Euroleague Basketball is proud to announce that ELEVEN Sports has joined the Euroleague Basketball family by becoming the OTT platform broadcaster for its competitions in Italy, thereby ensuring that all Italian fans will enjoy elite broadcast coverage of the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague and 7DAYS EuroCup.

ELEVEN Sports will broadcast all Turkish Airlines EuroLeague and 7DAYS EuroCup games once those seasons begin on September 30 and October 19, respectively, bringing more than 500 fixtures to all Italian fans. The agreement will run until the end of the 2024-25 season, which will mark the 25th anniversary of Euroleague Basketball. All games with AX Armani Exchange Milan, Dolomiti Energia Trento, Umana Reyer Venice and Virtus Segafredo Bologna – plus other selected games – will have Italian commentators calling all the action of the two top pan-European basketball club competitions on ELEVEN Sports.

The new agreement with ELEVEN Sports will increase the choice of elite basketball sources being offered to Italian fans following the recent announcement that SKY Italy will broadcast EuroLeague and EuroCup games in the country until 2023-24 on an exclusive basis for linear rights and a non-exclusive basis for digital rights.

ELEVEN Sports was founded in 2015 as a multinational group operating sports television channels and OTT services with a combination of linear and digital channels that now reach millions of fans wherever they are and generate billions of views every month.

"We are very proud to welcome ELEVEN Sports to the Euroleague Basketball broadcasters family, widening the options for our Italian fans to watch all our games," Alex Ferrer Kristjansson, Euroleague Basketball Marketing and Communication Senior Director said, said. "Italy, a traditional basketball market, has experienced renewed interest in our sport over the last years, and it is our intention to bring our games as close as possible to all our tifosi."

Euroleague Basketball's importance in Italy has shown solid and continuous growth in recent years, with fan interest jumping 36% and TV audience growing an outstanding 390% over the last three seasons.

"EuroLeague and EuroCup represent the excellence of European Basketball" stated Giovanni Zurleni, Delegate Administrator of Eleven Sports Italy. "We are very proud of broadcasting these two top competitions and this is a demonstration of the growth of Eleven while becoming a big media destination for both local and international sports; we have a big focus on premium rights, maintaining an important space for lower level championships. We want to involve, satisfy and entertain all the fans on a global sports community".

ELEVEN Sports to broadcast all EuroLeague and EuroCup games in Italy

Olympiacos Piraeus starts the 2021-22 season with a few new additions who know the competition well. With those fresh faces joining a talented cast, the Reds will target their first playoff appearance since 2018.

### BACKCOURT

Newcomer Thomas Walkup and EuroLeague star Kostas Sloukas are set to share the point guard duties now that club legend Vassilis Spanoulis has retired. Walkup is one of the best on-the-ball defenders in the competition due to his size, anticipation and high basketball IQ. Sloukas is deadly in clutch time as well as from the free-throw line and gets his teammates involved with his passing skills. He is also dangerous as a spot-up shooter. Shaquielle McKissic is a force of nature, an explosive player with great physicality and outstanding energy. He can change any game with his fast-break dunks, steals and penetration skills. Tyler Dorsey joins the Reds to open the floor with his outside shooting. Adding him gives Olympiacos an extra scoring punch and makes the Reds more unpredictable on offense. Giannoulis Larentzakis is tough on defense and effective on offense. Top prospect Alexandros Nikolaidis and combo guard Michalis Lountzis are in the fight for playing time, too.

### FRONTCOURT

Olympiacos opted to keep its core of big men, led by new team captain and EuroLeague superstar Georgios Printezis. As always, Printezis provides mid-range shooting, highlighted by his trademark floater - with either hand, hustle and a world of basketball smarts. Expect him to be on the court when the game is on the line. Hassan Martin is an athletic player best-known for finishing around the rim and powering the offensive glass for second-chance opportunities. Moustapha Fall has a rare combination of size, coordination and quickness and should make Olympiacos stronger at both ends. Martin ranked second in two-point shooting (72.0%) in the EuroLeague last season and Fall was fifth (70.1%). Kostas Papanikolaou only played 14 EuroLeague games last season but is back serving as the ultimate team player: experienced, committed and able to do many things on the court. Sasha Vezenkov led the team in scoring last season (11.5 ppg.) thanks to his supreme inside-outside skills. Livio Jean-Charles is a solid rebounder who can pull the trigger from deep range. Vasileios Christidis, eager to make his EuroLeague debut, completes a deep frontcourt.

