R
Ryan McDonald
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Utah Jazz guard Dante Exum brings the ball up court during the second half of an NBA summer league basketball game against the Boston Celtics Monday, July 6, 2015, in Salt Lake City. Exum, who left the Jazz via trade in 2019, is now a star with Barcelona in the Euroleague.
Rick Bowmer, Associated Press
Five basketball players who once starred in the state of Utah will be vying for a championship this week in what is widely considered the best league in the world outside of the NBA.
The Euroleague’s Final Four will be played this week in Serbia, and three former Utah Jazz players and two former BYU players represent three of the teams that will be competing.
The first semifinal will be at 10 a.m. MT on Thursday and will pit former Cougar Elijah Bryant and former Jazzman Tibor Pleiss of Anadolu Efes in Turkey against Olympiacos in Greece.
The second semifinal is scheduled for 1 p.m. MT on Thursday and will feature former Cougar Brandon Davies and former Jazzman Dante Exum of Barcelona against former Jazzman Nigel Williams-Goss of Real Madrid in a matchup of Spanish powerhouses
A sixth player with Utah ties, Utah State Aggie legend Jaycee Caroll, played for Real Madrid for a decade from 2011-2021 before returning to Utah at the end of last season.
Efes, whom Pleiss has played for since 2018, is the reigning Euroleague champion. Bryant joined Efes last fall after winning an NBA championship with the Milwaukee Bucks.
All five players are notable contributors for their respective teams.
Should Efes and Barcelona win Thursday, it would set up a repeat of the 2021 final on Saturday.
The championship game is scheduled for 11 a.m. MT on Saturday, and the third-place game will be played just prior to it.
Full Story from the Deseret News...
Rick Bowmer, Associated Press
Five basketball players who once starred in the state of Utah will be vying for a championship this week in what is widely considered the best league in the world outside of the NBA.
The Euroleague’s Final Four will be played this week in Serbia, and three former Utah Jazz players and two former BYU players represent three of the teams that will be competing.
The first semifinal will be at 10 a.m. MT on Thursday and will pit former Cougar Elijah Bryant and former Jazzman Tibor Pleiss of Anadolu Efes in Turkey against Olympiacos in Greece.
The second semifinal is scheduled for 1 p.m. MT on Thursday and will feature former Cougar Brandon Davies and former Jazzman Dante Exum of Barcelona against former Jazzman Nigel Williams-Goss of Real Madrid in a matchup of Spanish powerhouses
A sixth player with Utah ties, Utah State Aggie legend Jaycee Caroll, played for Real Madrid for a decade from 2011-2021 before returning to Utah at the end of last season.
Efes, whom Pleiss has played for since 2018, is the reigning Euroleague champion. Bryant joined Efes last fall after winning an NBA championship with the Milwaukee Bucks.
All five players are notable contributors for their respective teams.
Should Efes and Barcelona win Thursday, it would set up a repeat of the 2021 final on Saturday.
The championship game is scheduled for 11 a.m. MT on Saturday, and the third-place game will be played just prior to it.
Full Story from the Deseret News...