuroLeague MVPs, Mike James of Monaco and Vezenkov, each scored a round-high 24 points
Milutinov pulled down 14 rebounds, the most in Round 1.
Four players registered 10 assists: Nunn, Omari Moore (Valencia Basket), Trent Forrest (Baskonia), and Wade Baldwin (Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul).
Eight players each collected three steals in their opening round of the campaign: Lonnie Walker and Jimmy Clark (Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv), Ish Wainwright (Hapoel), Wenyen Gabriel (Bayern), Mario Hezonja (Real Madrid), Nicolo Melli (Fenerbahce), Tomas Satoransky (Barcelona), and Thomas Walkup (Olympiacos).
Walter Tavares of Real Madrid led the league with three blocks in Round One during his team’s 74-68 road loss to Virtus Bologna.
Seven players recorded double-doubles in this round: Valencia‘s Moore (12 points, 10 rebounds) and Matt Costello (13 points, 10 rebounds), Olympiacos‘s Vezenkov (24 points, 13 rebounds) and Milutinov (12 points, 14 rebounds), Fenerbahce’s Baldwin (10 points, 10 assists). Panathinaikos‘s Nunn (21 points, 10 assists), Baskonia’s Forrest (14 points, 10 assists).