### PLAYER TO WATCH

Sasha Vezenkov comes off a career-best season in which he showcased his many skills. Vezenkov uses his versatility to beat his defenders; he's too big for most small forwards and too quick for most power forwards. Coach Georgios Bartzokas knows him better than anyone and can rely on him to play a major role. That confidence is translated into numbers, too: Vezenkov made 43.0% of his three-point shots, taking 4.4 per game, and sank 88.7% of his free throw attempts. He helped on the boards (5.4 rpg.) and ranked seventh in defensive rebounds per 40 minutes (7.0), proving that he is much more than just a sharpshooter. At age 26, Vezenkov is about to enter the prime of his career and does it in a perfect environment, in a club where he feels comfortable and with a coach who fully trusts him.

### OUTLOOK

Olympiacos had a promising start to the 2020-21 season when it won five of its opening eight games and finished strong with a 5-2 record in its last seven contests. A seven-game losing streak from late January to early March, however, terminated the Reds' chances to lock down a playoffs spot. Finding more consistency is a primary goal and to that end, Olympiacos has looked for experienced players to avoid such problems. Walkup, Dorsey and Fall know the competition well and adjusting to a core of players – Sloukas, Papanikolaou, Printezis, Vezenkov – who have worked together nicely for the best part of the last decade is critical for Olympiacos's success.

Roster rundown: Olympiacos Piraeus

olympiacos-piraeus-in-preseason-photo-olympiacos-eb21.jpg

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Former EuroLeague champion Jonas Maciulis announced that his days of playing professional basketball have come to an end. Maciulis, 36, was born in Kaunas and started his career with Zalgiris, which he helped win the original EuroLeague Junior Tournament in 2003. After a season with Nevezis, Maciulis made his EuroLeague debut with Zalgiris in the 2005-06 campaign. He took part in 12 EuroLeague seasons with Zalgiris, AX Armani Exchange Milan, Panathinaikos Athens and Real Madrid, with which he lifted the EuroLeague title in 2015. In 239 EuroLeague career games, Maciulis accumulated 1,809 points (7.6 ppg.) and 748 rebounds (3.1 rpg.).



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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Zalgiris is happy to have had you in a green-and-white jersey. Thank you, <a href="https://twitter.com/JonasMaciulis8?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JonasMaciulis8</a>, and good luck in your next chapter! 👏 <a href="https://t.co/s15SdbnKV8">pic.twitter.com/s15SdbnKV8</a></p>&mdash; BC Zalgiris Kaunas (@bczalgiris) <a href="https://twitter.com/bczalgiris/status/1435957110005592068?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 9, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</center>

Maciulis won domestic league titles in four different countries - with Zalgiris in 2006, 2007, 2008, Montepaschi Siena in 2012, Panathinaikos in 2013 and 2014, and Real in 2015 and 2016. He also lifted three consecutive Spanish Copa del Reys with Real from 2015 to 2017, Greek Cup crowns with Panathinaikos in 2013 and 2014, and with AEK Athens in 2020, and back-to-back Lithuanian Cups with Zalgiris in 2007 and 2008. Maciulis also won the FIBA Intercontinental Cup twice - with Real in 2015 and AEK in 2019 – and played for Lokomotiv Kuban Krasnodar. He was successful with the Lithuanian national team, which which he won three EuroBasket medals - silver in 2013 and 2015, bronze in 2017 – as well as a bronze medal at the 2010 World Cup.



Jonas Maciulis retires from basketball

jonas-maciulis-trophy-champ-photo-shoot-final-four-madrid-2015-eb14.jpg

AX Armani Exchange Milan kept most of the core of the team from last season and had a couple of meaningful additions that will look to take the team even further after a Final Four return in 2021.

