[Chris Singleton](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/chris-singleton/006614/) saved some of his most decisive basketball for the most important occasion of the 2021-22 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season. After spending much of the campaign with a less prominent role for Anadolu Efes Istanbul than in the past, the veteran forward was vital in his team's championship game triumph. 

The 29 minutes 20 seconds that Singleton spent on the court against Real Madrid on the last day of the Final Four in Belgrade were the most he had played all season and fourth-highest of all players in the title game. Although he scored just 4 points, Singleton used his time to great effect, grabbing 7 rebounds and 2 steals to epitomize his team's gritty defensive effort in battling for a 58-57 victory worth the EuroLeague's first back-to-back title in almost a decade. Crucially, one of Singleton's 3 offensive rebounds led to Tibor Pleiss scoring the decisive final basket with 1:05 to play.

Chris Singleton | Season Highlights | 2021-22 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague

Earlier in the season, though often a more peripheral presence, Singleton still stepped up when required to average 3.9 points and 2.7 rebounds over the course of 36 games. And as a statistical side-note, the 2021-22 campaign saw Singleton finally end his all-time record of consecutive appearances in the competition. His absence from a Round 13 meeting with Barcelona ended the run at 214 games, a streak that had started nearly seven years earlier when he debuted in the EuroLeague with Lokomotiv Kuban Krasnodar.

Spalding Dunk of the Night: Singleton dunks off a steal!

The season also saw Singleton pass the milestone of 1,000 rebounds in the competition. He has now grabbed 1,063 boards at an average of 4.5 per game in his total of 238 appearances, and ranks 22nd on the all-time EuroLeague rebounding list with a very realistic chance of breaking into the top 20 next season.

Tribute to the Champs: Chris Singleton

Chris Singleton - Anadolu Efes Istanbul - Final Four Belgrade 2022 - E21-FFF

Chris Singleton - Anadolu Efes Istanbul photo shoot - Final Four Belgrade 2022 (photo Efes) - EB21

All week long, Euroleague Basketball Legends and Final Four Ambassadors were out and about at all the activities in Belgrade to make the event even more special for both fans and One Team participants.

Top photos 2022 Final Four - Euroleague Basketball Legends and Final Four Ambassadors

David Rivers - One Team Session at FanZone - Final Four Belgrade 2022

Patrick Femerling - One Team Session at FanZone - Final Four Belgrade 2022

Dusko Savanovic - One Team Session at FanZone - Final Four Belgrade 2022

Ibrahim Kutluay - One Team Session at FanZone - Final Four Belgrade 2022

One Team Session at FanZone - Final Four Belgrade 2022

Joe Arlauckas, One Team session volunteers - Final Four Belgrade 2022

Dusko Savanovic, One Team session volunteers - Final Four Belgrade 2022

One Team session volunteers - Final Four Belgrade 2022

Ibrahim Kutluay - Platinum and Ambassadors Game - Final Four Belgrade 2022

Platinum and Ambassadors Game - Final Four Belgrade 2022

Dusko Savanovic with Kostas Sloukas - Magic Moment - Final Four Belgrade 2022

Patrick Femerling with Rokas Jokubaitis - Rising Star 2021-22 - Final Four Belgrade 2022

Igor Rakocevic with Vasilije Micic - Best Scorer 2021-22 - Final Four Belgrade 2022

Felipe Reyes with Walter Tavares - First EuroLeague Team - Final Four Belgrade 2022 

Zeljko Obradovic with Nikola Mirotic 2021-22 EuroLeague MVP - Final Four Belgrade 2022

2022 Final Four photos: Euroleague Basketball Legends and Final Four Ambassadors

Amid their title celebrations, Anadolu Efes Istanbul players and coaches took time out to pose with the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Trophy in the annual championship trophy photo shoot. Check it out!

Top photos 2022 Final Four - Efes trophy photo shoot!

