FC Bayern Munich's Nick Weiler-Babb has been named the recipient of the 2024–25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Best Defender Trophy, recognizing his exceptional defensive performance throughout the season

Nick Weiler-Babb is named the 2024-25 EuroLeague Best Defender

FC Bayern Munich's Nick Weiler-Babb has been named the recipient of the 2024–25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Best Defender Trophy, recognizing his exceptional defensive performance throughout the season. The award, voted on by head coaches from across the EuroLeague, honors the player deemed to have had the greatest impact on the defensive end of the court. Weiler-Babb's relentless energy, versatility, and lockdown perimeter defense have been his calling cards and helped Bayern advance to the postseason for the first time since 2022.

Now in his fifth EuroLeague season - all of which have come with Bayern, Weiler-Babb has built a reputation as a defensive anchor and vocal leader. Throughout the 2024–25 campaign, he consistently drew the toughest assignments, often neutralizing the opposing team's top perimeter threats. His ability to guard multiple positions, combined with elite anticipation and physicality, made him a game-changer for Bayern’s defensive schemes.

Weiler-Babb collected more steals than any other player this season – 52 and counting – for a league-best 1.6 average. He accounted for 22.4% of all of Bayern's steals, while leading all guards in rebounds with 4.2 per night during the regular season.

The Best Defender Trophy is one of several awards that recognize the elite play of the best players in the EuroLeague at the end of the regular season. The first of this season's honorees was Kendrick Nunn of Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens as the winner of the Alphonso Ford Top Scorer Trophy. Nadir Hifi of Paris Basketball was chosen as the EuroLeague Rising Star, another award voted upon by the head coaches. The Alexander Gomelskiy Coach of the Year, All-EuroLeague teams and EuroLeague MVP will be revealed in the coming days.

Walter Tavares of Real Madrid finished second behind Weiler-Babb in the voting for the Best Defender Trophy, followed by Alpha Diallo of AS Monaco, Jerian Grant of Panathinaikos and last season's winner Thomas Walkup of Olympiacos, in fifth place. Others who received votes were Joel Bolomboy of Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade, Arnas Butkevicius of Zalgiris Kaunas, Alessandro Pajola of Virtus Segafredo Bologna and Andre Roberson of LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne.

Weiler-Babb is the 10th different recipient of the EuroLeague Best Defender trophy and the first Bayern player to win it. Dimitris Diamantidis of Panathinaikos Athens won the award six times (2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2011). Tavares is a three-time winner, taking home the award in 2019, 2021 and 2023, as is Kyle Hines who claimed the award in 2015 and 2018 with CSKA Moscow and then in 2022 with EA7 Emporio Armani Milan. Bryant Dunston won it with Olympiacos in 2014 and 2015. In addition to Walkup, who won it last season, the other Best Defender honorees include CSKA players Victor Khryapa and Andrei Kirilenko, in 2010 and 2012, respectively; Stephane Lasme in 2013 with Panathinaikos; and Adam Hanga in 2017 with Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz.

The playmaker becomes the first Bayern player to earn this honor

FC Bayern Munich earned a shot at making the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Playoffs after grinding out a 97-93 overtime home win over Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade on the back of a sterling team effort

Gordon Herbert proud of Bayern warriors who shook off fatigue 

[FC Bayern Munich](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/fc-bayern-munich/mun/) earned a shot at making the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Playoffs after grinding out [a 97-93 overtime home win](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/bayern-advances-with-97-93-overtime-win-over-crvena-zvezda/) over [Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/crvena-zvezda-meridianbet-belgrade/red/?season=2024-25) on the back of a sterling team effort. The rollercoaster kept fans at SAP Garden on the edge of their seats throughout and Bayern prevailed in a strength-sapping contest, which followed a grueling regular season.

Bayern head coach Gordon Herbert heaped praise on his men after they found another gear in overtime and forced Zvezda into submission to earn a showdown with [Real Madrid](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/real-madrid/mad/?season=2024-25), the prize being a best-of-five quarterfinal series against [Olympiacos Piraeus](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/olympiacos-piraeus/oly/).

