Five memorable Spanoulis moments in the EuroLeague
In light of Vassilis Spanoulis recently becoming the leading scorer in EuroLeague history, AGONAsport looks back at some of his most memorable moments in the competition.
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Last week, Olympiacos did concede a damaging defeat at home to Fenerbahce in the EuroLeague regular season, but Spanoulis enjoyed an historic moment as the gifted 37-year-old became the all-time leading scorer of Europe’s premier tournament:
Overall, Spanoulis - a three-time EuroLeague champion - now boasts 4,157 points in the competition across 318 appearances, moving into first place of the all-time scoring rankings ahead of Juan Carlos Navarro (4,152). Giorgos Printezis, a teammate of Spanoulis at Olympiacos, occupies third place with 3,112 points.
In connection with his achievement, let’s take a look back at five of his best moments in the EuroLeague:
Panathinaikos - Olympiacos - 84-82 (2008/2009 EuroLeague Final Four)
Spanoulis, then representing Panathinaikos, played a vital role in the 84-82 triumph over Olympiacos in the Final Four of the 2008/2009 EuroLeague campaign. With 05:41 remaining in the fourth quarter, and Panathinaikos only leading by two points, Spanoulis drained a vital three-pointer to carve out a five-point lead. Moments later, after Olympiacos had got back to within four, Spanoulis dished out an assist to Sarunas Jasikevicius who nailed a three-point attempt.
Olympiacos - Barcelona - 68-64 (2011/2012 EuroLeague Final Four)
Once again, Spanoulis starred on the biggest continental stage of all, this time as an Olympiacos player. In a tight, hotly contested semi-final against Barcelona, Spanoulis proved to be the difference between the two teams, tallying 21 points and six assists to fire the Erythrolefki into the showpiece game. In the closing stages, the Greek magician put a dagger through Barcelona hearts with a brilliant shot from behind the arc, before he subsequently provided a wonderful assist for Joey Dorsey’s lay-up. A memorable night.
Olympiacos - Real Madrid - 100-88 (2012/2013 EuroLeague Final Four)
Spanoulis is the perfect player for the big occasion. With Olympiacos trailing to Real Madrid at the start of the third quarter, Spanoulis suddenly came to life, converting three successive three-pointers to give the Piraeus organisation the lead. In superb form, Spanoulis scored another two three-point attempts during the fourth quarter, with the second arriving from way downtown. A wonderful show of leadership.
Olympiacos - Panathinaikos - 68-65 (2013/2014 EuroLeague regular season)
His former employers, Panathinaikos, were the next victim of Spanoulis’ heroics. In the last couple of seconds of play in the fourth quarter, with the score tied at 65-65, Spanoulis took aim from a tough angle and struck gold to send the Olympiacos fans inside the Peace and Friendship Stadium into ecstasy.
Olympiacos - CSKA Moscow - 70-68 (2014/2015 EuroLeague Final Four)
In the fourth period, with the score locked at 66-66, Spanoulis stepped back for a trademark three-pointer which handed Olympiacos a crucial advantage with only 10 seconds remaining on the clock. While Olympiacos did win that semi-final against CSKA, they came up short in the final with Real Madrid, conceding a 78-59 loss to the hosts.
