Tribute to the Champs: Krunoslav Simon

Even though he missed the 2022 Final Four due to a season-ending knee injury sustained in the final practice before the trip to Belgrade, make no mistake that Krunoslav Simon was an instrumental part in Anadolu Efes Istanbul getting back to the throne.

Injuries were not Simon's friend during the 2021-22 season and the team felt his absence. During the regular season, Efes had a 3-6 record in games that Simon missed, including opening the season with a 0-4 record as Simon missed four of the first five games and needed time to get going.

Simon has been a glue guy for Efes and its overpowering offense over the years and it was no different this season. A crafty and intelligent player, the 36-year-old Croatian native contributed in many ways despite playing a career-low 21:20 minutes per game. He posted 6.9 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.6 assists, scoring in double figures in nine of his 27 appearances. However, Simon's contributions go beyond the numbers he posted.

Not only has he been an integral part of the team on the court, but off of it as well. In his five seasons with Efes, Simon played 152 games - more than any other player during that span. He is one of only three players – along with team captain Dogus Balbay and Bryant Dunston – who were part of the team that finished at the bottom of the EuroLeague standings in 2018 only to go on to dominate the next four seasons. And now Simon is proud to be called a back-to-back EuroLeague champion.