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Head-to-head: Hunter, Bayern vs. Booker, Fenerbahce

Head-to-head: Hunter, Bayern vs. Booker, Fenerbahce

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6 October 20223 Mins read

Head-to-head: Hunter, Bayern vs. Booker, Fenerbahce

Othello Hunter and Devin Booker, a pair of veterans in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague, will go up against each other on the opening night of the 2022-23 season when FC Bayern Munich hosts Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul at Audi Dome on Thursday, October 6.

Entering his 10th season, and his second with Bayern, Hunter is one of the best offensive rebounders in the competition over the last century. The 36-year-old ranks third all-time with 562 offensive boards, and his average of 2.2 per game is the most among any player with more than 200 appearances in the EuroLeague.

Booker, on the other hand, has four EuroLeague seasons under his belt and is about to enter his second campaign as a Fenerbahce player. The 31-year-old big man made his competition debut with Bayern in the 2018-19 season, which was the last of his three seasons with the club. He then spent the following two campaigns with Khimki.

Since leaving Bayern in 2019, this will be Booker's fourth trip back to Munich. He has often made his presence felt whenever he has faced his former team, averaging 10.7 points on 71.4% two-point shooting and 3.7 rebounds in his previous three games at Audi Dome. In fact, last season Booker finished with 10 points and 6 rebounds against Bayern, yet Fenerbahce lost 71-63. Hunter, meanwhile, posted 6 points and 6 rebounds, 2 assists and a steal in the victory.

When Hunter and Booker last came up against one another in Round 26 last season, Fenerbahce beat Bayern 81-76 at Ulker Sports and Event Hall to split the regular-season series, with the two players recording 5 points apiece. This was a bit of a rarity, though, as they usually perform far better against one another.

Hunter and Booker have gone head-to-head a total of six times, all of which have come in the last four seasons. Hunter has done better in those games, averaging 8.5 points and 6.3 rebounds, compared to Booker's 7.7 points and 5.5 rebounds. In these six matchups, partly due to Hunter's defensive efforts, Booker has been held to 50.0% on two-point shooting, which is significantly down from his 60.6% career percentage.

Hunter's teams have also won four of those six games. Thursday's opening-round match will be another chance for these two big men to face off and get the new EuroLeague season off the mark.