### BACKCOURT

The backcourt for Milan starts with two superstars that remain in the team from last year. Former MVP Sergio Rodriguez will still be the main floor general, and will have the help of superscorer Malcolm Delaney, who averaged 11.6 points last season. New faces Troy Daniels, Devon Hall and Gerian Grant have also been added to make Milan's backcourt a force to be reckoned with. Daniels is an experienced vet with 339 NBA appearances under his belt, while Hall comes from a stellar season in Germany. Grant also shined with Proimtheas Patras in the Greek League. Another vet, Riccardo Moraschini, will be a quality back-up. At small forward, sniper Shavon Shields will remain one of Milan's main offensive threats.

### FRONTCOURT

The biggest signing for Milan this summer was probably the comeback of Nicolo Melli. He started his career in Milan and after exploding elsewhere and having some great seasons, he is back to his origins to lift the team to a new level. Of course, he will be joined by tried and true EuroLeague stars like Kyle Hines and Luigi Datome, who were already a key part in the team's return to the Final Four last season. Another new face in the paint will be Dinos Mitoglou, fresh off Panathinaikos OPAP Athens, where he has become one of the most prominent young big men in the league. Kaleb Tarczewski and Paul Biligha return to contribute some more experience while Gianpaolo Ricci is a new face arriving from Virtus Bologna, where he averaged 6.4 points in the 7DAYS EuroCup last season.

### PLAYER TO WATCH

Even if Milan features a star-studded roster already, all eyes will be on Nicolo Melli, arguably the team's biggest signing this summer. Melli played five EuroLeague seasons with Milan from 2010 to 2015 but it was when he joined Bamberg of Germany that he exploded. In his two seasons there his numbers increased on every front and he was signed by Fenerbahce. He spent also two seasons there and then he played two seasons in the NBA. He totals 207 EuroLeague games, with averages of 7.4 points, 4.7 rebounds and 1.5 assists. Coach Ettore Messina expects that Melli will be the missing piece in a puzzle that already delivered in spades last season.

### OUTLOOK

Milan hopes to go one step further this season, and that only means one thing: making it all the way to the Championship Game. Last season, the Italian team fell in semis to FC Barcelona, but the big goals remain. Coach Messina has kept the core names of Rodriguez, Hines, Delaney, Shields or Datome, and brought in new faces that could be a new configuration that does the trick. In such a loaded regular season, a good start will be paramount, and the first game at home against CSKA Moscow, which will be a tough test right out of the gate. With four home games in the first five rounds, Milan will have a change to build confidence early, which could prove decisive as it works its way towards the playoffs.

Roster rundown: AX Armani Exchange Milan

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AX Armani Exchange Milan reached an agreement with small forward Shavon Shields to extend his contract until the end of the 2022-23 season, the club announced Wednesday. Shields (2.01 meters, 27 years old) averaged a team-high 13.8 points on 43.2% three-point shooting, 4.0 rebounds and 1.1 steals in 36 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague games last season. He was chosen to the All-Euroleague Second Team and helped Milan reach the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Final Four for the first time since 1992. Shields joined Milan from Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz, where he averaged 9.5 points on 85.7% free throw shooting and 3.4 rebounds in 26 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague games in the 2019-20 campaign. He helped Baskonia capture the title at the 2020 Spanish League's end-of-season tournament. Shields also played for Dolomiti Energia Trento, helping it reach the Italian League Finals in 2017 and 2018, where they lost to Umana Reyer Venice and Milan, respectively. Shields began his professional career with Fraport Skyliners Frankfurt of Germany. He is also a member of the Danish national team.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">❗️“Felice di rimanere...insieme”: Shavon Shields estende con l’Olimpia fino al 2023 ➡️ <a href="https://t.co/vMfp5093ch">https://t.co/vMfp5093ch</a><br><br>❗️“Thankful for the opportunity to continue...insieme”: Shavon Shields extends for two more years ➡️ <a href="https://t.co/BpaXIm2kve">https://t.co/BpaXIm2kve</a><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/insieme?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#insieme</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Shields2023?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Shields2023</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/shields3uno?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@shields3uno</a> <a href="https://t.co/4lyqJb8bUM">pic.twitter.com/4lyqJb8bUM</a></p>&mdash; Olimpia Milano (@OlimpiaMI1936) <a href="https://twitter.com/OlimpiaMI1936/status/1435643453946449926?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 8, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Milan extends All-EuroLeague forward Shields

AS Monaco is the only debutant in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague this season. Monaco retained the core of players that led the team to the 7DAYS EuroCup championship last season and added experienced players to be even more competitive.

