The 10 best teams in the modern EuroLeague era!

19/Aug/17 12:31 December 13, 2017

Aris Barkas

19/Aug/17 12:31

Eurohoops.net

17 seasons have gone by since the first jump ball of the EuroLeague in its modern era, and Eurohoops highlights the best teams in the competition based on a special ranking, at the same time presenting their most important achievements in the institution through charts, numbers and stats.

By Stelios Toromanidis/ info@eurohoops.net

In the summer of 2000, Europe’s leading club competition turned the page and entered a new era. Since then, 17 years have gone by, during which the basketball fans of the Old Continent and beyond have enjoyed a rich spectacle from amazing teams and excellent basketball players who star on the courts of the best basketball league, after the NBA.

Starting from the very first clash in the EuroLeague that took place in Madrid between Real and Olympiacos on 16 October 2000, up to last season’s final in Istanbul (21 May 2017) between Fenerbahce and Olympiacos, a total of 3.814 games have been played!

During this period, the organizing authority has tried seven different formats of conducting the league, always aiming for the best possible result and the pleasure of millions of fans of the competition.

The number of teams that have taken part in the modern era of the EuroLeague comes to 83, originating from 19 different countries, while 2.700 players have honored the competition with their presence!

Only four organizations have competed in all 17 seasons of the competition. Those are Barcelona, Olympiacos, Baskonia and Zalgiris Kaunas, who are the competition’s most… faithful companions. With two more appearances, the Blaugrana will become the first team to reach 400 games (!), followed with consistency by Olympiacos, CSKA Moscow and another seven teams that count more than 300 appearances in Europe’s top basketball fiesta.

The teams that count more than 300 games in the modern history of the EuroLeague:

Pos Team Seasons Games
1 Barcelona 17 398
2 Olympiacos 17 393
3 CSKA Moscow 16 392
4 Baskonia 17 389
5 Panathinaikos 16 383
6 Maccabi Tel Aviv 16 363
7 Real Madrid 15 344
8 Efes 16 343
9 Fenerbahce 16 337
10 Zalgiris Kaunas 17 311

The Army Team is the team that is at the top of the table with the most wins and the highest percentage of successful games in the competition, Barcelona is in second place, while a total of seven organizations count over 200 (!) wins and a win rate that is over 55% in the competition.

The teams that have over 200 wins and a win rate of over 55%:

Pos Team Record (W-L) % Percent of wins
1 CSKA Moscow 304-88 77,6%
2 Barcelona 274-124 68,8%
3 Real Madrid 221-123 64,2%
4 Panathinaikos 243-140 63,4%
5 Maccabi Tel Aviv 224-139 61,7%
6 Olympiacos 241-152 61,3%
7 Baskonia 229-160 58,9%

Panathinaikos have the most titles in the modern era of the EuroLeague, as they count four wins of the coveted trophy, followed by CSKA Moscow and Maccabi Tel Aviv with three each, while Olympiacos and Barcelona have two titles each. Real Madrid, Fenerbahce, and Virtus Bologna round off the top eight teams that have at least one trophy in Europe’s top club competition.

EuroLeague Champions:

Pos Team Euroleague Titles Season
1 Panathinaikos 4 2001-02, 2006-07, 2008-09, 2010-11
2 CSKA Moscow 3 2005-06, 2007-08, 2015-16
3 Maccabi Tel Aviv 3 2003-04, 2004-05, 2013-14
4 Olympiacos 2 2011-12, 2012-13
5 Barcelona 2 2002-03, 2009-10
6 Real Madrid 1 2014-15
7 Fenerbahce 1 2016-17
8 Virtus Bologna 1 2000-01
Total 8 Teams 17 Titles 17 Seasons

With regard to the total number of appearances in the Final Four of the competition, CSKA Moscow is by far the most successful team, as they have twice (14) the ones Maccabi Tel Aviv and Barcelona have, who follow behind in the ranking with seven each. Overall, 15 organizations have taken part in the biggest annual fiesta of the EuroLeague at least once, while eight of them (a rate of 47.1%) left with the trophy!

Final Four appearances:

Pos Team Final Four Appearances Years
1 CSKA Moscow 14 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017
2 Maccabi Tel Aviv 7 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2011, 2014
3 Barcelona 7 2003, 2006, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2014
4 Panathinaikos 6 2002, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2012
5 Olympiacos 6 2009, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2017
6 Real Madrid 5 2011, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2017
7 Baskonia 5 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2014
8 Siena 4 2003, 2004, 2008, 2011
9 Fenerbahce 3 2015, 2016, 2017
10 Benetton Trevizo 2 2002, 2003
11 Virtus Bologna 1 2002
12 Fortitudo Bologna 1 2004
13 Malaga 1 2007
14 Partizan Belgrade 1 2010
15 Lokomotiv Kuban 1 2016
Total 15 Teams 64 Appearances 16 Years

The best teams in the modern era of the EuroLeague based on a special ranking by Eurohoops

After presenting some important facts from the first 17 years of the EuroLeague, let’s take a look at which of the 83 teams in total stood out with their performances, their appearances in final phases and trophy wins, that resulted in them being a part of this special ranking by Eurohoops.

