By Michalis Gioulenoglou / info@eurohoops.net
FIBA EuroBasket 2025 will host dozens of athletes from many countries. Each one has their own journey. Short or long. Glorious or simply dazzling.
Whatever happens, the fans will have their idols. And these aren’t limited only to their favorite team. Who doesn’t want to see Giannis Antetokounmpo on the court? Or Luka Doncic?
Eurohoops lines up the Top10 stars we will see on the courts of Cyprus, Latvia, Poland, and Finland.
It’s important to note that it was very hard to cut players like Bogdan Bogdanovic, Dennis Schroder who are going to play key roles for medal contenders and also young guns like Zaccharie Risacher.
On the other hand, it’s obvious that the quality of players is unprecedented, with 20 of the 30 NBA teams being represented in the EuroBasket and no player outside the NBA being able to crack the Top 10, something unheard of even in the previous tournament. On the other hand, seven out of the 10 players of the list have been or currently are NBA All-Stars.
1. Nikola Jokic (Serbia)
- Points: 130
- Games: 6
- Appearances: 1 (2022)
- Medals: –
NBA Champion, NBA MVP – three times. But something is missing from Nikola Jokic’s collection: a EuroBasket medal. Any color—though this year’s Serbia is considered “obliged” to win nothing but gold.
The truth is that the Serbian center has only tried his luck once, in FIBA EuroBasket 2022, where Serbia was upset and eliminated by Italy in the Round of 16.
2. Giannis Antetokounmpo (Greece)
- Points: 254
- Games: 14
- Appearances: 2 (2015, 2022)
- Medals: –
On the road to a medal. The first for Giannis Antetokounmpo. And the first for Greece since 2009 in any competition. Giannis is once again on a mission, in his third EuroBasket appearance.
And after leading all scorers in the 2022 edition—though without meaningful team success-Antetokounmpo now hopes to etch his name in golden letters also at the national team level.
3. Luka Doncic (Slovenia)
- Points: 310
- Games: 9
- Appearances: 2 (2017, 2022)
- Medals: 1 (2017)
No matter how many words are written about Luka Doncic and his talent, they may prove insufficient.
Unlike the other EuroBasket mega-stars, Nikola Jokic and Giannis Antetokounmpo, he hasn’t yet won the NBA title—but he does own the 2017 EuroBasket gold medal.
Now, without Goran Dragic by his side, Doncic is once again called to lead Slovenia to the Promised Land. The first attempt, in 2022, ended in disaster, as Slovenia was knocked out of the semifinals by Poland.
4. Lauri Markkanen (Finland)
- Points: 312
- Games: 13
- Appearances: 2 (2017, 2022)
- Medals: –
Almost… rocket-fueled. Even from the preparation games, Lauri Markkanen has shown his intentions, averaging 40.3 points in Finland’s first three friendlies.
To better grasp the offensive talent of the Utah Jazz forward, he has scored more EuroBasket points than Luka Doncic, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Nikola Jokic.
5. Franz Wagner (Germany)
- Points: 137
- Games: 9
- Appearances: 1 (2022)
- Medals: 1 (2022)
Franz Wagner will play in his second consecutive EuroBasket, already with a full résumé: bronze in 2022, gold at the 2023 World Cup.
This time, he comes in as the NBA’s 15th-best scorer and fourth among NBA players at the tournament (behind Giannis, Jokic, and Doncic).
And truth be told, the younger brother of Mo Wagner wants to show that Germany—in the post-Schroder era—will have a cornerstone to lean on.
6. Alperen Sengun (Turkiye)
- Points: 99
- Games: 6
- Appearances: 1 (2022)
- Medals: –
A second straight EuroBasket for one of Turkish basketball’s brightest prospects.
Alperen Sengun comes off a fantastic NBA season with the Houston Rockets (19.1 points, 10.3 rebounds), earning his first All-Star selection.
He now hopes to give Turkiye a push and avoid another 10th-place finish like in 2022. Their last—and only—EuroBasket medal came 24 years ago, in 2001.
7. Nikola Vucevic (Montenegro)
- Points: 147
- Games: 16
- Appearances: 3 (2011, 2013, 2017)
- Medals: –
Nikola Vucevic is preparing for his farewell performance. He will step onto the EuroBasket floor for the last time in his career and hopes to lead Montenegro to its first knockout-stage qualification.
During Vucevic’s years, Montenegro has failed three times, with only five total EuroBasket appearances. This season, in 73 games with the Chicago Bulls, he averaged 18.5 points, 10.1 rebounds, and 3.5 assists.
8. Kristaps Porzingis (Latvia)
- Points: 165
- Games: 7
- Appearances: 1 (2017)
- Medals: –
He belongs to a rare caste—the so-called “Unicorns.” But this fantastic creature from Latvia, Kristaps Porzingis, lives in a world of injuries. When healthy, there’s no doubt about his quality.
And that’s what Latvians are hoping for, as they host the EuroBasket final stage for the first time. With “Porzilla” leading, they dream of a first medal in 86 years.