 “I give a lot of credit to the players for finding the energy, the will and determination to fight through the fatigue,” Herbert said at the postgame press conference. “We kept our heads up and came out on top in overtime after [Vladimir Lucic](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/vladimir-lucic/001288/) hit a couple of big shots.

 “We’ve lived to play another day, it’s a good win and the manner of this victory will help build team spirit as it’s shown the resilience of this group. We now need to fight off the fatigue and then we’ll have a look at what we need to improve on ahead of the Madrid game.”

Vladimir Lucic made an impact at both ends against Zvezda

Having excelled in most departments, Bayern might want to take a look at ball handling as the home team committed 16 turnovers against 20 assists, while shooting 14-of-31 from deep and racking up 38 boards, including 13 on offense. Bayern also collected 8 steals, courtesy of its relentless hustle which helped the German outfit erase a 10-point deficit.

Herbert’s Zvezda counterpart Ioannis Sfairopoulos rued some officiating calls that went against his team, but ultimately Zvezda will look back at poor free throw shooting as the Serbian squad made a modest 14 of 25 shots from the foul line, missing 5 in overtime when the chips were down. The visitors also had a forgettable night from downtown, making just 5 of 22 three-pointers while they also lost the battle of the boards as they racked up 33 rebounds.

Game Videos

Sfairopoulos put on a brave face at the press conference, commending his team for putting up a spirited fight, having missed a chance to snatch an automatic playoff berth after losing six of its last eight regular season games.  

“It was our last game of the season in the EuroLeague and on one hand we are satisfied that we participated in the play-in as we’ve made progress compared to last year,” the Greek tactician said. 

“On the other hand, knowing that we could have done more leaves a bitter taste. It’s been a promising season and one to build on for the future, a learning curve and a base for improvement. Last but not least, I want to thank our fans who’ve supported us all the way.”

Thousands of Zvezda fans thronged the gym on Tuesday night and made their team feel at home at SAP Garden, sending the Serbian side off with a rising ovation despite a tough loss that propelled Bayern into the business end of Europe’s premier club competition. 

Game News

The Canadian head coach hailed his team’s effort in epic win over Crvena Zvezda 

FC Bayern Munich v Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade (2025-04-15T18:30:00.000Z)

FC Bayern Munich lived to fight another day after digging deep into its resources for a 97-93 overtime home win against Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade in the Play-In Showdown, booking a clash with 11-time Turkish Airlines EuroLeague champs Real Madrid on Friday

Sheer grit saw Bayern across the finish line against Crvena Zvezda 

[FC Bayern Munich](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/fc-bayern-munich/mun/) lived to fight another day after digging deep into its resources for [a 97-93 overtime home](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/bayern-advances-with-97-93-overtime-win-over-crvena-zvezda/) win against [Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/crvena-zvezda-meridianbet-belgrade/red/?season=2024-25) in the Play-In Showdown, booking a clash with 11-time Turkish Airlines EuroLeague champs [Real Madrid](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/real-madrid/mad/?season=2024-25) on Friday. The winner of that contest will advance into the playoffs, with the prize being a best-of-five quarterfinal series against [Olympiacos Piraeus](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/olympiacos-piraeus/oly/), which topped the [regular season standings](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/standings/).

Bayern ultimately came out on top against battling Zvezda thanks to iron-willed determination in the face of adversity, having conceded a last-gasp sucker punch at the end of regular time. A deft Zvezda sideout left [Filip Petrusev](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/filip-petrusev/011194/) unmarked in the paint 1.6 seconds before the fourth quarter buzzer to level the score, 84-84, forcing overtime in which Bayern guard [Nick Weiler-Babb](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/nick-weiler-babb/010391/) produced a moment of game-winning magic.

Off balance and facing his own baseline, Weiler-Babb unleashed a full-court overhead pass that found [Devin Booker](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/devin-booker/007056/) alone as a ghost at the other end to slam-dunk and gave Bayern a decisive 94-89 lead.

