EuroLeague players from teams that didn't reach the Final Four see two teams as the frontrunners to win this year's title, a BasketNews survey reveals. Only two players believe Panathinaikos will be able to defend their crown.
In a wide-open race for the 2025 EuroLeague crown, many players are backing Olympiacos Piraeus to come out on top in Abu Dhabi.
BasketNews surveyed 14 players from teams that did not qualify for this year's Final Four, asking them to weigh in on who they believe will lift the trophy.
Olympiacos emerged as the slight favorite, with six players – including Justin Anderson, Vladimir Lucic, Isaiah Canaan, Tadas Sedekerskis, Andre Roberson, and Yanni Wetzell – predicting the Greek powerhouse to win it all.
13 of the 14 players surveyed also expect Olympiacos to get past AS Monaco in the semifinal.
The lone dissenting voice? Virtus Bologna forward Tornike Shengelia, who made the boldest prediction of the group by backing Monaco to win the EuroLeague title, with star guard Mike James taking home Final Four MVP honors.
Fenerbahce Istanbul received nearly as much backing as Olympiacos, falling just one vote short with five players – Dan Oturu, Xavier Rathan-Mayes, Maodo Lo, Edgaras Ulanovas, and Rokas Jokubaitis – picking the Turkish side to go all the way.
Meanwhile, there's noticeably less confidence in reigning champions Panathinaikos Athens. Only two players predicted a back-to-back title for the Greens.
One of them, Zach LeDay, not only picked Panathinaikos to win but also named Mathias Lessort, currently listed as a game-time decision for the Final Four, as his choice for MVP.
Carlik Jones was the second to pick PAO.
Four players projected a Greek title game in Abu Dhabi, setting up a potential Panathinaikos vs. Olympiacos showdown.
Last year, Billy Baron and Chima Moneke correctly predicted the final matchup between Panathinaikos and Real Madrid, and they called the Greens to win the title.
Nigel Hayes-Davis has emerged as the favorite to win the Final Four MVP award, with four players predicting the Fenerbahce forward will lead his team to the title.
He received one more vote than Sasha Vezenkov, who is considered the leading candidate for the award if Olympiacos wins the crown.
Evan Fournier was the only other player to receive multiple votes in the MVP predictions.
| Player | Semifinal 1 | Semifinal 2 | Champion | MVP |
| Justin Anderson (Barcelona) | Panathinaikos | Olympiacos | Olympiacos | Williams-Goss |
| Dan Oturu (Efes) | Fenerbahce | Olympiacos | Fenerbahce | Hayes-Davis |
| Xavier Rathan-Mayes (Real) | Fenerbahce | Olympiacos | Fenerbahce | Hayes-Davis |
| Maodo Lo (Paris) | Fenerbahce | Olympiacos | Fenerbahce | Hayes-Davis |
| Vladimir Lucic (Bayern) | Panathinaikos | Olympiacos | Olympiacos | Vezenkov |
| Isaiah Canaan (Red Star) | Fenerbahce | Olympiacos | Olympiacos | Vezenkov |
| Zach LeDay (Milan) | Panathinaikos | Olympiacos | Panathinaikos | Lessort |
| Carlik Jones (Partizan) | Panathinaikos | Olympiacos | Panathinaikos | Nunn |
| Edgaras Ulanovas (Zalgiris) | Fenerbahce | Olympiacos | Fenerbahce | Baldwin |
| Tadas Sedekerskis (Baskonia) | Fenerbahce | Olympiacos | Olympiacos | Fournier |
| Andre Roberson (ASVEL) | Fenerbahce | Olympiacos | Olympiacos | Fournier |
| Rokas Jokubaitis (Maccabi) | Fenerbahce | Olympiacos | Fenerbahce | Hayes-Davis |
| Tornike Shengelia (Virtus) | Fenerbahce | Monaco | Monaco | James |
| Yanni Wetzell (ALBA) | Fenerbahce | Olympiacos | Olympiacos | Vezenkov |
URBONUS Final Four predictions:
