The official program started at noon from the pre-Final Four press-conference. To participate in it we had to make long trip through European side of Istanbul to reach beautiful Ciragan Palace.
The event was not very memorable. Dimitris Itoudis and Nando De Colo who represented CSKA were asked mostly about new EuroLeague format. The coach, by the way, noted that the bigger number of game benefits most of the players who prefer to play more and practice less. As for the character of the upcoming games it perfectly describe by Zeljko Obradovic. Fener coach was asked, what kind of surprizes he expects here, and he answer: “Which team’s victory you will consider a surprizing one?” Definitely, this year Final Four is one of the strongest ever.
Itoudis also answered about Milos Teodosic’s health: “He did came back to practices, but he is not 100 percent. But his desire, wish and determination are on the highest level”.
In the evening the team had full-scale practices with parts opened for media.
“Relativity” connections
Olympiacos coach Giannis Sfairopoulos was an assistant coach with CSKA Moscow during the 2011-12 season, during which CSKA reached the EuroLeague championship game, but lost to Olympiacos. Four current CSKA players remain from that squad: Milos Teodosic, Nikita Kurbanov, Andrey Vorontsevich and Victor Khryapa.
Milos Teodosic spent four seasons with Olympiacos early in his career between 2007 and 2011. He won the 2010 Euroleague MVP, helped the Reds to a pair of Final Four appearances and was a teammate of current Olympiacos players Vassilis Spanoulis, Kostas Papanikolaou and Georgios Printezis.
Kyle Hines spent two seasons with Olympiacos from 2011 through 2013 and helped the Reds win back-to-back Euroleague titles. He was a teammate there of four current Olympiacos players: Vassilis Spanoulis, Georgios Printezis, Kostas Papanikolaou and Vangelis Mantzaris.
Spanoulis spent four seasons (2005-06, 2007-10) with Panathinaikos when Dimitris Itoudis and Andreas Pistiolis worked on the team’s coaching staff.
Joel Freeland and Olympiacos forward Georgios Printezis were teammates at Unicaja Malaga for two seasons, from 2009 to 2011.
Important numbers
Nando De Colo has recorded a performance index rating in double figures in 17 of his last 18 EuroLeague games. He has scored in double figures in 18 straight.
De Colo was the EuroLeague regular season leader in average performance index rating with 22.7 and second in scoring this season with 19.4 points per game.
De Colo has made at least one three-point shot in each of his last eight EuroLeague games.
De Colo is ranked first in EuroLeague history in free throw accuracy. He has made 93.19% of his free throws.
Milos Teodosic has scored in double figures and recorded a performance index rating in double figures in each of his last eight games.
Milos Teodosic is in third place on the all-time scoring charts with 2,777 points. Vassilis Spanoulis of Olympiacos Piraeus is second with 3,377 points.
Teodosic is in third place all-time in assists with 1,119. Spanoulis is second with 1,138 career assists. He led the EuroLeague this season with 7 assists per game.
Teodosic has hit at least 1 three-pointer in eight straight and 24 of his last 25 EuroLeague games.
Teodosic is tied with David Blu in 5th place on the all-time list of three-pointer made in Final Four history with 21.
Teodosic has made 22 consecutive free throws coming into the Final Four.
Nikita Kurbanov has made 15 consecutive free throws in the EuroLeague action.
Victor Khryapa has 159 blocked shots in his EuroLeague career. He is fifth on the all-time list. Kyle Hines is sixth with 156 blocks. Stephane Lasme is ranked fourth with 160 career rejections.
Khryapa is eighth on the all-time EuroLeague charts with 236 steals. Real Madrid forward Jonas Maciulis is seventh with 238 and counting.
Victor Khryapa is the runaway leader for career rebounds in the EuroLeague Final Four with 97.
Victor Khryapa is in fifth place on the all-time Final Four charts with 43 assists. Milos Teodosic is sixth with 39. Retired CSKA great J.R. Holden is fourth with 45 assists and Zalgiris head coach Sarunas Jasikevicius and former MVP Dimitris Diamantidis of Panathinaikos Athens are tied for second with 46 assists each.
Khryapa is in second place on the all-time Final Four charts with 18 steals. Teodosic (13) is tied for seventh and will climb one place with each of his next 2 steals. Retired CSKA great J.R. Holden is the all-time leader with 21.
Khryapa needs 3 more rebounds to become first player to reach 100 for his career in Final Four games.
Khryapa needs 16 points and Teodosic 20 points to catch retired Panathinaikos great Fragiskos Alvertis for 10th place on the all-time Final Four scoring charts. Alvertis retired with 145 Final Four points. Next on the list are former CSKA teammates Matjaz Smodis and Ramunas Siskauskas, who are tied for eighth with 147 points apiece.