<center><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">.<a href="https://twitter.com/nickbabb12?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@nickbabb12</a> after pulling an IMPOSSIBLE dime! 👀<br><br>Assist of the year?! 🤯 <a href="https://t.co/Lg88cTPuyA">pic.twitter.com/Lg88cTPuyA</a></p>&mdash; Turkish Airlines EuroLeague (@EuroLeague) <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroLeague/status/1912259722469589005?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 15, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

It was a fitting climax to an absorbing contest in which the lead kept changing hands throughout, with both sides rallying from double-digit deficits before Bayern showed it had more in the tank down the stretch.

Booker, who racked up a team-high 21 points and 5 boards, acknowledged it took every ounce of energy to force Zvezda into submission.  

“We never gave up as this team always had a lot of grit and a lot of fight and tenacity,” the big man said. “We let a couple of games slip before but not tonight. Every time we pick up on the defensive end, it translates all over our game as our offense comes no matter what. We fed off the energy from the crowd tonight and we came away with the victory.”

Weiler-Babb elaborated that conceding an easy basket at the end of regulation had left Bayern with the challenging task of shaking off the disappointment in overtime, when captain [Vladimir Lucic](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/vladimir-lucic/001288/) gave the home team a perfect start with a couple of successive three-pointers.

“It was a hard-fought game, lots of ups and downs as both teams made runs and also struggled in certain periods,” the versatile guard said after amassing 15 points, 6 boards and as many assists.

“We stuck together and came out on top after the letdown at the end of the fourth quarter. We didn’t end the regular season the right way and knowing that we had to win today, we locked in and bounced back in the second half.”

All 11 of Ivan Kharchenkov's points against Zvezda

The effort also drew praise from head coach Gordon Herbert, as Bayern produced a flawless third quarter which turned a 39-46 halftime deficit into a 71-61 lead at the end of the third quarter, Herbert, who took charge at Bayern last summer after a glorious three-year spell with the German national team, also singled out 18-year old prospect [Ivan Kharchenkov](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/ivan-kharchenkov/012123/) who sank a career-high 11 points in just over 6 minutes on the court in the first half.

“We had a really good third quarter as our starters came out and played with a lot of energy,” said the 66-year-old Canadian tactician. “We got a lot of defensive stops in the third. They had a run, we hung on and congratulations to our players. We were up 10 and then down by 4, but we stayed with it and never gave up. It was our fifth game in 10 days, we needed to rotate and Ivan gave us good minutes in the first half.”

The German team prevailed in a titanic clash decided by a moment of genius from Nick Weiler-Babb

TJ Shorts led from the front as Paris Basketball defeated Real Madrid on the road to make the EuroLeague Playoffs.

TJ Shorts laid the foundation for Paris’s memorable play-in victory at Real Madrid

What a season this has been for [TJ Shorts](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/tj-shorts/012608/) and [Paris Basketball](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/paris-basketball/prs/).

On Tuesday night, in the first game of the play-in, Paris travelled to the Spanish capital to take on 11-time Turkish Airlines EuroLeague champion [Real Madrid](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/real-madrid/mad/). This was going to be the 635th EuroLeague game in Real Madrid’s history and just the 35th for Paris. Experience was certainly in favor of the hosts.

In the end, experience counts for little against a team led by Shorts. Right from the tip, the EuroLeague rookie made sure to inspire and guide his teammates by laying the foundation for [a 73-81 win](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/paris-stuns-real-madrid-in-play-in-73-81-to-set-up-playoff-date-with-fenerbahce/).

Shorts drained a three-pointer on the opening offense of the game, then found [Kevarrius Hayes](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/kevarrius-hayes/010390/) for a slam, and drove to the rim for a layup to give Paris an early 6-7 lead. Seven points for Paris, seven points from the hands of Shorts.

Another couple of connections between Shorts and Hayes in the latter stages of the first quarter showed the freedom that the visitors were playing with. Having posted 7 points and 4 assists in the opening 10 minutes, with Paris leading 22-27, Shorts also appeared with the final play of the first half to give his team a 36-46 advantage at the interval, the first time either team had led by double digits.

Shorts went to work early in the third quarter to stave off any Real Madrid comeback, then he did a bit of scoring and playmaking in the fourth as Paris just about managed to hold off *Los Blancos*.

The 27-year-old was a menace throughout and finished the contest with 23 points, 2 rebounds and 9 assists, while he played a season-high 30:46 minutes – just the second time this season he has gone above 30 minutes.

