The American’s hometown was hit hard during the category five hurricane

Isaiah Canaan, Olympiacos: ‘Experiencing Hurricane Katrina made me a tougher person’

Olympiacos Piraeus guard [Isaiah Canaan](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/isaiah-canaan/010612/) is getting ready to play in his second Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Final Four, but a life-changing event when he was 14 years old helped shape him into the hard-working, resilient and talented player that he is today.

In late August 2005, Canaan’s hometown of Biloxi, Mississippi, was heavily affected by [Hurricane Katrina](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Katrina) — a category five hurricane, the highest level there is. 

Canaan and some of his family members sought cover in a church and stayed there until the worst had passed. Once they went back out onto the street, they witnessed the devastation Hurricane Katrina had caused in Biloxi. 

For the Olympiacos star, he used that experience as a motivation in both life and basketball. 

“It helped me become tough. I know that when things get tough on the court, I’ve been in tougher moments,” Canaan tells [Euroleague.net](http://Euroleague.net)’s Geoff Gillingham. “When things seem impossible on the court, I’ve been in those moments where it seemed like I wouldn’t be here. That’s something impossible and I’m here. It just made me a tougher person. Strong mind and strong backbone. I know I’ve been in tougher situations, so it helps me.” 

MORE ISAIAH CANAAN NEWS

“Every time you put this jersey on, you need to win,” said All-EuroLeague First Team forward Dzanan Musa as he looked ahead to the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Final Four in Berlin and his team’s semifinals clash with Olympiacos Piraeus. “Not every player can play in Real Madrid because of the pressure.”

'We believe in each other': Final Four preview, Real Madrid

“Every time you put this jersey on, you need to win,” said All-EuroLeague First Team forward Dzanan Musa as he looked ahead to the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Final Four in Berlin and his team’s semifinals clash with Olympiacos Piraeus. “Not every player can play in Real Madrid because of the pressure.”

The reigning champs are a star-studded squad that won’t settle for anything less than successfully defending the crown, as Musa alluded to. What makes them so special is not just their ability to handle the pressure or to put the ball in the basket. According to their head coach, it’s something else entirely. 

“My team is a team with character, a lot of talented players on offense,” Coach Chus Mateo explained. “But the most important thing is that all of them are playing for the team. The strength is the team.”

Musa went even further: “All the Real Madrid organization is like one big family. That’s why in stressful moments, you believe in the family member.” 

With 11 members of last season’s championship team on the current roster, this family is as strong and connected as ever. Will that be enough to topple Olympiacos like they did in last season’s final?

“As they know us, we know them,” Musa summed up. “It’s gonna be a dogfight, but we will come prepared.”

MORE REAL MADRID NEWS

Dzanan Musa: “Every time you put this jersey on, you need to win.”

The reigning champs are a star-studded squad that won’t settle for anything less than successfully defending the crown

Dyshawn Pierre is one of the longest-tenured players at Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul. In his fourth season with the club, Pierre has finally reached his first Final Four.

Dyshawn Pierre: 'You understand how big the EuroLeague really is'

[Dyshawn Pierre](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/dyshawn-pierre/010560/) is one of the longest-tenured players at Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul. In his fourth season with the club, Pierre has finally reached his first Final Four.

During his time in Istanbul he has seen many ups and downs, experienced four coaching changes, including one this season, and suffered two playoff exits before finally making it to the end-of-season event in a crazy series against AS Monaco.

"It's amazing", Pierre, a native of Canada, says about making it to the Final Four in his fourth EuroLeague season and eighth overall on the continent.

"Going through each year, you kind of understand how big the EuroLeague really is. Getting to Fener, understanding what the goal was, understanding how hard it is to play EuroLeague sometimes, it is an accomplishment to make it to the Final Four."

Watch the entire interview as Pierre talks about, among many things, what Fenerbahce has come to mean for him, playing for head coach Saras Jasikevicius, and what his teammate with previous Final Four experience are telling him ahead of the trip to Berlin.