Before we present the 28 organizations that managed to enter the ranking (33.7% of all the participants), here is how we ranked the teams and highlighted the best. In fact, you have the chance to view the Top 10 in the form of a countdown (from the one that is in 10th place to the one at the top).

Method of ranking:
– For every trophy win, the team gets 10 points.
– Every finalist in the competition (2nd place) gets 7 points.
– For every 3rd place, the team gets 5 points.
– For every 4th place, the team gets 4 points.
– Every team that reached the quarterfinals gets 2 points.

Notes:
– For the first seasons of the competition in which there was no third place playoff, the teams that reached the semi finals got 5 points each.
– The teams that, in the first season (2000-01), chose to play in FIBA’s SuproLeague, were not included in the ranking. For the record, the champions of that competition were Maccabi Tel Aviv, Panathinaikos were the finalists, Efes and CSKA finished in 3rd and 4th place respectively, while Alba Berlin, Villeurbanne, Split and Scavolini Pesaro rounded off the rest of the top eight.

Spots 28-11:

Pos Team Country Achievements Points
11 Virtus Bologna Italy 1 Trophy, 1 Final 17
12 Anadolu Efes Turkey 8 times in the Final Eight 16
13 Fortitudo Bologna Italy 1 Final, 1 Semi-final, 1 time in the Final Eight 14
14 Partizan Belgrade Serbia 1 time in the 4th place, 2 times in the Final Eight 8
15 Uniaja Malaga Spain 1 time in the 3th place 5
16 Lokomotiv Kuban Russia 1 time in the 3th place 5
17 AEK Greece 1 Semi-final 5
18 Valencia Spain 2 times in the Final Eight 4
19 Galatasaray Turkey 1 time in the Final Eight 2
20 Crvena zvezda Serbia 1 time in the Final Eight 2
21 Unics Kazan Russia 1 time in the Final Eight 2
22 Prokom Poland 1 time in the Final Eight 2
23 Olimpija Ljubljana Slovenia 1 time in the Final Eight 2
24 Darussafaka Turkey 1 time in the Final Eight 2
25 Dynamo Moscow Russia 1 time in the Final Eight 2
26 Bilbao Spain 1 time in the Final Eight 2
27 Scavolini Pesaro Italy 1 time in the Final Eight 2
28 Olympia Milan Italy 1 time in the Final Eight 2

No 10. Benetton Treviso (18 points)

Seasons in the EuroLeague: 7 (2000-2007)
Games: 140
Record (W-D): 90-50 (64.3%)
EuroLeague Trophy: 
EuroLeague Finalists: 1 time (2003)
Third Place: 1 time (2002)
Fourth Place: 
 
Benetton Treviso had a starring role in Italy and Europe in the 90s and 00s, before plummeting to the country’s lower divisions due to financial problems. They played in the first seven seasons of the EuroLeague in the modern era, reaching two Final Fours, while they lost the trophy to Barcelona in 2003.
 
Great players like Garbajosa, Langdon, Nachbar, Marconato, Edney, Bell, Zisis, Siskauskas and Bargnani have passed through the organization and kept it among the best for several seasons. Treviso’s team also has two Saporta Cups in their collection.
 
The best plays from Benetton Treviso’s only and lost final in 2003:

No 9. Siena (23 points)

Seasons in the EuroLeague: 11 (2002-2006, 2007-2014)
Games: 214
Record (W-D): 120-94 (56.1%)
EuroLeague Trophy: 
EuroLeague Finalists: 
Third Place: 3 times (2003, 2008, 2011)
Fourth Place: 1 time (2004)
 
Perhaps the best Italian team that has ever played in the EuroLeague (2000-today), despite the fact they haven’t won the trophy. In the 2003-2012 period (except for the 2006-07 season), they were a force to be reckoned with, with appearances in the Final Four and the Top Eight.
 
Using their very strong home court (even though small in terms of capacity) as their base, they created big problems for the stronger teams of the competition, but financial difficulties forced them to leave both the EuroLeague as well as Italy’s top division.
 
The best plays from Siena’s victorious third place playoff in 2011:

No 8. Fenerbahce (25 points)

Seasons in the EuroLeague: 16 (2001-ongoing)
Games: 337
Record (W-D): 178-159 (52.8%)
EuroLeague Trophy: 1 time (2017)
EuroLeague Finalists: 1 time (2016)
Third Place: 
Fourth Place: 1 time (2015)
 
Since 2001 they’ve been playing in the EuroLeague continuously. Despite this, a long time went by before they could be included among the “great powers,” where they belong right now after three Final Fours in a row and being the active European champions.
 
For many years, the Turkish team was trying to get a leading role with huge budgets, but the addition that changed history was placing Zeljko Obradovic on the edge of the bench. In fact, the moves the management made and the agreement with the behemoth Turkish company, Dogus, show that Fener will remain among the elite for many more years to come.
 
The best plays from Fenerbahce’s championship game in 2017:

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