Shorts stole the show against Madrid in the Play-In Showdown

TJ Shorts stole the show against Madrid in the Play-In Showdown

His simple presence on the floor was a positive factor for Paris, too, as he was a +10 in the plus/minus column, an important factor given the team's eight-point win.

"We've been working very hard,” Shorts told EuroLeague TV afterward. “We had to do it the hard way going through the play-in, but now we stamped our ticket. It's an amazing feeling right now. I'm just so happy for everybody that's a part of Paris Basketball to be able to enjoy this."

By winning in Madrid, Paris has set up a playoff date with [Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/teams/fenerbahce-beko-istanbul/ulk/) in the 2-7 matchup. Shorts fancies his team’s chances, though.

"The sky is the limit. I've been talking about this all year,” he stated. “We believe we can compete with the best. We went head up with Real Madrid here. We obviously know the history, we know the talent that they have on that roster. We have the utmost confidence in ourselves that we can compete with anybody.

“And now, obviously, we understand we're playing against Fenerbahce. We will lock in on them, but tonight we're gonna enjoy it. And then we'll get ready for the playoffs."

<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">LOCKER VIEW <a href="https://t.co/LaUolHNgVj">pic.twitter.com/LaUolHNgVj</a></p>&mdash; Paris Basketball (@ParisBasketball) <a href="https://twitter.com/ParisBasketball/status/1912265360830804093?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 15, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Shorts managed to put on another show in front of one of his closest friends, Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz forward Chima Moneke, who was sat in the first few rows. 

Paris has been the fairy-tale story of the season and after Tuesday night’s game at Real Madrid, it still has a few chapters that need to be written.

The EuroLeague rookie helped guide his team to the playoffs

Real Madrid v Paris Basketball (2025-04-15T19:00:00.000Z)

FC Bayern Munich advanced in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Play-In Showdown and will face Real Madrid for a berth in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Playoffs after the German side ground out a dramatic 97-93 overtime home win against Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade. 

Bayern advances with 97-93 overtime win over Crvena Zvezda 

FC Bayern Munich advanced in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Play-In Showdown and will face Real Madrid for a berth in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Playoffs after the German side ground out a dramatic 97-93 overtime home win against Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade.

Big man Devin Booker paced Bayern with 21 points and 5 boards; Carsen Edwards netted 17 points and Nick Weiler-Babb racked up 15 points, 6 rebounds and 6 assists. Captain Vladimir Lucic added 13 points and Ivan Kharchenkov 11.

At the other end, Filip Petrusev led Zvezda with a monster individual performance garnished by 30 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists. Nikola Kalinic posted 20 points and 7 rebounds while Nemanja Nedovic chipped in with 13 points for the visitors.

Roared on by droves of Serbian fans at SAP Garden, Zvezda produced a 4-14 run to take a 16-23 lead late in the first quarter as Kalinic and Petrusev poured 17 points between them. However, Bayern closed out the first period with 5 unanswered points to the slash deficit.

Zvezda shot 8 of 10 from inside in the first quarter on the back of good movement of the ball, presenting Kalinic and Petrusev with a barrage of easy points. The tide turned in the second as 18-year-old Kharchenkov popped up as a trump card up Coach Gordon Herbert’s sleeve, sinking a career-high 11 points in just 6:26 minutes on the court as Bayern nosed ahead 31-30 before Zvezda hit back again.

Driven by Nedovic, who netted 9 points in the second period, Zvezda conjured a 5-16 run to take a double-digit lead for the first time in the game, 36-46, before Booker closed the gap on the halftime buzzer with a deep three-pointer.

Zvezda had dished out 14 assists in a smooth first-half effort while Bayern stayed in touch thanks to 8 offensive boards, setting the stage for a pulsating second half which duly produced an array of thrills and spills akin to a knockout game.

The visitors still had the upper hand and a 49-55 advantage early in the third quarter but Bayern roared back with a 22-6 streak which turned the matchup on its head and gave the hosts a 71-61 lead ahead of the final 10 minutes, with Booker doing damage from all over.

