The best lineups of the modern EuroLeague era

By Stelios Toromanidis / info@eurohoops.net

Since the 2000-2001 season, when the management of Europe’s top club competition changed and ended up in the hands of the teams themselves, a group of 11 organizations with a type A license was gradually created. For those that don’t know, this is a deal that ensures these clubs’ annual participation in the EuroLeague. Essentially, they are the backbone of the competition in this new league format, in which 16 teams take part. In fact, two years ago (in the summer of 2016) the “permanents” signed a new 10-year deal.

We are talking, of course, about the Spanish teams Barcelona, Real Madrid and Baskonia; the Greek teams Olympiacos and Panathinaikos; the Turkish Fenerbahce and Efes; the Russian CSKA Moscow; the Israeli Maccabi Tel Aviv; the Lithuanian Zalgiris Kaunas; and the Italian Armani Milan, who were added to the group a bit later (2005).

All these years, there have been hundreds of athletes that have played in every one of these teams, but only a few have left or continue to leave an indelible mark and, as a result, they are a big part of the history of each of these 11 clubs.

Based on trophies, appearances in the Final Four and their general contribution, Eurohoops picked out and presents here the best lineups in the modern history of the EuroLeague (2000-today) for every one of the competition’s 11 “permanent” teams. At the same time, there are important stats relating to the clubs’ course so far in Europe’s top club competition.

GREECE

Olympiacos

Seasons in the modern era of the EuroLeague: 18

Games: 427

Trophies: 2 (2012, 2013)

Appearances in the Final Four: 6 (2009, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2017)

Record (W-L): 261-166 (61.1%)

Best lineup in the modern era of the EuroLeague:

Two Greeks and three Americans make up Olympiacos’s best lineup in the modern era of the EuroLeague. Four of them were the driving force behind their back-to-back title wins, while the fifth helped the Reds return to Europe’s elite.

Acie Law: The American guard who matched Vassilis Spanoulis like no other, the two of them leading Olympiacos to the very top of the competition, twice. A favorite of the Reds’ fans and one of the few players who were acquired midway through the season (2011-2012) and had such an impact on the Piraeus team, with who he played 51 times in the EuroLeague. His tally was 6.7 points, 2 assists and 1.8 rebounds.

Vassilis Spanoulis: The player that changed the modern era of Olympiacos and the team’s leader in their amazing runs in the last eight years with four finals and two EuroLeague titles. He will continue playing in red for the 2018-2019 season, while in 201 games so far in the competition he counts 14.1 points, 5.2 assists and 1.8 rebounds.

Josh Childress: Even though he didn’t win a EuroLeague title with Olympiacos and his signing was characterized by many as too expensive without the corresponding result, Josh Childress helped the Reds get to a Final Four (2009, 2010) after ten years, while his move to Piraeus was heard all the way to the other side of the Atlantic, making the Greek team known in the USA. In 36 games in the competition he had 12.4 points, 4.7 rebounds and 1.5 assists.

Georgios Printezis: The Reds’ second in command and second most important link in the successes of recent years. He becomes better and more mature as he gets older, contributing a great deal to his team. Besides, his stats speak for themselves, with the Greek power forward counting 228 games with 10.4 points, 4.3 rebounds and 1 assist on average.

Kyle Hines: Just two seasons in Olympiacos, but they pretty good seasons! Back-to-back EuroLeague titles, bonding with teammates and fans, and the explosion of his monetary value in European basketball. And not without reason, as he was one of Olympiacos’s best players, while he is the best center in the team’s modern history based on what he did and what he achieved in the years he played for them. In 53 games he had 9.6 points, 5.4 rebounds and 1.1 assists on average.

Panathinaikos

Seasons in the modern era of the EuroLeague: 17

Games: 417

Trophies: 4 (2002, 2007, 2009, 2011)

Appearances in the Final Four: 6 (2002, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2012)

Record (W-L): 263-154 (63.1%)

Best lineup in the modern era of the EuroLeague:

There has been a multitude of super stars of European basketball who have played for the most successful team based on titles – 4 – in the modern era of the EuroLeague (2000-today), and it was certainly tough coming up with the best lineup.