Dyshawn Pierre, Fenerbahce: 'You understand how big the EuroLeague really is'

“Everybody believed at the end of the season, we will have a chance to reach our big goals. And now. Of course, to be in the Final Four is a great feeling for Panathinaikos fans. But now, all of us, we want more,” Coach Ergin Ataman said as he looked ahead to the games in Berlin, which open with a Friday evening showdown between his Greens and Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul.

'We want more': Final Four preview, Panathinaikos

“Everybody believed at the end of the season, we will have a chance to reach our big goals. And now. Of course, to be in the Final Four is a great feeling for Panathinaikos fans. But now, all of us, we want more,” Coach Ergin Ataman said as he looked ahead to the games in Berlin, which open with a Friday evening showdown between his Greens and Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul.

Ataman was careful to note that his team was essentially built from scratch, with only three holdovers from the 2022-23 season. It took time, but as he mentioned: “This team, after the second part of the regular season, started to play excellent basketball.”

A true players coach, Ataman gives his charges confidence and freedom. But with that comes expectations. 

“The players will decide the results of the game,” he added. 

Fortunately for Ataman, he has three of the biggest stars of the league on his roster and each of them opined on what it will take to bring the EuroLeague Trophy back to Athens. 

“It’s gonna come down to making it a dog fight,” All-EuroLeague First Team center Mathias Lessort explained. “Fight for every ball, fight for every possession. Defensively, offensively, take care of the ball. No turnovers.” 

The team’s top scorer and fellow All-EuroLeague First Teamer Kendrick Nunn shared that sentiment or getting the job done on both ends of the floor: “I think our ability to get hot offensively will be a big key for us in a one-game setting. And just getting some stops.” 

No player at the Final Four has more experience than Kostas Sloukas, a three-time champion who will compete at European basketball’s flagship event for the 10th time. 

“We have to be hungry. We have to be physically and mentally ready,” Sloukas advised. “This kind of game, for sure tactics is one thing, but you have to be aggressive and play physical and be strong.”

While many of the Greens will be featuring at a Final Four for the first time, having a confident head coach and leaders to lean on could make a difference for Panathinaikos.  

MORE PANATHINAIKOS NEWS

“Everybody believed at the end of the season, we will have a chance to reach our big goals. And now. Of course, to be in the Final Four is a great feeling for Panathinaikos fans. But now, all of us, we want more,” Coach Ergin Ataman said as he looked ahead to the games in Berlin, which open with a Friday evening showdown between his Greens and Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul.
Ataman was careful to note that his team was essentially built from scratch, with only three holdovers from the 2022-23 season. It took time, but as he mentioned: “This team, after the second part of the regular season, started to play excellent basketball.”
A true players coach, Ataman gives his charges confidence and freedom. But with that comes expectations.

We WANT MORE | Final Four Preview | Panathinaikos

Open to all and free of charge, Hoop District is 3x3 with an edge

Don't miss Hoop District x Off Court in Kraftwerk Berlin

Designed for the digital age, Hoop District is a brand-new Euroleague Basketball 3x3 competition that brings together content creators from all around Europe to compete on & off the court and fight for a €10,000 cash prize. And you don’t want to miss it when it comes to Berlin as part of the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Final Four!

Team London will be led on the court by [Behrad Bakhtiari & Denzel Kazembe](https://www.instagram.com/sbb_uk), Team Berlin's captain will be [Sebastian Mechseiner](https://www.instagram.com/cbas), Team Barcelona will have in [Oriol Tres](https://www.instagram.com/tresco_ball) its floor general and finally, the All Star Team will have a main figure in [Jamad Hussean](https://www.instagram.com/_jamaaad).

Hoop District is part of Euroleague Off Court – a fusion of basketball, art, streetwear, fashion and music. The Hoop District tournament will take place on Thursday, May 23 from 16:00-21:00 CEST at Kraftwerk Berlin, which is also the home site of the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague FanZone. In addition to the Barcelona and London teams that qualified from the Paris Hoop District tournament in March, Team Berlin and an all-star team will also compete at this week’s big event.

With teams captained by recognizable social media personalities and content creators, Hoop District features unique 3x3 game rules called designed to keep everyone – players, fans, viewers and even referees – constantly engaged throughout swings in the action and the scoreboard. In addition to the standard one- and two-point shots, several novel scenarios called Power Ups may be activated during Hoop District games.