Shane Larkin, Ergin Ataman and Vasilije Micic - Anadolu Efes Istanbul photo shoot - Final Four Belgrade 2022

Rodrigue Beaubois and Adrien Moerman - Anadolu Efes Istanbul photo shoot - Final Four Belgrade 2022

Tibor Pleiss - Anadolu Efes Istanbul photo shoot - Final Four Belgrade 2022

Shane Larkin and Vasilije Micic - Anadolu Efes Istanbul photo shoot - Final Four Belgrade 2022

Elijah Bryant - Anadolu Efes Istanbul photo shoot - Final Four Belgrade 2022

Vasilije Micic - Anadolu Efes Istanbul photo shoot - Final Four Belgrade 2022

Erten Gazi - Anadolu Efes Istanbul photo shoot - Final Four Belgrade 2022

Bryant Dunston - Anadolu Efes Istanbul photo shoot - Final Four Belgrade 2022

Rodrigue Beaubois - Anadolu Efes Istanbul photo shoot - Final Four Belgrade 2022

Chris Singleton - Anadolu Efes Istanbul photo shoot - Final Four Belgrade 2022 (photo Efes)

Shane Larkin - Anadolu Efes Istanbul photo shoot - Final Four Belgrade 2022

Dogus Balbay - Anadolu Efes Istanbul photo shoot - Final Four Belgrade 2022

James Anderson - Anadolu Efes Istanbul photo shoot - Final Four Belgrade 2022

Filip Petrusev - Anadolu Efes Istanbul photo shoot - Final Four Belgrade 2022

Adrien Moerman - Anadolu Efes Istanbul photo shoot - Final Four Belgrade 2022

Bugrahan Tuncer - Anadolu Efes Istanbul photo shoot - Final Four Belgrade 2022

Krunoslav Simon - Anadolu Efes Istanbul photo shoot - Final Four Belgrade 2022 (photo Efes) 

2022 Final Four: Efes trophy photo shoot!

Rodrigue Beaubois and Adrien Moerman - Anadolu Efes Istanbul photo shoot - Final Four Belgrade 2022 - EB21

Shane Larkin, Ergin Ataman and Vasilije Micic - Anadolu Efes Istanbul photo shoot - Final Four Belgrade 2022 - EB21

Tibor Pleiss - Anadolu Efes Istanbul photo shoot - Final Four Belgrade 2022 - EB21

Shane Larkin and Vasilije Micic - Anadolu Efes Istanbul photo shoot - Final Four Belgrade 2022 - EB21

Vasilije Micic - Anadolu Efes Istanbul photo shoot - Final Four Belgrade 2022 - EB21

Erten Gazi - Anadolu Efes Istanbul photo shoot - Final Four Belgrade 2022 - EB21

Bryant Dunston - Anadolu Efes Istanbul photo shoot - Final Four Belgrade 2022 - EB21

Rodrigue Beaubois - Anadolu Efes Istanbul photo shoot - Final Four Belgrade 2022 - EB21

Shane Larkin - Anadolu Efes Istanbul photo shoot - Final Four Belgrade 2022 - EB21

Dogus Balbay - Anadolu Efes Istanbul photo shoot - Final Four Belgrade 2022 - EB21

James Anderson - Anadolu Efes Istanbul photo shoot - Final Four Belgrade 2022 - EB21

Filip Petrusev - Anadolu Efes Istanbul photo shoot - Final Four Belgrade 2022 - EB21

Adrien Moerman - Anadolu Efes Istanbul photo shoot - Final Four Belgrade 2022 - EB21

Bugrahan Tuncer - Anadolu Efes Istanbul photo shoot - Final Four Belgrade 2022 - EB21

Elijah Bryant - Anadolu Efes Istanbul photo shoot - Final Four Belgrade 2022 - EB21

Krunoslav Simon - Anadolu Efes Istanbul photo shoot - Final Four Belgrade 2022 (photo Efes) - EB21

Tibor Pleiss played some of his best basketball in the biggest games to help Anadolu Efes Istanbul return to the Final Four and repeat as the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague champions.

Tribute to the Champs: Tibor Pleiss

[Tibor Pleiss](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/tibor-pleiss/lhk/) played some of his best basketball in the biggest games to help Anadolu Efes Istanbul return to the Final Four and repeat as the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague champions.

Let’s work backwards. With all eyes on Efes’s backcourt stars, Pleiss dominated the paint in the EuroLeague Championship Game to the tune of 19 points, 7 rebounds and 2 blocks. He was at his best with the game on the line, posting 10 points, 4 rebounds and 1 steal in the fourth quarter alone against Real Madrid. Pleiss paired 8 points with 7 boards in the semifinal victory over Olympiacos Piraeus and between the two games, missed just 4 shots!

Tibor Pleiss is a versatile big man who can dunk the ball and use his soft touch for scoring from downtown! Take a look at his 2021-22 season highlights!