Bayern appeared to be cruising with a 74-63 lead early in the fourth but Zvezda stormed back with a 3-17 run to turn the tide and retake the initiative, 77-80, before a dramatic finish to regulation saw Petrusev force overtime with a last-gasp effort 1.6 seconds before the buzzer.

Lucic then stepped up with a pair of successive threes to give Bayern a 90-84 lead in overtime and Weiler-Babb effectively sealed the contest with a most audacious assist, as he hurled the ball over his head to the other end of the court where Booker was at hand for an easy dunk.

Zvezda’s desperate effort to force a second overtime period fell short as the visiting team missed 5 free throws in the home straight, with its offense hitting a wall when the chips were down.

The home team prevailed in a rip-roaring rollercoaster after the lead kept changing hands throughout 

Paris Basketball upset Real Madrid 73-81 on Tuesday in the Play-In Showdown to clinch seventh place and set up a playoff showdown with Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul. Real's playoff hopes have not ended as Los Blancos will host FC Bayern Munich on Friday in a do-or-die showdown, which will see the winner take on Olympiacos Piraeus in the quarterfinals. Paris never trailed after the first quarter and led by as many as 13. Although Real mounted a late charge, the EuroLeague debutants held on to continue their historic campaign.

TJ Shorts paced the Parisians with 23 points and 9 assists, freshly crowned EuroLeague Rising Star Award winner Nadir Hifi added 15 points, Tyson Ward tallied 11 points and 7 rebounds and Kevarrius Hayes added 10 and 6 for the winners. Facundo Campazzo led Real with 17 points and 5 assists and Gabriel Deck contributed 10 points and 8 rebounds in defeat.

TJ Shorts showed that he is ready for the Play-In Showdown with a three-pointer on the first offensive set of the game to give Paris an early 0-3 advantage. The elusive guard continued his fine start by finding Kevarrius Hayes for a slam at 3-5 before scoring a layup at 6-7. Walter Tavares scored four points in a row to put Madrid up by three, 10-7, then a Facundo Campazzo triple gave the hosts’ biggest lead of the first half at 13-8. Nadir Hifi lit the flame for the fightback, then the Shorts-Hayes combination worked to perfection on a couple more dunks as Paris went up 19-25. Andres Feliz’s free throw was the last score of the quarter, making it 22-27 after 10 minutes.

A slow start to the second quarter was ended by Dzanan Musa scoring inside on the fast break, but a long two by Sebastian Herrera and a mid-range jumper by Shorts showed that Paris was not about to collapse, 24-31. Campazzo did his best to get Madrid going with a layup and a triple, then Usman Garuba’s layup resulted in a huge roar from the home supporters and a timeout by Paris coach Tiago Splitter. That pause did wonders for the visitors, who had Hifi score 8 points in a flurry, including back-to-back threes that put Paris up by 33-41. Garuba’s triple looked like it would inspire a reaction, but Ward hit back with a corner three before Shorts ended the half by going at Garuba and scoring a layup to make it 36-46 at the interval – the first double-digit lead of the game.

Paris continued to heap the pain on Madrid in the early stages of the third frame, with Shorts scoring on back-to-back offensive sets – giving the visitors a new game-high 11-point lead, 39-50 – before finding Hayes for a score inside, 41-52. Tyson Ward had a perfect trip to the line as Paris opened a new game-high 13-point lead, 41-54, but Alberto Abalde, Gaby Deck and Campazzo forced the visitors into a timeout at 49-55. Malcolm and Shorts restored a double-digit advantage, 49-61, but Andres Feliz and Serge Ibaka provided a boost to the hosts, who trailed 58-62 after 30 minutes following scores by Deck and Mario Hezonja.

It looked like a memorable Real Madrid comeback was on, with Feliz and Sergio Llull combining to make it a one-point ballgame at 61-62. Ibaka responded to Shorts’s mid-range jumper, 63-64, then Ward and Campazzo went back and forth as it was 67-68 entering the final minutes. However, a Mikael Jantunen three took the air out of the arena, 67-71, as did a sidestep Hifi triple over Llull, 68-74. The final dagger came with another triple courtesy of Jantunen, which made it 71-79, before Paris eventually secured a famous 73-81 win to set up a playoff date with Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul.

