1996–97 FIBA EuroLeague

The 1996–97 FIBA EuroLeague was the 40th installment of the European top-tier level professional club competition for basketball clubs (now called simply EuroLeague). It was organized by FIBA Europe. It began on September 19, 1996, and ended on April 24, 1997. The competition's Final Four was held at Rome.

1996–97 FIBA EuroLeague
League	FIBA EuroLeague
Sport	Basketball
Regular Season
Top scorer	Carlton Myers (Teamsystem Bologna)
Final Four
Champions	Olympiacos
Runners-up	FC Barcelona Banca Catalana
Final Four MVP	David Rivers (Olympiacos)
FIBA EuroLeague seasons
← 1995–96 1997–98 →

In the previous 5 seasons of the competition, the competition's official name was FIBA European League, or shortened to FIBA EuroLeague. This season was the first edition of the competition that took the shortened name of FIBA EuroLeague, as the league's official name.

Competition system

• 24 teams (the national domestic league champions from the best leagues, and a variable number of other clubs from the most important national domestic leagues). The competition culminated in a Final Four.

Teams

Country ranking

For the 1996–1997 EuroLeague, the countries are allocated places according to their place on the FIBA country rankings, which takes into account their performance in European competitions from 1993–94 to 1995–96.^[1]

Country ranking for 1996–1997 FIBA EuroLeague

Rank Country Points Teams Notes 1   Spain 321.667 3 2   Greece 299.667 3   Italy 216.667 4   France 123.238 5   Turkey 93.333 2 6   Russia 66 7   Croatia 63 8   Germany 61.389 9   Israel 50.905 1 10   Slovenia 41.333 11   Belgium 29 12   FR Yugoslavia 26 13   Portugal 24.5 0 14   Lithuania 19 15   Ukraine 15.389 16   Poland 12.111 17   Macedonia 11.778 18   Hungary 10.5 19   Slovakia 8.889

Rank Country Points Teams Notes 20   Czech Republic 8.389 0 21   Austria 6.556 22   Switzerland 6.056 23   England 5.389 24   Cyprus 5 25   Sweden 4.722 26   Bulgaria 4 27   Latvia 3.667 28   Romania 2.778 29   Bosnia and Herzegovina 2.5 30   Luxembourg 2.167 31   Netherlands 1.944 32   Georgia 1.833 33   Finland 1.667 34   Estonia 1.5 35   Albania 1.444 36   Iceland 0.889 37   Belarus 0.278 38   Denmark 0.167

Team allocation

Regular season
FC Barcelona Banca Catalana (1st)	Stefanel Milano (1st)	Efes Pilsen (1st)	Bayer 04 Leverkusen (1st)
Caja San Fernando (2nd)	Teamsystem Bologna (2nd)	Ülker (2nd)	Alba Berlin (2nd)
Estudiantes Argentaria (3rd)	Kinder Bologna (3rd)	CSKA Moscow (1st)	Maccabi Elite Tel Aviv (1st)
Olympiacos (1st)	Pau-Orthez (1st)	Dynamo Moscow (2nd)	Smelt Olimpija (1st)
Panathinaïkos (2nd)	ASVEL (2nd)	Cibona (1st)	Spirou Charleroi (1st)
Panionios Ethniki Asfalistiki (3rd)	Limoges CSP (3rd)	Croatia Osiguranje (2nd)	Partizan (1st)

First round

Group A Team Pld W L PF PA Diff 1.   Stefanel Milano 10 7 3 775 727 +48 2.   CSKA Moscow 10 6 4 761 734 +27 3.   Maccabi Elite Tel Aviv 10 6 4 755 734 +21 4.   Ülker 10 4 6 767 766 +1 5.   Limoges CSP 10 4 6 757 788 −31 6.   Panionios Ethniki Asfalistiki 10 3 7 729 795 −66   MIL   CSK   MAC   ÜLK   LIM   PAN   MIL X 87–74 85–88 67–65 79–66 90–66   CSK 70–55 X 89–80 71–76 74–65 96–66   MAC 78–68 77–78 X 71–65 69–77 69–57   ÜLK 67–73 73–76 84–80 X 99–91 87–69   LIM 74–85 83–66 62–69 84–80 X 78–75   PAN 79–86 72–67 69–74 84–71 92–77 X