These Power Ups, which include taking a deep three-pointer, getting double points on possessions, no-dribble possessions, and challenging an opponent one-on-one, add strategy and excitement to the games. Teams may use up to two Power Ups per game.

In addition to the Hoop District event, there will also be a slam-dunk contest, a dance performance, a DJ spinning live music and many more activities. Join us for a basketball event like no other!

The Reds from Piraeus are heading to Berlin for their third consecutive Final Four and after narrowly losing to Real Madrid in last season's championship game, Olympiacos has reasons for optimism in the semifinals

The case for Olympiacos: The third time's a charm

Olympiacos Piraeus started the season with new go-to guys and got better and better over time before winning 10 of its last 11 regular season games and knocking off FC Barcelona in the playoffs without the home-court advantage. Next stop: Final Four glory!

The Reds have made it to a third consecutive Final Four for the first time in club history. They beat Barcelona in Game 5 on the road to advance to Berlin and, as always under Coach Georgios Bartzokas, posting good defensive numbers.

Olympiacos will face Real Madrid in the semifinals. Even though some may consider *Los Blancos* to be the heavy favorite, those who have underestimated the Reds in the past have paid a high price.

### An opportunity for revenge

These teams also squared off in the 2023 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Championship Game. It looked like the Reds were well on their way to capturing their fourth title, leading 78-72 with 2 minutes left. What happened next is well-documented: Sergio Rodriguez brought Real back to life, Sergio Llull buried the go-ahead rainbow jumper over Moustapha Fall, Kostas Sloukas missed at the buzzer and Real celebrated.

Olympiacos Piraeus - Real Madrid | Championship Game | Highlights

Eight of the players who lost that final against Real are back for the 2024 Final Four with Olympiacos. Some of them, such as Alec Peters and Isaiah Canaan, arrive with bigger roles. Peters did not play in last season's championship game, but has been the Reds' main scoring pillar this season, averaging 12.7 points in 38 games as a starter. This time, all eyes will be on him, as he tries to help Olympiacos avenge that loss

### Comeback kids reloaded

Many years ago, Olympiacos was dubbed "The Comeback Kids" due to its ability to rally and win games. Olympiacos trailed by 19 and 17 points, respectively, in the 2012 and 2013 EuroLeague Championship Games against CSKA Moscow and Real Madrid, but ended up winning both titles. Team captain Kostas Papanikolaou is the only one of those "Comeback Kids" still with the team, but the spirit remains and the Reds showed it this season.

Nigel Williams-Goss, Shaquielle McKissic and Kostas Papanikolaou leading the Reds to the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Final Four!

Olympiacos's crucial run in Game 5

Olympiacos has retained that come-from-behind ability. During the regular season, the Reds were 7-5 when trailing after three quarters and 2-2 when tied after 30 minutes. In Game 5 of the playoffs, Olympiacos trailed 47-42 with 7 minutes remaining and went on a game-deciding 2-15 run that sealed the outcome. Never count Olympiacos out because it usually knows how to find its way back into any important game.

### Effectiveness down low

Since Moses Wright joined the Reds, Olympiacos has been very deep at center, with a rare combination of size, effectiveness and power. Star center Nikola Milutinov leads the 2023-24 EuroLeague in PIR per 40 minutes (32.1). Starting center Moustapha Fall is 24th on that list (24.6) while Wright did not play enough games to appear in the standings, but averages a PIR of 29.3, which would otherwise have him fifth.

Nikola Milutinov, Moustapha Fall and Moses Wright give Olympiacos Piraeus plenty of versatility at the center position.

Olympiacos's Big Three

Milutinov also leads the competition in most offensive rebounds per 40 minutes (5.4). Fall is the most effective two-point shooter this season (79.1% 2FG), having made 110 of 139 attempts inside the arc. Wright (70.6% 2FG) and Milutinov (62.6% 2FG) are also extremely effective in the paint. Accordingly, Olympiacos has nothing to fear against the best big man in the EuroLeague, Walter Tavares, and Vincent Poirier as the Reds have many weapons to use against them.