The French side continues to write a fairy-tale story in its debut EuroLeague season

Paris stuns Real Madrid in play-in, 73-81, to set up playoff date with Fenerbahce

All the latest injury news surrounding all registered players ahead of the 2025 EuroLeague Play-In Showdown.

EuroLeague injury report: Play-In Showdown

Follow all the latest injury information for registered players in the 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Play-In Showdown, as reported by the clubs, and get your [EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge](https://euroleaguefantasy.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/home?_ga=2.101462721.1199459303.1696273873-903329349.1669636775) teams up to date!

### FC Bayern Munich vs. Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade (20:30 CEST)

#### FC Bayern Munich

Bayern has not yet sent an injury report for its play-in game against Crvena Zvezda on Tuesday.

- Oscar da Silva, who last played in Round 27, is out for 'the coming weeks', the club announced on March 6.

#### Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade

Joel Bolomboy and Milos Teodosic are both ruled out for Crvena Zvezda's play-in game at Bayern on Tuesday, the club has confirmed.

- Joel Bolomboy is out for 3-6 weeks after spraining his ankle, [the club announced on March 14](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/joel-bolomboy-out-3-6-weeks-with-ankle-sprain/).
- Luka Mitrovic and Mike Daum both returned to action in Round 34 after being out with injuries.

### Real Madrid vs. Paris Basketball (21:00 CEST)

#### Real Madrid

Real Madrid has not yet sent an injury report for its play-in game against Paris on Tuesday.

- Bruno Fernando did not play in Round 33 nor Round 34, but he did feature in the Spanish League last weekend.
- Eli Ndiaye, who last played in Round 28, [has been dealing with a shoulder issue](https://x.com/pilarcasado/status/1909957418328502603).
- Xavier Rathan-Mayes last played in Round 27 but has been fit and ready to go.

#### Paris Basketball

Real Madrid has not yet sent an injury report for its play-in game at Real Madrid on Tuesday.

- Maodo Lo is out for 'several weeks' with a hamstring injury, [the club's website stated on March 24](https://parisbasketball.com/en/2025/03/medical-statement-from-paris-basketball/).
- Daulton Hommes is out for 'several months' with a hand injury, [the club's website stated on March 24](https://parisbasketball.com/en/2025/03/medical-statement-from-paris-basketball/).
- Leon Kratzer is out for an 'indefinite period' due to personal reasons, [the club's website stated on March 24](https://parisbasketball.com/en/2025/03/medical-statement-from-paris-basketball/).
- Enzo Shahrvin has been deregistered.

Stay up to date with the latest information provided by the EuroLeague clubs

Injury report, play-in: Teodosic, Bolomboy missing for Crvena Zvezda

Paris Basketball shooting guard Nadir Hifi has been chosen as the 2024-25 EuroLeague Rising Star Trophy winner. The 23-year-old becomes the first French player to secure the prize.

Paris's Nadir Hifi is the 2024-25 EuroLeague Rising Star

Paris Basketball shooting guard Nadir Hifi has been chosen as the 2024-25 EuroLeague Rising Star Trophy winner. The 22-year-old becomes the first French player to secure the prize. Hifi managed to do so in his first season in the competition as he helped EuroLeague debutante Paris reach the postseason.

Voted for by EuroLeague head coaches, the Rising Star Trophy recognizes the best player each season who was younger than 22 on July 1 of the previous summer. Hifi was eligible by just a few days, as he was born on July 16, 2002, two weeks before the deadline. Hifi was the runaway leader in this season's voting, followed by Matthew Stazel of AS Monaco, who was second. Melvin Ajinca of LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne was third, Hugo Gonzalez of Real Madrid fourth, while Juan Nunez of FC Barcelona and Matteo Spagnolo of ALBA Berlin tied for fifth place.

Hifi quickly made sure he would be remembered for more than his haircut and run-and-gun playing style. In just his third EuroLeague game, Hifi scored 20 points against defending champion Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens, leading Paris to an 84-80 victory. It was the first of seven times that Hifi reached the 20-point mark.