Dimitris Diamantidis: His nickname is 3D and he was truly three-dimensional on the court, doing almost everything for his team. Zeljko Obradovic’s No.1 asset in Panathinaikos’s Golden Age in the competition has been named a EuroLeague Legend. He counted 278 games with the Greens and averaged 9 points, 4.5 assists and 3.5 rebounds.

Dejan Bodiroga: He won two European titles with the Greens, one of those in the modern era of the EuroLeague. A maestro on the court, high basketball IQ and a multiple-carat game were only a few of his assets. He was one of the best players of his generation, while with Panathinaikos he played in 22 games in the competition and scored 16.1 points, with 2 assists and 4.5 rebounds on average.

Drew Nicholas: For three years (2008-2011) he was the “Green killer” from the backcourt and also one of the best in Panathinaikos’s two EuroLeague-winning runs (2009, 2011). A favorite of the fans, he counted 58 games in which he averaged 9.4 points, 1.4 rebounds and 1.7 assists.

Antonis Fotsis: Kostas Tsartsaris could easily have been in his place, but in the end Antonis Fotsis was the one who was selected by Panathinaikos’s fans as the member of the best lineup in the club’s modern history. Overall, he played in four different periods with the Greens, with 164 games in the modern era of the EuroLeague. In those games he averaged 7.9 points, 5.5 rebounds and 0.8 assists.

Mike Batiste: No one else could have been occupied this place. He came to Panathinaikos as a forward, he was turned into a center by Zeljko Obradovic and made history with the Greens. One of the most successful Americans in the history of the EuroLeague. He counted 204 games with the Greens, averaging 10.8 points, 4.7 rebounds and 0.6 assists.

TURKEY

Fenerbahce

Seasons in the modern era of the EuroLeague: 17

Games: 373

Trophies: 1 (2017)

Appearances in the Final Four: 4 (2015, 2016, 2017, 2018)

Record (W-L): 203-170 (54.4%)

Best lineup in the modern era of the EuroLeague:

All of Fenerbahce’s achievements are essentially encapsulated in the last four years under the instructions of Zeljko Obradovic. Before that, most seasons did not have a positive sign in front of their Win-Loss record and didn’t yield any important titles. This is why all of our picks are from the 2014-2018 period.

Bobby Dixon: AKA, Ali Muhammed, as he changed his name after getting the Turkish citizenship. The small guard has contributed a lot to Fenerbahce and he was an integral part in their big runs to the Final Four and their title.

Bogdan Bogdanovic: The career of the current player for the Sacramento Kings took off in Fenerbahce and he reached the top of Europe in 2017 as the Turks’ leader. His talent is boundless and the EuroLeague could not hold on to him.

Nemanja Bjelica: Another current NBAer (Sacramento Kings) whose last stop in Europe was the Turkish team. He didn’t win a EuroLeague trophy, but he was Fenerbahce’s leader on the road to the first Final Four in their history.

Jan Vesely: A monster in the paint, a deterrent for rival offenses and a strong finisher of plays close to the basket, Jan Vesely deservedly earned a place among Fenerbahce’s best players.

Ekpe Udoh: He came to the EuroLeague for two seasons, won the title in 2017 as the best center in the competition and MVP of the Final Four, and then he went back to the NBA. In fact, he was also the best blocker in the competition in both seasons he played for the Turkish team.

Efes

Seasons in the modern era of the EuroLeague: 17

Games: 373

Trophies: –

Appearances in the Final Four: –

Record (W-L): 183-190 (49.1%)

Best lineup in the modern era of the EuroLeague:

One of the two teams on this list without an appearance in a Final Four in the modern era of the EuroLeague, even though on some occasions they got very close to qualifying. The last two of those (2013, 2017) they lost the precious ticket to Olympiacos in 3-2 in the quarterfinals. Despite that, many great players have passed through the ranks of the team, players who left their imprint on the Turkish team.