### Elite guard-stoppers

Olympiacos has reasons to be optimistic when it comes to guarding the opponents' perimeter stars. EuroLeague head coaches have chosen Thomas Walkup as the competition's Best Defender. He is the first guard to win the award since Dimitris Diamantidis received it for the sixth time in 2012. Nigel Williams-Goss played for Real last season and therefore knows everything about guarding Rodriguez and Llull. Their matchup against Facu Campazzo should be one of the biggest keys to this game, and Olympiacos should like its odds.

Olympiacos Piraeus guard Thomas Walkup is the recipient of the 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Best Defender Trophy, the first end-of-season award of his career.

Walkup has achieved this honor after a vote conducted among EuroLeague head coaches. With his relentless effort, aggressive and disturbing perimeter defense, and usually in charge of opposition’s most dangerous scoring threats, Walkup led Olympiacos's top-ranked scoring defense, which allowed a league-low 74.4 points per game. He picked up more steals than any other player this season – 60 and counting. That was good for a 1.6 average, the second-best mark in the league. Walkup was accountable for 21.7% of all steals Olympiacos recorded this season on the way to reaching its third consecutive Final Four.

Thomas Walkup named 2023-24 EuroLeague Best Defender

If the Reds make it to the championship game, there are plenty of reasons to be optimistic. Olympiacos already managed to stop Panathinaikos's Sloukas in the teams' last EuroLeague showdown. He had 7 points on 2 of 7 shooting in over 20 minutes. Fenerbahce has been winning games due to its three-point shooting, but Olympiacos did a good job guarding its main shooters. In two regular-season games against the Reds, Scottie Wilbekin, Marko Guduric and Tyler Dorsey combined for 6 of 25 three-point shooting (24.0% 3FG) from beyond the arc.

Coach Bartzokas, Filip Petrusev, Williams-Goss, Peters and Papanikolaou know what it feels like to win the EuroLeague. It's time to find out if the rest of the team will discover that feeling in Berlin!

Real Madrid v Olympiacos Piraeus (2024-05-24T19:00:00.000Z)

After 14 seasons in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague, Real Madrid swingman Rudy Fernandez has had a career matched by very few players. He is a three-time EuroLeague champ, an All-EuroLeague team selection and he has won a flurry of other accolades both with the Spanish national team and the domestic competitions.

Rudy Fernandez, Real: 'I have always tried to help the team'

After 14 seasons in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague, Real Madrid swingman [Rudy Fernandez](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/rudy-fernandez/bmt/) has had a career matched by very few players. He is a three-time EuroLeague champ, an All-EuroLeague team selection and he has won a flurry of other accolades both with the Spanish national team and the domestic competitions.

He made his EuroLeague debut with Joventut Badalona, the club he formed himself as a player, but it has been with Los Blancos that Rudy spent the most of his career and accomplished the bulk of his goals, after a stint in the NBA.

"I decided to stay with Real Madrid because I felt very comfortable, really loved by the people that weok here and my teammates," says Rudy. "At that point you realize how important it is sometimes to feel comfortable, to feel well in a place. And that is reflected in the titles we won."

This will be Rudy's ninth Final Four appearance and also his last, according to a press conference he held a few weeks ago in which he all but confirmed that he would be retiring at the end of the current season. He will now be playing for his fourth EuroLeague crown in Berlin and, to him, that' all that matters - the team winning over his individual accolades.

"I was never obsessed with winning a lot of titles and having a big roll of honors," Rudy explains. "I have always tried to focus on working for the team. I always tried to sacrifice a lot of things to help the team."

Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade is back at the ABA League throne, after sweeping arch rival, and last year's champ, Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade in their best-of-five series on Sunday. Zvezda's title came after a 76-82 road win in Game 3 at the Belgrade Arena.

This is the seventh time Zvezda won this competition, and fourth in the past five seasons, and to this one it was Yago Dos Santos leading the way, having been honored as the finals MVP.