Tibor Pleiss | Season Highlights | 2021-22 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague

Those performances were a direct continuation of Pleiss’s fantastic outings in Games 3 and 4 of the playoffs against AX Armani Exchange Milan. After going for 17 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 steals in Game 3, he followed that with 25 points on 3-for-3 three-point shooting, 6 boards, 2 steals and 2 blocks in the series clincher. 

For the season, Pleiss was a missed free throw away from becoming the tallest ever member of the 50-40-90 club. He made 59.8% of his free throws, 44.2% of his threes and 89.1% of his foul shots. Though his minutes and role fluctuated at times in the regular season, he finished the season with averages of 9.6 points and 4.3 rebounds in 18:03 minutes over 40 games. 

This was the 11th EuroLeague campaign for Pleiss, who ranked ninth in the league in PIR per minute (24.9 prorated over 40 minutes). His timely production was vital for the team’s success and a big reason that he – and Efes – finished the season as back-to-back EuroLeague champions.

Tibor Pleiss - Anadolu Efes Istanbul - Final Four Belgrade 2022 - E21-FFF

Tibor Pleiss - Anadolu Efes Istanbul - EB21-RS32

Even though injuries limited Dogus Balbay’s on-court contributions for Anadolu Efes Istanbul this season, the club captain nevertheless impacted things behind the scenes on the way to a successful title defense. 

Tribute to the Champs: Dogus Balbay

Even though injuries limited [Dogus Balbay](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/dogus-balbay/003521/)’s on-court contributions for Anadolu Efes Istanbul this season, the club captain nevertheless impacted things behind the scenes on the way to a successful title defense. 

Balbay was not able to play a direct role in Efes’s title triumph at the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Final Four in Belgrade due to injury, but the club’s veteran captain still featured prominently behind the scenes. His vast experience and team-first ethic helped ensure the right mood was maintained in the locker room on the path to glory.

As the captain of the reigning Turkish Airlines EuroLeague champions, point guard Dogus Balbay of Anadolu Efes Istanbul takes to heart the role of building a bridge between the coaches and the players.

Focus on: Dogus Balbay, Anadolu Efes Istanbul

Having joined the team in 2011, Balbay is by far the longest-serving member of the Efes roster and has made more than 200 EuroLeague appearances for the team. A knee injury meant that he could only add seven games to that tally this season, with most of those coming in the opening weeks of the campaign. Balbay was able to play a part in Efes’s important turnaround in form following a disastrous start to the season, spending limited time on the court in victories over ALBA Berlin and Olympiacos Piraeus in Rounds 9 and 10. But he was then sidelined and made only one more appearance, getting nearly 5 minutes on the floor in a Round 29 loss at AS Monaco.

In the end, he totaled just 22 minutes of playing time all season, scoring 1 free throw, grabbing 5 rebounds and dishing 2 assists. But it is a testament to his professionalism and character that despite that minimal on-court contribution, Balbay never let his injury woes get in the way of his role as captain, always providing a positive presence on the sideline and in the locker room. And from a player whose combination of basketball IQ, selflessness and hard work screams ‘future coach’ like few others, you can be sure that Efes boss Ergin Ataman greatly appreciated the support of Balbay over the course of the campaign. Even at the season’s climax, Balbay showed his team-first spirit by calling on long-time teammate Bryant Dunston to do the honors of raising the EuroLeague Trophy. 

Dogus Balbay - Anadolu Efes Istanbul champ Final Four Belgrade 2022 - EB21-FFF

Dogus Balbay - Anadolu Efes Istanbul - EB21

Bryant Dunston continued to deliver in his seventh season with Anadolu Efes Istanbul, which finished with the iconic center lifting the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague trophy. 

Tribute to the Champs: Bryant Dunston 

[Bryant Dunston](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/bryant-dunston/003048/) continued to deliver in his seventh season with Anadolu Efes Istanbul, which finished with the iconic center lifting the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague trophy. 

Dunston remained a defensive wall throughout the season, climbing to first place on the all-time blocks list, which he still leads with 309 rejections. At age 35, Dunston showed he could still improve, adding the occasional three-point shot to his game; he made a career-high 4 this season, including one in the semifinal against Olympiacos Piraeus. He was effective in the paint, too; Dunston ranked second overall in two-point shooting percentage (72.0%), making 95 of 132 shots inside the arc.