Thomas Heurtel: He’s currently a player of Barcelona, but in the three years between 2014-2017 he played in Efes, had great seasons in terms of execution and creation, while he almost led Efes to the Final Four of 2017.

Marcus Brown: One of the best “bombers” in the modern era of the EuroLeague and sixth best scorer with 2.739 points. He played in Efes for two seasons (2001-2003) and almost gave them qualifications for the competition’s big appointments.

Antonio Granger: He spent four of the six seasons he played in the EuroLeague with the Turkish team. A very good three-point shooter, though he and his teammates were not able to lead Efes to a big appointment.

Kerem Gonlum: A benchmark for the Turkish team and one of their best players for nine years (2005-2014). He was always a danger for rival teams with his dynamic game and his imposing figure under the basket.

Nikola Prkacin: The veteran center was one of the most notable big men of his time, with stints in big clubs like Panathinaikos, Cibona and Efes. He stayed with the Turks for four seasons and managed to make his mark with his dominating style under both baskets.

SPAIN

Barcelona

Seasons in the modern era of the EuroLeague: 18

Games: 428

Trophies: 2 (2003, 2010)

Appearances in the Final Four: 7 (2003, 2006, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2014)

Record (W-L): 285-143 (66.6%)

Best lineup in the modern era of the EuroLeague:

Two EuroLeague titles stand out among Barcelona’s achievements in the team’s modern history. Together with Olympiacos, they are the teams with the most appearances in the competition, particularly in the quarterfinal stages. A point of reference in the competition, they’re trying to regain their footing and get back on the path of trophies.

Ricky Rubio: The boy wonder of Spanish basketball who started out very young with Badalona managed to stand out in Barcelona thanks to his matchless talent, especially in creation. Together with the Blaugrana he reached the very top of Europe (2010) before moving to the NBA, where he excels to this day.

Juan Carlos Navarro: No matter what anyone says about “La Bomba,” it’s not enough. Essentially, he’s a byword for Barcelona, where he stayed throughout his career, not counting his one-year stint in the NBA. Two trophies, Final Four runs and personal distinctions make up the remarkable puzzle of his achievements.

Dejan Bodiroga: The only one out of the 54 players on our list who has been included in the best lineups of two teams. After his stint in Panathinaikos, Dejan Bodiroga won the EuroLeague trophy with the Catalans as well, emerging as the MVP of the Final Four for the second consecutive season.

Pete Mickeal: One of the best forwards of his time, with a big impact on the teams he played for. He excelled in Catalonia under the instructions of Xavi Pascual, for whom he was one of the most important pieces of his puzzle of successes.

Gregor Fucka: Together with Juan Carlos Navarro and Dejan Bodiroga, they were the driving forces behind the first EuroLeague title in the history of the Catalan team. A versatile forward with a big wingspan that could cover the rim.

Real Madrid

Seasons in the modern era of the EuroLeague: 16

Games: 380

Trophies: 2 (2015, 2018)

Appearances in the Final Four: 6 (2011, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018)

Record (W-L): 245-135 (64.5%)

Best lineup in the modern era of the EuroLeague:

After a long period of inconsistency on big appointments, Real Madrid returned to the elite in 2011 and since then have been protagonists with amazing runs. They have two trophies, while they are the current European champions. Pablo Laso has managed to give the Madrilenos the identity of a winner.

Sergio Llull: A soldier for Real Madrid and their leader in the last few years. A tireless guard, amazing in execution and creation, good in defense and a player for crucial moments. He turned down the NBA on multiple occasions in order to stay with the Whites.

Sergio Rodriguez: Sergio Llull’s alter ego and Real Madrid’s brain until 2016, when he decided to go to the NBA before returning to Europe for CSKA Moscow. His offensive skills helped the Madrilenos reach successes.

Luka Doncic: The kind of player who only comes around once every 50 years in Europe. Now, he spread his wings to the NBA, but before doing that he managed to win everything with the Whites. The best player of the 2017-2018 season in the EuroLeague, the MVP of the Final Four and a leading figure for Real Madrid.