<center><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="sl" dir="ltr">BRAVO ZVEZDO!!! 🔴⚪️<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/kkcz?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#kkcz</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WeAreTheTeam?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WeAreTheTeam</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CrvenoBelaPorodica?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CrvenoBelaPorodica</a> <a href="https://t.co/M6SqYPTFZw">pic.twitter.com/M6SqYPTFZw</a></p>&mdash; KK Crvena zvezda Meridianbet (@kkcrvenazvezda) <a href="https://twitter.com/kkcrvenazvezda/status/1792305199068905702?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 19, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> 

After wins in the first two games of the series which Zvezda hosted at the Aleksandar Nikolic Hall, the coach Ioannis Sfairopoulos men took control of Game 3 early on, but Partizan kept it close. A three-pointer from Aleksa Avramovic early in the third quarter gave Partizan a 44-42 lead, but that was the only time the entire night the hosts had a lead.

Branko Lazic answered with a three right away to spark a 0-10 run, and Zvezda had its biggest advantage, 55-65, early in the fourth. The hosts tried to rally, but Zvezda prevailed to sweep its way to the trophy.

Luka Mitrovic collected 12 points and 8 rebounds in Game 3, Rokas Giedraitis also scored 12 points, while Dos Santos scored 11 in a title-clinching victory. Avramovic scored 17, and Danilo Andjusic had 13 points for Partizan.

Crvena Zvezda sweeps Partizan to win ABA League title

It may not be arriving in Berlin as the favorite, but Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul is as dangerous and confident as any team competing for EuroLeague glory in the German capital

The case for Fenerbahce: An offense brimming with confidence

Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul is returning to the Final Four for the first time since 2019 and in search of its second EuroLeague title, having been crowned the champion in 2017. Fenerbahce might be the team with the fewest victories and the lowest winning percentage of the four teams, but don't think for a second that Fenerbahce is a big underdog in Berlin following a season in which the team and the players set several records and accomplished historic feats.

The Canaries arrive at the Final Four loaded with confidence. After all, they made history by becoming the first team to ever win Game 5 on the road and did it no less than in overtime, which is another first.

Fenerbahce also did so by repeatedly bouncing back. That Game 5 win came after the team had a chance to clinch the series in the fourth game, but lost it at home. Moreover, the entire playoff success came right after an early April four-game losing streak in all competitions, as it appeared that Fenerbahce was reeling at the worst possible time.

But the team showed plenty of character, not only late in the season, but throughout the entire campaign, which is exactly what it will need in Berlin.

Some of the best moments from Fenerbahce's 23-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague campaign.

Top 5 Plays | Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul

Fenerbahce is the first team to make an in-season coaching change and still reach the Final Four since Real Madrid in 2011. Sarunas Jasikevicius took over for Dimitris Itoudis in mid-December, just ahead of Round 14.

Jasikevicius turned things around immediately as Fenerbahce won its first four games under the new coach and seven of its first eight. The team went on to win 14 of those final 21 regular-season games, and 10 victories came by a double-digit margin. Only two teams scored more points the rest of the regular season than Fenerbahce's 87.1 under Saras.

That is also all before the memorable five-game playoff series, in which Fenerbahce won two road games, both in overtime.

Also, you will be hard-pressed to find a team that made, or attempted, more three-pointers, than this Fenerbahce squad did this season.

Fenerbahce has set the single-season record by making 449 triples and heads to the Final Four just seven attempts shy (1,136) of the all-time mark, too. The team shoots from all ranges and positions and has four players who have made more than 40 triples this season, led by Scottie Wilbekin's 118.

Fenerbahce has made a double-digit number of three-pointers in 28 games, including an all-time single-game record of 24 back in March in a win over Valencia Basket. Under Jasikevicius, Fenerbahce is making 12.7 triples per game. In the playoffs, that number rose to 13.4 per game.

Add to the fact that in late March, All-EuroLeague forward Nigel Hayes-Davis became the first player to score 50 points in a EuroLeague game and it is easy to conclude that this team is brimming with confidence in its offense.

And it surely has everything needed to go all the way in Berlin.

It may not be arriving in Berlin as the favorite, but Fenerbahce is as dangerous and confident as any team competing for EuroLeague glory in the German capital

Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens v Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul (2024-05-24T16:00:00.000Z)