With his next rebound, Kyle Hines will join the top 10 rebounders in Final Four history with 46.
Aaron Jackson is 2 triples shy of reaching the century mark for his EuroLeague career.
Joel Freeland needs 3 offensive rebounds to reach the century mark for his EuroLeague career.
Andrey Vorontsevich needs 1 steal to reach the century mark for his EuroLeague career and 4 offensive rebounds to reach 200 for his EuroLeague career.
Vitaly Fridzon needs 5 three-pointers to reach 200 for his EuroLeague career.
Past matchups
Wins/losses: 21-12
1994-95 – European Championship for Men’s Clubs. Quarterfinals. CSKA – Olympiacos: 95-65 (+30)
1994-95 – European Championship for Men’s Clubs. Quarterfinals. Olympiacos – CSKA: 86-77 (-9)
1994-95 – European Championship for Men’s Clubs. Quarterfinals. Olympiacos – CSKA: 79-54 (-25)
1995-96 – European Championship for Men’s Clubs. Semifinal Round. CSKA – Olympiacos: 96-91 (+5)
1995-96 – European Championship for Men’s Clubs. Semifinal Round. Olympiacos – CSKA: 72-78 (+6)
1996-97 – Euroleague. Qualification Round. Olympiacos – CSKA: 82-51 (-31)
1996-97 – Euroleague. Qualification Round. CSKA – Olympiacos: 70-79 (-9)
1997-98 – Euroleague. Preliminary Round. Olympiacos – CSKA: 86-74 (-12)
1997-98 – Euroleague. Preliminary Round. CSKA – Olympiacos: 77-58 (+19)
1998-99 – Euroleague. Preliminary Round. CSKA – Olympiacos: 75-81 (-6)
1998-99 – Euroleague. Preliminary Round. Olympiacos – CSKA: 74-76 (+2)
2002-03 – Euroleague. Regular Season. CSKA – Olympiacos: 74-67 (+7)
2002-03 – Euroleague. Regular Season. Olympiacos – CSKA: 77-79 (+2)
2003-04 – Euroleague. Top 16. CSKA – Olympiacos: 80-66 (+14)
2003-04 – Euroleague. Top 16. Olympiacos – CSKA: 69-93 (+24)
2006-07 – Euroleague. Top 16. Olympiacos – CSKA: 64-85 (+21)
2006-07 – Euroleague. Top 16. CSKA – Olympiacos: 83-79 (+4)
2007-08 – Euroleague. Regular Season. CSKA – Olympiacos: 88-79 (+9)
2007-08 – Euroleague. Regular Season. Olympiacos – CSKA: 71-67 (-4)
2007-08 – Euroleague. Quarterfinals. CSKA – Olympiacos: 74-76 (-2)
2007-08 – Euroleague. Quarterfinals. Olympiacos – CSKA: 73-83 (+10)
2007-08 – Euroleague. Quarterfinals. CSKA – Olympiacos: 81-56 (+25)
2011-12 – Euroleague. Top 16. Olympiacos – CSKA: 78-86 (+8)
2011-12 – Euroleague. Top 16. CSKA – Olympiacos: 96-64 (+32)
2011-12 – Euroleague. Final. CSKA – Olympiacos: 61-62 (-1)
2012-13 – Euroleague. Semifinal. Olympiacos – CSKA: 69-52 (-17)
2014-15 – Euroleague. Top 16. Olympiacos – CSKA: 84-76 (-8)
2014-15 – Euroleague. Top 16. CSKA – Olympiacos: 76-70 (+6)
2014-15 – Euroleague. Semifinal. Olympiacos – CSKA: 70-68 (-2)
2015-16 – Euroleague. Top 16. CSKA – Olympiacos: 92-85 (+7)
2015-16 – Euroleague. Top 16. Olympiacos – CSKA: 96-99 (+3)
2016-17 – Euroleague. Regular Season. Olympiacos – CSKA: 75-81 (+6)
2016-17 – Euroleague. Regular Season. CSKA – Olympiacos: 90-86 (+4)
Short dossier
Olympiacos Pireaus, Greece
Founded: 1925 (1938 – basketball section)
Colors: white, red
Homecourt: Peace and Friendship Stadium (10.845)
Presidents: Panagiotis and Giorgios Angelopoulos
Head Coach: Giannis Sfairopoulos
Website: www.olympiacosbc.gr
Trophy case:
- 3-time Euroleague champions (1997, 2012, 13);
- Intercontinental Cup winners (2013);
- 11-time Greek champions (1949, 1960, 1976, 1978, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 2012, 2015);
- 9-time Greek Cup winner (1976, 1977, 1978, 1980, 1994, 1997, 2002, 2010, 2011)