Rudy Fernandez: The Madrilenos’ graceful forward with the poisonous shot is a benchmark in the Whites’ successes. Even though he has lost his quickness following his back injury, his mature game still helps Pablo Laso’s team.

Felipe Reyes: Real Madrid’s captain and resident of the Spanish capital since 2004 could not be missing from the company of the best. The top rebounder in the modern era of the EuroLeague and mostly a master of offensive rebounds, for years he has been a safeguard underneath the basket for the Madrilenos and a pain in the neck for rivals.

Baskonia

Seasons in the modern era of the EuroLeague: 18

Games: 423

Trophies: –

Appearances in the Final Four: 5 (2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2014)

Record (W-L): 246-177 (58.2%)

Best lineup in the modern era of the EuroLeague:

The best team without a title in the modern era of the EuroLeague. Four consecutive Final Fours (2005, 2006, 2007, 2008) and with a multitude of players that left for the NBA, the Spanish team makes for one of the competition’s best “chapters”.

Pablo Prigioni: The Argentinian “computer” was Baskonia’s brain for years. A leading figure with an flair for assists, he was one of the protagonists during the Basques’ golden age.

Arvydas Macijauskas: An incredible sharpshooter and a big “executioner” of rival defenses, he was undoubtedly important in Baskonia’s first Final Four run. There, he starred in the win over hosts CSKA Moscow in the semifinal (23 points), and departed for the NBA after the end of the season.

Andres Nocioni: Five years in Baskonia, split over two periods for Andres Nocioni, who is one the Basques’ favorite players. Even though he didn’t reach a Final Four with Vitoria’s team as he left for the NBA, he was there for the creation of a squad that brought successes in the years that followed.

Luis Scola: Another player who excelled in Baskonia and left for the NBA. One of the best power forwards of the modern era of the EuroLeague, he managed to distinguish himself and to be considered one of the Basques’ best players.

Tiago Splitter: A Brazilian among the Argentinians who stood out with his performances for the Basques. Ioannis Bourousis could have been in his place, as he played a leading role in their 2014 Final Four run, but Tiago Splitter was selected instead because he played in Baskonia for more years.

ISRAEL

Maccabi Tel Aviv

Seasons in the modern era of the EuroLeague: 17

Games: 393

Trophies: 3 (2004, 2005, 2014)

Appearances in the Final Four: 7 (2002, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2011, 2014)

Record (W-L): 237-156 (60.3%)

Best lineup in the modern era of the EuroLeague:

Maccabi Tel Aviv have three EuroLeague titles in the modern era of Europe’s top club competition but also plenty of protagonists. Amazing Americans, an excellent Lithuanian and a big man playmaker from Croatia make up the ideal lineup for the team from Tel Aviv.

Sarunas Jasikevicius: He could have easily been in the best lineups of Panathinaikos and Barcelona, but he was chosen in the Israelis’ because of the back-to-back titles. He’s the only player who has four trophies in the modern era of the EuroLeague, and three of those were consecutive (2003, 2004, 2005). Together with Nikola Vujcic and Anthony Parker, they led a remarkable team.

Tyrese Rice: The representative of the 2014 trophy. He was the MVP of the Final Four and a player who tipped the balance by raising his performance levels during that season. Who can forget his amazing shot in the semifinal against CSKA Moscow and his performance in the final against Real Madrid (26 points)?

Anthony Parker: One of the Americans who starred in the EuroLeague and, in fact, for a number of years. A killer instinct and an NBA-level scorer, he was one of the top players of what was perhaps the best Maccabi team of all time.

Maceo Baston: The starting power forward in Maccabi’s “dynasty” and a great support for the trio above. He played in 70 games in the EuroLeague with the Israelis, averaging 13.3 points, 6.5 rebounds and 0.7 assists.

