The EuroLeague tips off on September 24.
From that moment on, we’re in for eight months of non-stop basketball, with barely enough time to process one night before the next one arrives.
Still, there are some dates worth circling on the calendar.
Here are five games you won’t want to miss.
Željko Obradović’s First Night Back at OAKA – September 24
OAKA looks very different from the arena Željko Obradović left behind in 2012, after 13 extraordinary seasons with Panathinaikos.
The arena has changed.
The passion of the fans – and their love for the most decorated coach in European basketball history – hasn’t.
Opening night always carries an extra buzz after months without EuroLeague basketball, but there will be something special in the air in Athens when Paris comes to town.
Expect a packed OAKA, a flood of images and videos across social media, and the beginning of a new era for a loaded Panathinaikos team.
With Obradović on the bench.
Obradović Returns to Belgrade – October 13
When Obradović returned to Partizan in 2021 after almost three decades away, expectations were enormous.
His presence and authority unquestionably put Partizan back on the European basketball map, but in terms of results, more was expected.
His departure was bitter and emotional. Partizan fans did absolutely everything they could to convince Obradović to stay. In the end, it wasn’t enough.
For months after his departure, they continued to chant his name. Cardboard cutouts of his face became a permanent feature in the stands.
One thing is certain: Obradović will forever remain a Partizan legend.
Now he’ll return to Belgrade as the coach of the opposing team.
It’s going to feel strange.
Emotions will be running high on both sides.
October 13 won’t feel like an ordinary night in Belgrade.
A Rematch of Last Year’s Final – November 20
The EuroLeague has succeeded in many areas, but it has yet to create many great rivalries that transcend national borders.
Considering how last season’s final between Real Madrid and Olympiacos unfolded, however, their next meeting will undoubtedly carry a little extra edge.
Real believe the officiating went against them and helped Olympiacos, particularly in the closing stages of the game.
The November 20 meeting will take place in Piraeus.
The talent alone would have made this appointment viewing.
Now both sides will have a little extra motivation.
Shane Larkin Returns to His Old Home – January 7
Eight years and two EuroLeague titles later, Shane Larkin left Anadolu Efes.
Most Efes fans probably wouldn’t have held his departure against him.
Leaving for Fenerbahçe?
That’s different.
Efes may not have the most intimidating fan base in the EuroLeague, but Larkin can still expect a heated reception when he returns in early 2027.
It will surely feel strange for him, too – playing against the team that defined his career in Europe for the first time.
In several interviews, Larkin has explained why he left: too many changes within the team, promises that weren’t kept…
In one word: stability.
And then there was this:
“Fenerbahçe has one of the biggest fan bases in the world. I’m happy to be part of that and to have that kind of support behind me. I haven’t had anything like that before in Europe. Of course, I played for Baskonia and Efes, and both clubs have amazing fans. I love them and I’m grateful to all of them. But being part of a club like Fenerbahçe is something completely different.”
Pedro Martínez Comes Home – April 1
Pedro Martínez spent Pedro Martínez spent four years across two spells with Valencia.
Ask almost any Valencia fan, though, and it feels as if he was there much longer.
Last season was the kind of season Valencia fans dream about. Martínez – the architect of a team that played beautiful basketball – will never be forgotten.
Now he’s taken over at Real Madrid, where the stakes and expectations are on a completely different level.
The two teams will first meet in Madrid, and who knows what might happen between then and April 1.
But one thing is certain.
Valencia will know how to welcome home its hero.
And Then There Are the Classics
We don’t really need to tell you about these.
You already know.
The Athens derbies between Panathinaikos and Olympiacos. The Eternal Derby in Belgrade between Partizan and Crvena zvezda.
Every basketball fan waits for those.
Barcelona against Real Madrid always feels special as well.
And because this is the EuroLeague, somewhere along the way a game nobody has circled yet will suddenly become must-see basketball.
Check out the full schedule HERE.