Bryant Dunston | Season Blocks | 2021-22 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague

Dunston averaged 7.5 points on 73.3% two-point shooting and 3.4 rebounds in regular-season action. Among his outstanding performances were 14 points, 4 rebounds, 4 steals and 6 fouls drawn in an 82-81 win against Panathinaikos OPAP Athens in Round 22. Dunston posted 11 points, 6 rebounds and 3 steals in a Round 30 road victory at Zalgiris Kaunas. He had a double-digit PIR in 16 of his team's last 18 regular-season games despite averaging less than 18 minutes. In the playoffs, Dunston averaged 4.8 points, 3.3 rebounds and 1.3 blocks against AX Armani Exchange Milan. 

Bryant Dunston Top Plays of the 2021-22 Regular Season, 2021-22 Playoffs and 1 other Season Part

Bryant Dunston Highlights

At the Final Four, Dunston played one of his best games against his former team, Olympiacos Piraeus. He came off the bench to give Efes 12 points - only missing 1 free throw attempt, plus 2 assists, 1 steal and 1 block for a PIR of 13 in over 20 minutes. He only played 7 minutes in the championship game against Real Madrid in which Dunston contributed 2 points, 1 rebound and 1 block. After the final buzzer sounded, Dunston was the happiest man on the court when team captain Dogus Balbay gave him a rare privilege, allowing Dunston to raise the trophy in front of his teammates. Dunston is now a back-to-back EuroLeague champion!

In his seventh season in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague and his fourth with Anadolu Efes Istanbul, James Anderson was again a fundamental part of his team’s triumphant campaign.

Tribute to the champs: James Anderson

In his seventh season in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague and his fourth with Anadolu Efes Istanbul, [James Anderson](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/james-anderson/005938/) was again a fundamental part of his team’s triumphant campaign.

The 33-year-old forward, who has now amassed 223 appearances in the competition, played in 28 games with an average of 13 minutes per contest during the season, once more showing himself to be a highly versatile performer who is also sufficiently selfless to quietly do the dirty work while allowing his teammates to take center stage.

James Anderson Top Plays from 09/01/2021 to 05/30/2022

A tribute to the champs James Anderson s best plays of the season_5847429.mp4

Anderson’s numbers were not spectacular – he averaged 3.1 points, 2.8 rebounds and 0.5 assists for a PIR of 4.5 per night. But stats don’t always tell the full story, and that’s certainly the case in this Efes team which needs players like Anderson to diligently perform their background roles and provide disciplined defense in order for backcourt stars Shane Larkin and Vasilije Micic to do their game-winning thing.

But Anderson did have his moments in the spotlight, too. In a Round 27 pummelling of Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv, he enjoyed a perfect shooting night, scoring 11 points including 3-of-3 shooting on three-pointers. And a key Round 31 home win over Real Madrid – foreshadowing the championship game – saw Anderson make a strong contribution with 5 points and 5 rebounds in 19 minutes on the floor. 

The Final Four was a different story as Anderson contributed in his usual team-first way, attempting only one shot during 20 minutes on the court during the two games. But his basketball IQ and rock-solid defense were important ingredients of Efes’s triumph, again showing that successful teams need lots of different qualities. And James Anderson provides many of them.

Tribute to the Champs: James Anderson

James Anderson - Anadolu Efes Istanbul - Final Four Belgrade 2022 - E21-FFF

James Anderson - Anadolu Efes Istanbul- Final Four Belgrade 2022 - EB21

James Anderson - Anadolu Efes Istanbul - EB21-RS27

James Anderson - Anadolu Efes Istanbul - Final Four Belgrade 2022 - E21-FFS

James Anderson - Anadolu Efes Istanbul - EB21-RS30

Check out the best photos of the final Four in Belgrade!

Top photos 2022 Final Four - The top 20 photos! 