Nikola Vujcic: He “reigned” during an era in which basketball was more cerebral and played at a slower pace. A true playmaker of the low post. He could execute and pass with equal ease, while he’s the only player so far who has achieved a triple double in the modern era of the EuroLeague and, in fact, he did so twice. He played in 122 games with Maccabi Tel Aviv in the EuroLeague and averaged 14.2 points, 6.2 rebounds and 3.1 assists.

RUSSIA

CSKA Moscow

Seasons in the modern era of the EuroLeague: 17

Games: 428

Trophies: 3 (2006, 2008, 2016)

Appearances in the Final Four: 15 (2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018)

Record (W-L): 331-97 (77.3%)

Best lineup in the modern era of the EuroLeague:

The “Russian bear” has been roaring incessantly in the modern era of the EuroLeague, as they’ve only missed two Final Fours and have three trophies! The superstars that have paraded through Moscow are many, but some of them stood out more.

Theodoros Papaloukas: CSKA Moscow’s “czar” is not Russian but Greek. Dusan Ivkovic was the one who brought him to Russia, with Papaloukas becoming an integral member of an empire in its prime. He was the MVP of the 2006-2007 season and the Final Four in 2006. He’s loved by the Muscovites like few others, and Russia is where he ended his career.

JR Holden: One could call him a Muscovite since he spent nine years in CSKA. And, besides, he did play in the Russian national team. A formidable scorer and creator, he fit in perfectly with the Russians and is one of the most important players who have passed through CSKA Moscow.

Milos Teodosic: An artiste on the court and the Army Team’s captain from 2011 to 2017, when he left for the NBA. Many considered him a loser when it came to Final Fours, something that changed with the 2016 EuroLeague. Of course, he’s considered one of the best creators in the modern era of the competition, but he’s not too bad in execution either.

Victor Khryapa: A “totem” for CSKA Moscow when we consider the time he spent with the Russians. The trademark of his career is the follow that sent the 2016 final into overtime. There, CSKA defeated Fenerbahce and returned to the top of Europe after eight years.

Matjaz Smodis: The Slovenian giant is considered among the best players in the modern era of the EuroLeague. A forward that can threaten inside and outside the paint, and one of the Muscovite fans’ favorite players.

LITHUANIA

Zalgiris Kaunas

Seasons in the modern era of the EuroLeague: 18

Games: 354

Trophies: –

Appearances in the Final Four: 1 (2018)

Record (W-L): 144-210 (40.7%)

Best lineup in the modern era of the EuroLeague:

Zalgiris Kaunas managed to reach their first ever Final Four in the modern era of the EuroLeague in the 2017-2018 season. Most of their seasons are mediocre, but there are some exceptions that are the product of the coexistence of certain top-shelf players.

Ed Cota: A very good American point guard with a great contribution in the 2003-2004 season, when Zalgiris Kaunas almost made the Final Four but were knocked out by subsequent champions, Maccabi Tel Aviv.

Kevin Pangos: If nothing else, the small Canadian was the leader of Zalgiris Kaunas on the way to the Final Four in the 2017-2018 season. Of course, he’s a very good player both in terms of execution as well creation and also undoubtedly the No.1 key player for coach Saras Jasikevicius.

Paulius Jankunas: The experienced power forward is the flagship of the Lithuanians on the court and one of the most important players in the modern era of the EuroLeague. He’s the second best rebounder in the competition with 1681 rebounds. Of course, his contribution in Zalgiris Kaunas’s Final Four run was great.

Tanoka Beard: The player with the highest ranking in a single game as he collected 63 units. He also helped the Lithuanians in their very good run in the 2003-2004 season, stayed in Zalgiris Kaunas for six consecutive seasons and contributed more than most to the Lithuanian team in the modern era of the EuroLeague.

Arvydas Sabonis: The Lithuanian basketball legend made a guest appearance in the modern era of the EuroLeague, when he played in Zalgiris Kaunas in the 2003-2004 season and was able to become a protagonist. It wasn’t exceptionally difficult for the center who had many years of experience in the NBA, as we’re talking about one of the best big men of all time who almost led the Lithuanian team to the Final Four.