2001–02 Euroleague

Unification of FIBA Suproleague and ULEB Euroleague

FIBA and ULEB at the end of the 2000–01 season, struck a deal for the unification of the ULEB Euroleague and Suproleague in a new competition, that would be named Euroleague.

The following 21 teams had a guaranteed spot in the 2001-02 Euroleague (8 from FIBA and 13 from ULEB):

• Croatia (2): K.K. Cibona V.I.P, K.K. Zadar
• England (1): London Towers
• France (2): Asvel Lyon-Villeurbanne, E.B. Pau Orthez
• Germany (2): Opel Skyliners, Alba Berlin
• Greece (2): Olympiakos, Panathinaikos
• Israel (1): Maccabi Elite Tel Aviv
• Italy (3): Kinder Bologna, Paf Bologna, Benetton Treviso
• Lithuania (1): Zalgiris Kaunas
• Russia (1): C.S.K.A. Moscow
• Slovenia (1): Union Olimpija Ljubljana
• Spain (2): F.C. Barcelona, Real Madrid
• Turkey (2): Efes Pilsen, Ülker S.C.
• Yugoslavia (1): K.K. Buducnost

Also, 8 teams from Belgium (1), Greece (2), Italy (1), Poland (1), Spain (2) and Yugoslavia (1) accessed the competition via their national championships.

Regarding the 3 remaining spots, there was also a preliminary round in the beginning of July 2001 between 12 teams, one from each of the following countries: Belgium, Croatia, France, Germany, Israel, Lithuania, Portugal, Russia, Slovenia, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey.

Euroleague opening tournament

The 2001–02 season was the first run by ULEB and its company, the Euroleague Basketball, after FIBA Europe agreed that it would no longer organise Europe's top competition. Given that the previous season there were two main competitions, the 2000–01 FIBA Suproleague and the 2000–01 Euroleague, thus two European champions (Maccabi Tel Aviv and Kinder Bologna), it was decided that an opening tournament would be played to determine the unofficial champion. The Euroleague opening tournament was hosted in Ljubljana by Union Olimpija and was won by Cibona VIP, the only guest of the tournament, beating Maccabi Tel Aviv 78–67 in the final.

Competition system

• 41 teams in total with the qualification rounds, and 32 teams at the first group stage (the national domestic league champions from the best leagues, and a variable number of other clubs from the most important national domestic leagues), playing in a tournament system. The competition culminated in a Final Four.

Team allocation

Distribution

The table below shows the default access list.

Teams

The labels in the parentheses show how each team qualified for the place of its starting round (TH: EuroLeague title holders)

• 1st, 2nd, etc.: League position after Playoffs
• LC: 3-year licence

Qualifying rounds

First qualifying round

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Second qualifying round

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Third qualifying round

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Regular season

The first phase was a regular season, in which the competing teams were drawn into four groups, each containing eight teams. Each team played every other team in its group at home and away, resulting in 14 games for each team in the first stage. The top 4 teams in each group advanced to the next round, The Top 16. The complete list of tiebreakers is provided in the lead-in to the Regular Season results.

If one or more clubs were level on won-lost record, tiebreakers were applied in the following order:

1. Head-to-head record in matches between the tied clubs
2. Overall point difference in games between the tied clubs
3. Overall point difference in all group matches (first tiebreaker if tied clubs were not in the same group)
4. Points scored in all group matches
5. Sum of quotients of points scored and points allowed in each group match

Group A

Group B

Group C

Group D

Top 16

The remaining 16 teams were placed into four groups of four teams each. Each team played every other team in its group twice, once at home and once away. The top teams of each of the four groups advanced to the Final Four.

Group E

Group F

Group G

Group H

Final Four

Main article: 2002 Euroleague Final Four

3 May|RD2=Final 5 May |ITA Benetton Treviso|82|ITA Kinder Bologna|90 ||GRE Panathinaikos|83|ISR Maccabi Elite|75

||ITA Kinder Bologna|83|GRE Panathinaikos|89

Awards

Top Scorer

Regular Season MVP

Top 16 MVP

Final Four MVP

Finals Top Scorer

All-Euroleague First Team

All-Euroleague Second Team

Round MVP

Main article: EuroLeague MVP of the Round

Regular season

Top 16

Individual statistics

Rating

Points

Rebounds

Assists

Other statistics

Individual game highs

References

Sources

• 2001-02 at Eurobasket.com
• Awards

References

1. "Final: Bodiroga leads Panathinaikos to European crown!". Euroleague.net.
2. [https://web.archive.org/web/20021216090716/http://www.eurobasket.com/events/eluleb/00-01/eluleb.asp FIBA and ULEB have finally the deal of the reunification of the Euro and Suproleague (2001) - Eurobasket.com]
3. "Results Opening tournament 2001".
4. "Error".