Shane Larkin - Anadolu Efes Istanbul - Final Four Belgrade 2022

Moustapha Fall - Olympiacos Piraeus - Final Four Belgrade 2022

Vasilije Micic - Anadolu Efes Istanbul - Final Four Belgrade 2022

Kostas Sloukas - Olympiacos Piraeus - Final Four Belgrade 2022

Guerschon Yabusele - Real Madrid - Final Four Belgrade 2022

Brandon Davies - FC Barcelona - Final Four Belgrade 2022

Adam Hanga - Real Madrid - Final Four Belgrade 2022

Nikola Mirotic - FC Barcelona - Final Four Belgrade 2022

Rokas Jokubaitis - FC Barcelona - Final Four Belgrade 2022

Tyler Dorsey - Olympiacos Piraeus - Final Four Belgrade 2022

Chris Singleton - Anadolu Efes Istanbul - Final Four Belgrade 2022

Rudy Fernandez - Real Madrid - Final Four Belgrade 2022

Tibor Pleiss - Anadolu Efes Istanbul - Final Four Belgrade 2022

Vincent Poirier - Real Madrid - Final Four Belgrade 2022

Shane Larkin - Anadolu Efes Istanbul - Final Four Belgrade 2022 - E21-FFS

Moustapha Fall - Olympiacos Piraeus - Final Four Belgrade 2022 - E21-FFS

Vasilije Micic 10- Anadolu Efes Istanbul - Final Four Belgrade 2022 - E21-FFS

Kostas Sloukas - Olympiacos Piraeus - Final Four Belgrade 2022 - E21-FFS

Guerschon Yabusele - Real Madrid - Final Four Belgrade 2022 - EB21-FFS

Brandon Davies - FC Barcelona - Final Four Belgrade 2022 - EB21-FFS

Adam Hanga - Real Madrid - Final Four Belgrade 2022 - EB21-FFS

Nikola Mirotic 6- FC Barcelona - Final Four Belgrade 2022 - EB21-FFS

Shaquielle McKissic - Olympiacos Piraeus - Final Four Belgrade 2022 - EB21-3rd

Rokas Jokubaitis - FC Barcelona - Final Four Belgrade 2022 - EB21-3rd

Tyler Dorsey - Olympiacos Piraeus - Final Four Belgrade 2022 - EB21-3rd

Chris Singleton 6- Anadolu Efes Istanbul - Final Four Belgrade 2022 - E21-FFF

Rudy Fernandez - Real Madrid - Final Four Belgrade 2022 - E21-FFF

Vincent Poirier - Real Madrid - Final Four Belgrade 2022 - E21-FFF

Shane Larkin - Anadolu Efes Istanbul - Final Four Belgrade 2022 - E21-FFF

Vasilije Micic - Anadolu Efes Istanbul - Final Four Belgrade 2022 - E21-FFF

Guerschon Yabusele - Real Madrid - Final Four Belgrade 2022 - E21-FFF

Shane Larkin produced another special season for Anadolu Efes Istanbul in which he was chosen to the All-EuroLeague First Team for the first time and helped his team defend the title. 

Tribute to the Champs: Shane Larkin 

[Shane Larkin](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/shane-larkin/007200/) produced another special season for Anadolu Efes Istanbul in which he was chosen to the All-EuroLeague First Team for the first time and helped his team defend the title. 

Larkin averaged 14.6 points and 5.3 assists in regular-season action. He scored 25 points or more four times and Efes won all four of those games - on the road against Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul, Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv and CSKA Moscow and at home against ALBA Berlin. Larkin had a season-high 28 points to go with 5 rebounds, 8 assists, 4 steals and a PIR of 36 in Round 33 against ALBA. In short, when Larkin was at his best, Efes was even tougher to beat and with that in mind, Larkin stepped up at the crucial moments of the season.

Two-time EuroLeague champion Shane Larkin has a complete offensive package. Take a look at his best plays of the 2021-22 campaign.

Shane Larkin | Season Highlights | 2021-22 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague

He ranked second in the playoffs in average PIR with 18.8. He was also third in assists (4.8 apg.) and steals (1.3 spg.) during the playoffs while ranking eighth in scoring with 14.8 points and third with 2.5 triples per game. In the playoffs opener against Milan, Larkin came through with 16 points, 5 assists and 2 steals for a PIR of 15 in a 48-64 road win. In Game 3, he scored 14 of his 16 points in the second half, including 8 points in the last 4 minutes to lift Efes to a 77-65 victory. In Game 4's series-clinching 75-70 win, Larkin tallied 8 points, 7 assists, 5 rebounds and 2 steals for a PIR of 17. 

 

Larkin continued to shine at the Final Four, too. In the semifinals against Olympiacos Piraeus, Larkin led all scorers with 21 points and added 7 assists with just 1 turnover. He did a little bit of everything in the championship game against Real Madrid, finishing the most important game of the season with 10 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists, a steal and 4 fouls drawn. He took the last shot of the game, deep into the shot clock, denying Real the chance to even rebound the ball in the final seconds. It was a key play that allowed Larkin to finish a fabulous season with another EuroLeague title!

Shane Larkin - Anadolu Efes Istanbul champ Final Four Belgrade 2022 - EB21-FFF

Shane Larkin, April MVP - Anadolu Efes Istanbul practices - Final Four Belgrade 2022 - EB21