Hifi led all Rising Star eligible players this season in points (14.7 ppg.) and PIR (10.4). He was also the best per-minute scorer in the regular season. Hifi averaged 29.8 points per 40 minutes, edging of Carsen Edwards of FC Bayern Munich (28.6) and his Paris teammate TJ Shorts (27.6). Hifi was also first in three-pointers made per 40 minutes (5.0). He finished the regular season with averages of 14.7 points, 2.1 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 3.0 fouls drawn per game. He was one of 41 players to take part in all 34 regular season games and one of only two players to come off the bench in all of those games.

Born in Strasbourg, France, Hifi started his career with local fourth-division team Illkirch-Graffenstaden before joining ESSM Le Portel Cote d'Opale, where he played for three seasons. He joined Paris in the summer of 2023 and helped the team win the French Leaders Cup and the BKT EuroCup titles last season. Hifi has also been a member of the French national team.

The first-ever Rising Star award went to Erazem Lorbek of Climamio Bologna in 2005. He was followed by Andrea Bargnani of Benetton Treviso in 2006; Rudy Fernandez of Joventut Badalona in 2007; Danilo Gallinari of EA7 Emporio Armani Milano in 2008; Novica Velickovic of Partizan Belgrade in 2009; Ricky Rubio of FC Barcelona in 2010; Nikola Mirotic of Real Madrid in 2011 and 2012; Kostas Papanikolaou of Olympiacos Piraeus in 2013; Bogdan Bogdanovic of Partizan in 2014 and again with Fenerbahce Istanbul in 2015; Alex Abrines of Barca in 2016; Luka Doncic of Real Madrid in 2017 and 2018; Goga Bitadze of Buducnost VOLI Podgorica in 2019; Usman Garuba of Real in 2021; Rokas Jokubaitis of Barcelona in 2022; Yam Madar of Partizan in 2023 and Gabriele Procida of ALBA Berlin in 2024.

The 'Prince of Paris' has impressed in his first EuroLeague season

Panathinaikos OPAP Athens announced on Tuesday that it has signed star forward Cedi Osman for two more seasons

Panathinaikos, Cedi Osman pen two-year extension 

Panathinaikos OPAP Athens announced on Tuesday that it has signed star forward [Cedi Osman](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/cedi-osman/004088/) for two more seasons. Osman (2.04 meters, 30 years old) joined the Greens in September and averaged 7.9 points and 2.4 rebounds over 32 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague games. It marked his first season in the competition since 2016-17 with Osman spending seven seasons in the NBA – six with the Cleveland Cavaliers and one with San Antonio Spurs – in between. In his first season in the NBA, Osman was a member of the Cavaliers squad – alongside the likes of LeBron James, Kevin Love and J.R. Smith – that reached the 2018 NBA Finals.

Cedi Osman's top plays from the 2024-25 regular season

His best NBA campaign came in the 2018-19 season, the first after James’s departure, as he averaged career highs in points (13.0 ppg.) and rebounds (4.7 rpg.) in 76 regular-season games as a full-time starter. Osman remained a key player for the Cavs throughout the rest of his time in Cleveland, although he was a regular bench player in the 2021-22 and 2022-23 seasons.

Osman is a product of the Anadolu Efes Istanbul junior setup and debuted in the EuroLeague with the club in 2013. He also played one season on loan at Pertevniyal Istanbul. He was a long-time member of the Turkish national team and has represented his country at the Basketball World Cup and the European Championships.

<center><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="und" dir="ltr">Ο Τσεντί Οσμάν στον Παναθηναϊκό AKTOR έως το 2027 ☘️<br><br>Η ΚΑΕ Παναθηναϊκός AKTOR ανακοινώνει την επέκταση της συνεργασίας της με τον Τσεντί Οσμάν έως το καλοκαίρι του 2027.<br><br>—<br><br>Cedi Osman to remain with Panathinaikos AKTOR until 2027 ☘️<br><br>Panathinaikos BC AKTOR is pleased to… <a href="https://t.co/CULg5jfC6B">pic.twitter.com/CULg5jfC6B</a></p>&mdash; Panathinaikos BC (@Paobcgr) <a href="https://twitter.com/Paobcgr/status/1912053817966788616?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 15, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

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The Greens have locked up the star forward for two more seasons