### BACKCOURT

Monaco signed a brand-new point guard duo, looking for two very different players for depth and versatility. Leo Westermann is set to start his 10th EuroLeague season and Monaco is his seventh club in the competition. Tall, experienced and with a high basketball IQ, Westermann should be Coach Zvezdan Mitrovic's extension on the court. On the other hand, Paris Lee is a EuroLeague newcomer who comes off a strong season (14.9 ppg., 7.8 apg.) with French side Orleans Loiret Basket. Lee is an excellent shooter and a great one-on-one player who makes things happen with the ball in his hands. EuroCup Finals MVP Rob Gray and Danilo Andjusic are set to provide the fireworks from downtown. Gray is an all-around scorer due to his unlimited shooting range, poise and self-confidence. Andjusic developed from a spot-up shooter to a scoring machine who attacks the rim and draws fouls. Yakuba Ouattara is back in Monaco to provide hustle, energy and outside shooting. Rudy Demahis, an up-and-coming playmaker, should see extended playing time during the season.



### FRONTCOURT

Alpha Diallo and Armel Traore should split minutes at small forward, even though Monaco may often play small ball with Gray and Andjusic together on court. Diallo is an interesting addition - a young, versatile and ambitious forward who powers the boards and can score in many ways. Traore, age 18, is set to make his professional debut with Monaco right out of Centre Federal du Basket-Ball. The Principality powerhouse has a new-look frontcourt with many options at center. Jerry Boutsiele is a great rebounder, especially on the offensive end, and an effective scorer. Donatas Motiejunas returns to the EuroLeague for the first time since 2012. He is a natural-born mismatch due to his post skills, shooting range and ballhandling. Donta Hall adds even more power to Monaco's frontcourt due to his rebounding and shot-blocking abilities. Brock Motum, an experienced power forward, can open the floor with his shooting from downtown and is also dangerous around the basket. Ibrahima Fall-Faye provides defense, energy, quickness and much-needed versatility due to his all-around skills.

### PLAYER TO WATCH

All eyes will be on Rob Gray, who finished the EuroCup season in great shape. Gray was named the EuroCup Semifinals MVP after scoring 25 points in Game 1 against Herbalife Gran Canaria and making the game-winning shot on the buzzer in Game 2 to send Monaco to the finals. He did even better against UNICS Kazan, scoring 23 points in Game 1 of the Finals and hitting 25 in Game 2. Gray uses his great one-on-one skills to beat his defenders, take the ball to the basket or create his own shots from any distance. He does it with great determination and a lot of confidence, making things look easy. Gray has dominated the EuroCup like few others in his first campaign in that competition, and now faces a big challenge: repeating the trick on the biggest stage available in Europe: the EuroLeague.

### OUTLOOK

When fans and experts named the EuroCup favorites before the start of the 2020-21 season, Monaco was not a name that was mentioned often but the team went all the way and lifted the trophy. Monaco now needs to take that underdog mentality to the EuroLeague and keep doing what worked well for the team last season: take one game at a time, play with high concentration, rely on Coach Mitrovic's defensive strategies and get its many scorers - Gray, Andjusic, Motiejunas - involved on offense. Monaco should fight for every win and if that happens, set more ambitious goals as the season goes by.

Roster rundown: AS Monaco

AS Monaco in preseason 2(photo Monaco) - EB21.jpg

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Don't miss the first vlog of the 2021-22 season! Directly from Zenit St Petersburg Media Day, Billy Baron talks to the EuroLeague fans.