Euroleague kicks off with historic debuts and surprises

The EuroLeague 2026-27 begins its journey with a competitive landscape that mixes excitement, uncertainty, and the names of prominent players. Ten games have resulted in a balanced record where Spanish teams share victories and defeats, while the returns and debuts of coaches capture attention in an opening day filled with history and emotion.

The Spaniards in Action: Two Wins, Two Losses

The Barça secured victory in its debut against Anadolu Efes with a score of 89-82, although the match started with difficulties. The Blaugrana rallied thanks to the performance of their veterans: Darío Brizuela contributed 20 points and Kevin Punter 19, almost half of the team's total points, which arrived at the competition with eleven new signings. The experience of both players proved crucial for overcoming a shaky start.

In contrast, Valencia Basket suffered a nail-biting defeat against Besiktas by 94-96. The match was the closest of the day, decided in the final moments when TJ Shorts scored the decisive basket in the last minute. Shorts finished as the top scorer with 26 points, while the locals missed four free throws in the closing stretch and Jaylen Nowell could not connect the winning three-pointer at the buzzer. Nikola Mirotic debuted with 13 points in his first game with the taronja team.

Real Madrid fell to Dubai Basketball in an immediate rematch of the SuperCup semifinal, which the whites had won in overtime a week earlier. The final score was 78-77 in favor of the Emiratis, decided by a three-pointer from McKinley Wright in the last minute. A layup from Andrés Feliz that did not go in at the buzzer could have changed the outcome. Dwayne Bacon was the top scorer with 24 points.

The Baskonia suffered a thrashing against Olympiacos by 89-106 in the Buesa Arena. The Vitorians started energetically, reaching 14-6 and connecting four almost consecutive three-pointers, but a 3-10 run at the end of the first quarter changed the dynamic of the game. Tyler Dorsey and Sasha Vezenkov combined for 47 points for the Greek team. AJ Lawson was the best local player with 20 points.

Return of Legends and New Beginnings on the Benches

The Panathinaikos provided one of the most memorable images of the day with a defensive exhibition against Paris Basketball, winning 91-72. Zeljko Obradovic returned to OAKA fourteen years later, delivering a show of defensive strength that held the opponent to 31 points in the first quarter. Nine of the ten players used scored, with Sylvain Francisco contributing 18 points. Nadir Hifi did not score in his first minutes. The Greek team achieved this result without Nunn, Sloukas, Hayes-Davis, or Fall.

The Bayern Munich of Anton Gavel found itself in trouble against Hapoel Tel Aviv, winning 86-84 in a highly tense match. Gavel debuted on the German bench in a hard-fought manner: Bayern led by eighteen points at minute 32, but conceded a 14-0 run that brought the rivals back into the game. The Germans resolved it with a three-pointer from Johannes Voigtmann with 34 seconds left and a steal from Tobias Jensen in the final play. Andreas Obst contributed 19 points.

In Belgrade, Crvena Zvezda lost to Zalgiris 77-83 in Ibon Navarro's debut as a coach. Jonas Valanciunas returned to competition after fifteen years with 13 points, 8 rebounds, and 24 efficiency points, the best of the match. Chris Jones was the best local player with 15 points and 8 assists.

Tony Parker Achieves His First Win as Coach

Tony Parker achieved his first victory as a coach with ASVEL, defeating Maccabi Tel Aviv 84-74. The French team came into the competition without a win in its preseason: it had four losses in four friendlies and had been eliminated in the French Supercup. Maccabi, on the other hand, had a ten-game winning streak in their matchups, making the victory even more commendable.

The Fenerbahce overcame Virtus Bologna 78-68 in a game that was closer than the score indicates. The Italians, led by Álex Mumbrú, even led 64-63 with six minutes left, but the Turkish defense broke the game open. Talen Horton-Tucker scored 13 points, and Braxton Key, arriving from Valencia, debuted with a double-double.

The Partizan closed the day with a showcase performance by Carlik Jones against Olimpia Milano, winning 92-76. Jones scored 20 points and provided 10 assists, with an especially brilliant performance in the final quarter: eight points scored and another eight assisted in the first sixteen minutes, just after Milan tied at 57.

Standings and Outlook

After the first round, ten teams share the lead with a record of 1-0: Olympiacos, Panathinaikos, Partizan, Zalgiris, Valencia Basket, Barça, Fenerbahce, ASVEL, Bayern Munich, and Dubai Basketball. On the opposite side, ten teams start with a loss: Baskonia, Paris Basketball, Olimpia Milano, Crvena Zvezda, Besiktas, Anadolu Efes, Virtus Bologna, Maccabi Tel Aviv, Hapoel Tel Aviv, and Real Madrid.

The opening day has made it clear that the competition will be open and competitive. The historic returns of Obradovic and Besiktas, along with the debuts of Parker, Navarro, Gavel, and Martínez in their new projects, mark a season that promises emotions and significant changes in the structure of the EuroLeague.

This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Euroliga arranca con debuts históricos y sorpresas