By Eurohoops team / info@eurohoops.net
One moment is enough. Even if it lasts only a second, it becomes part of basketball history — EuroLeague history in this case — written in huge golden letters that will never fade, no matter how many years pass.
This season marks 26 years since the European Champions Cup handed over its legacy to the EuroLeague.
And the Final Fours have created a history of their own through unforgettable moments. Some will bring smiles to Panathinaikos and Olympiacos fans. Others will bring back painful memories accompanied by a huge “Oh no… not again.”
Ready? Take a deep breath, be patient, and let’s begin.
Llull the executioner!
Olympiacos held a 78-77 lead over Real Madrid in the Kaunas Final Four championship game.
The final possession ended up in the hands of one of the most ruthless players European basketball has ever seen. That night, Sergio Llull reminded everyone that he was still here — almost the same killer he had been before the serious injury he suffered with the Spanish national team.
And he delivered.
A signature pull-up jumper, the ball hanging beautifully in the air before dropping through the net: 79-78.
Real Madrid slapped the trophy out of Olympiacos’ hands — like a strict mother teaching her child a harsh lesson just as it was reaching for something precious — and made it their own by decree of Sergio Llull.
Printezis’ floater!
Istanbul. May 2012.
The Final Four championship matchup featured the overwhelming favorite, CSKA Moscow, against the underdog, Olympiacos.
Until the 28th minute, everything was going according to script. The Russian powerhouse led by 19 points, 53-34.
That was perhaps the exact moment when Olympiacos’ famous “refuse to lose” mentality was born.
A stunning 28-8 run, combined with Ramunas Siskauskas missing crucial free throws, brought Giorgos Printezis to the moment of his life.
A floater.
And basketball immortality.
Most photographs from that play captured completely different reactions in the crowd — fans, journalists, everyone — but they all shared the same expression: pure disbelief.
Printezis scored for 62-61, giving Olympiacos its first EuroLeague title since the club’s maiden triumph in 1997.
One hug, one story
Before the recent triumph in Berlin, Panathinaikos’ last EuroLeague title featured perhaps the most iconic moment among the club’s first six European crowns.
The final against Maccabi Tel Aviv (78-70) had just ended on May 8, 2011.
Zeljko Obradovic opened his arms for Dimitris Diamantidis.
And the Panathinaikos captain — in one of the rare moments where he let emotion take over — collapsed into the embrace of his legendary coach.
The moment became eternal through photographs and the game footage itself.
MVP Doncic!
Luka Doncic’s final great performance in a Real Madrid jersey.
And the perfect revenge — more against himself than against any critics.
But the story really starts a year earlier.
In 2017, Real Madrid faced Fenerbahce in the semifinal, and on the eve of the game, dozens of journalists surrounded the young Slovenian phenom with endless questions. Pressure can suffocate even the greatest talents.
For a while, it did.
But the disappointment of 2017 became the lesson of 2018.
And “Luka Magic” was ready.
Belgrade became the place of triumph for both Doncic and Real Madrid, who defeated Fenerbahce in the final while Doncic posted 15 points, 3 rebounds and 4 assists after previously eliminating CSKA Moscow with 16 points, 7 rebounds and 2 assists.
Doncic was named Final Four MVP before leaving for the NBA later that summer.
Khryapa’s magical hand
It felt only fitting.
A Russian player saving a club that had built its dynasty through expensive international stars.
At the 2016 Final Four, Viktor Khryapa helped CSKA Moscow survive after blowing a 21-point lead against Fenerbahce in the championship game.
The Russian giants eventually prevailed 101-96 in overtime.
And Dimitris Itoudis defeated Zeljko Obradovic in a legendary coaching duel.
Rice and “The People’s Team”
In the 2014 Final Four final, Real Madrid entered as the overwhelming favorite.
Tyrese Rice had other plans.
Maccabi Tel Aviv arrived in Milan with the aura of a team nobody truly believed in — except themselves.
In the semifinal against CSKA Moscow, Rice scored the game-winning basket for 68-67 with five seconds remaining.
Then came the final.
Even against mighty Real Madrid, the American guard once again showed his brilliance.
Never mind that he missed the opportunity to win the game in regulation.
Rice exploded for 21 of his 26 points in the fourth quarter and overtime — 14 of them in the extra period alone — leading Maccabi to a stunning 98-86 victory.
Childress… to the rescue!
Paris Final Four, 2010.
Olympiacos had reached its first semifinal in 13 years under Panagiotis Giannakis, with Josh Childress — one of the most expensive signings in European basketball at the time — leading the charge.
Their opponent was Partizan.
With the Serbian side leading 67-65, Milos Teodosic took the decisive shot for Olympiacos.
He missed.
But Childress was exactly where he needed to be.
A tip-in dunk with just 2.6 seconds left tied the game at 67-67.
Olympiacos eventually survived in overtime, winning 83-80 to advance to the final, where Barcelona defeated them 86-68.
Mr. Kutluay, one magical night in Bologna
Back then there was Kinder Bologna — named after the famous chocolate brand.
But the Italian powerhouse was anything but sweet.
It was packed with deadly talent: Manu Ginobili, Antoine Rigaudeau, Matjaz Smodis, Marko Jaric, Antonio Granger and many more.
And the Final Four was being played on their home court at PalaMalaguti.
Panathinaikos, meanwhile, had Dejan Bodiroga — one of Europe’s greatest closers.
A player intelligent enough to pass when defenses collapsed on him.
With Panathinaikos leading 82-80 late in the final, Bodiroga found Ibrahim Kutluay.
The Turkish sharpshooter pump-faked and calmly buried the dagger three-pointer for 85-80.
Seconds later, Panathinaikos had completed an 89-83 victory and climbed to the top of Europe.
Siskauskas from the top…
Can a missed shot become one of the greatest Final Four moments ever?
The answer is yes.
Because this particular missed three-pointer delivered another EuroLeague title to Panathinaikos and Greek basketball.
It was 2009.
Panathinaikos had assembled one of the greatest rosters in European basketball history: Diamantidis, Nicholas, Pekovic, Fotsis, Spanoulis, Jasikevicius, Tsartsaris, Batiste, Hatzivrettas, Alvertis and many more.
Their opponent in the final was CSKA Moscow — another giant featuring Holden, Zisis, Siskauskas, Langdon, Smodis and Khryapa.
The game came down to one final shot.
One missed shot.
The few seconds between the ball leaving Siskauskas’ hands and hitting the rim felt like an endless slow-motion movie scene.
Spanoulis’ masterpiece!
At the 2015 Final Four semifinal against CSKA Moscow, anyone who didn’t know Vassilis Spanoulis finally learned exactly who he was.
At the 31-minute mark, Olympiacos trailed 61-52.
Many journalists had already started writing stories about Olympiacos’ defeat.
Spanoulis had different plans.
Up until the 37th minute, he had scored only five points on 1-for-11 shooting.
Then, over the final three minutes, he scored eight points — including two unforgettable three-pointers.
The defining moment came with 10 seconds remaining, when his three-pointer made it 69-66 and completely crushed CSKA’s spirit.
When Evan cried and Vassilis comforted him…
Last season’s semifinal between Olympiacos and Monaco left nothing but pain for the Piraeus side.
And how could Olympiacos fans even hate Monaco when the opposing coach was club legend Vassilis Spanoulis himself?
Spanoulis — then Monaco’s coach and current Greek national team coach — saw Evan Fournier in tears after his heroic performance, scoring 31 of Olympiacos’ 68 points.
For several seconds, Spanoulis embraced him and whispered words that only two European basketball superstars could truly understand.