Group B Team Pld W L PF PA Diff 1.   Teamsystem Bologna 10 7 3 773 742 +31 2.   Estudiantes Argentaria 10 6 4 798 821 −23 3.   Cibona 10 6 4 713 679 +34 4.   Alba Berlin 10 6 4 755 723 +22 5.   Olympiacos 10 5 5 770 711 +59 6.   Spirou Charleroi 10 0 10 699 832 −133   TSB   EST   CIB   ALB   OLY   SPI   TSB X 100–86 54–66 82–72 81–72 87–78   EST 66–75 X 78–71 82–75 87–78 94–72   CIB 64–72 81–66 X 78–68 63–61 75–66   ALB 81–64 78–79 79–71 X 62–61 94–73   OLY 96–80 110–78 62–61 64–67 X 87–60   SPI 61–78 75–82 73–77 69–79 72–79 X

Group C Team Pld W L PF PA Diff 1.   Panathinaïkos 10 8 2 736 693 +43 2.   Smelt Olimpija 10 7 3 753 669 +84 3.   ASVEL 10 7 3 738 718 +20 4.   FC Barcelona Banca Catalana 10 4 6 767 734 +33 5.   Croatia Osiguranje 10 4 6 630 705 −75 6.   Bayer 04 Leverkusen 10 0 10 704 809 −105   PAO   OLI   ASV   FCB   CRO   BAY   PAO X 75–67 66–72 79–75 72–50 87–79   OLI 74–76 X 73–60 77–65 81–53 86–70   ASV 74–80 70–69 X 91–90 78–59 72–64   FCB 77–58 70–71 78–81 X 68–70 90–71   CRO 58–65 53–66 73–61 65–75 X 86–79   BAY 67–78 77–89 66–79 71–79 60–63 X

Group D Team Pld W L PF PA Diff 1.   Efes Pilsen 10 8 2 793 735 +58 2.   Partizan 10 6 4 777 762 +15 3.   Kinder Bologna 10 5 5 798 773 +25 4.   Pau-Orthez 10 5 5 780 767 +13 5.   Caja San Fernando 10 4 6 731 723 +8 6.   Dynamo Moscow 10 2 8 711 830 −119   EFE   PAR   KIN   PAU   CAJ   DYN   EFE X 93–77 75–60 78–76 69–66 87–84   PAR 76–72 X 78–70 84–75 66–72 97–64   KIN 75–89 100–83 X 86–74 93–75 89–74   PAU 80–78 73–77 89–83 X 85–79 94–71   CAJ 68–70 72–67 72–64 61–69 X 91–61   DYN 73–82 71–72 64–78 70–65 79–75 X

Second round

(The individual scores and standings of the First stage are accumulated in the Second stage)

If one or more clubs are level on won-lost record, tiebreakers are 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 are 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

Key to colors

Top four places in each group advance to Playoff

Group E Team Pld W L PF PA Diff 1.   Stefanel Milano 16 11 5 1234 1175 +59 2.   Alba Berlin 16 10 6 1193 1167 +26 3.   Olympiacos 16 9 7 1236 1131 +105 4.   Maccabi Elite Tel Aviv 16 9 7 1209 1173 +32 5.   CSKA Moscow 16 8 8 1177 1175 +2 6.   Spirou Charleroi 16 1 15 1123 1297 −174   MIL   ALB   OLY   MAC   CSK   SPI   MIL X 80–91 73–71 X X 73–63   ALB 68–78 X X 70–65 78–76 X   OLY 87–84 X X 69–60 82–51 X   MAC X 78–62 82–78 X X 87–70   CSK X 67–69 70–79 X X 80–66   SPI 68–71 X X 90–82 67–72 X

Group F Team Pld W L PF PA Diff 1.   Teamsystem Bologna 16 12 4 1262 1163 +99 2.   Cibona 16 10 6 1166 1126 +40 3.   Estudiantes Argentaria 16 9 7 1309 1284 +25 4.   Limoges CSP 16 8 8 1226 1235 −9 5.   Ülker 16 5 11 1196 1243 −47 6.   Panionios Ethniki Asfalistiki 16 4 12 1162 1325 −163   TSB   CIB   EST   LIM   ÜLK   PAN   TSB X X X 90–76 69–61 94–58   CIB X X X 72–66 82–81 85–58   EST X X X 68–70 97–63 92–70   LIM 81–70 85–61 91–85 X X X   ÜLK 73–78 73–77 78–74 X X X   PAN 72–88 84–76 91–95 X X X

Group G Team Pld W L PF PA Diff 1.   Panathinaikos 16 13 3 1218 1134 +84 2.   ASVEL 16 12 4 1225 1188 +37 3.   Smelt Olimpija 16 10 6 1219 1119 +100 4.   Caja San Fernando 16 7 9 1203 1194 +9 5.   Pau-Orthez 16 6 10 1240 1251 −11 6.   Dynamo Moscow 16 3 13 1140 1310 −170   PAO   ASV   OLI   CAJ   PAU   DYN   PAO X X X 90–71 75–71 71–67   ASV X X X 83–81 67–65 82–52   OLI X X X 67–70 96–86 80–72   CAJ 78–87 91–68 81–76 X X X   PAU 66–78 95–97 77–71 X X X   DYN 88–81 86–90 64–76 X X X

Group H Team Pld W L PF PA Diff 1.   Efes Pilsen 16 12 4 1250 1156 +94 2.   Partizan 16 9 7 1257 1228 +29 3.   FC Barcelona Banca Catalana 16 8 8 1244 1225 +19 4.   Kinder Bologna 16 7 9 1274 1259 +15 5.   Croatia Osiguranje 16 7 9 1055 1124 −69 6.   Bayer 04 Leverkusen 16 2 14 1175 1312 −137   EFE   PAR   FCB   KIN   CRO   BAY   EFE X X 96–70 X 74–64 91–68   PAR X X 91–87 X 71–82 89–76   FCB 69–67 75–73 X 73–72 X X   KIN X X 92–103 X 73–57 90–100   CRO 78–56 76–75 X 68–70 X X   BAY 72–73 70–81 X 85–79 X X

Top 16

Team 1	Agg.	Team 2	1st leg	2nd leg	3rd leg
Cibona	1–2	Smelt Olimpija	61–58	66–69	61–62
Stefanel Milano	2–1	Kinder Bologna	67–59	76–83	78–76
Partizan	1–2	Olympiacos	71–81	61–60	69–74
Panathinaikos	2–0	Limoges CSP	68–67	70–55
Alba Berlin	0–2	FC Barcelona Banca Catalana	77–95	62–72
Teamsystem Bologna	2–0	Caja San Fernando	73–70	79–75
ASVEL	2–1	Estudiantes Argentaria	97–74	77–79	75–71
Efes Pilsen	2–1	Maccabi Elite Tel Aviv	76–67	65–78	84–69

Quarterfinals

Team 1	Agg.	Team 2	1st leg	2nd leg	3rd leg
Stefanel Milano	1–2	Smelt Olimpija	94–90	69–73	61–77
Teamsystem Bologna	1–2	FC Barcelona Banca Catalana	70–65	73–75	62–87
Efes Pilsen	1–2	ASVEL	87–71	70–80	57–62
Panathinaikos	0–2	Olympiacos	49–69	57–65

Final four

Main article: 1997 FIBA EuroLeague Final Four

Semifinals

April 22, Palaeur, Rome

Team 1	Score	Team 2
Olympiacos	74–65	Smelt Olimpija
FC Barcelona Banca Catalana	77–70	ASVEL

3rd place game

April 24, Palaeur, Rome

Team 1	Score	Team 2
Smelt Olimpija	86–79	ASVEL

Final

April 24, Palaeur, Rome

Team 1	Score	Team 2
Olympiacos	73–58	FC Barcelona Banca Catalana

1996–97 FIBA EuroLeague Champions
Olympiacos 1st Title

Final standings

	Team
	Olympiacos
	FC Barcelona Banca Catalana
	Smelt Olimpija
	ASVEL

Awards

FIBA EuroLeague Top Scorer

•   Carlton Myers (  Fortitudo Bologna)

FIBA EuroLeague Final Four MVP

•   David Rivers (  Olympiacos)

FIBA EuroLeague Finals Top Scorer

•   David Rivers (  Olympiacos)

FIBA EuroLeague All-Final Four Team

FIBA EuroLeague All-Final Four Team
Player	Team	Ref.
David Rivers (MVP)	Olympiacos	^[2]
Dimitrios Papanikolaou	Olympiacos
Brian Howard	ASVEL
Andrés Jiménez	FC Barcelona Banca Catalana
/  Dragan Tarlać	Olympiacos

References

1. "Linguasport – FIBA Country Ranking (B)". www.linguasport.com. Retrieved 2020-05-31.
2. Champions Cup 1996–97.

External links

• 1996–97 FIBA EuroLeague
• 1996–97 FIBA EuroLeague
• Eurobasket.com 1996–97 FIBA EuroLeague