Do you take an interest in basketball teams overseas?
If so, you may have found yourself looking up the best European basketball leagues so that you can scope out some action. Knowing which are the best European basketball teams to look out for is important when doing this.
So, which are the best basketball teams Europe has to offer? Can they compete with the quality the NBA has to offer?
Check out this guide to Europe’s basketball elite and find out more about who’s making waves across the continent right now.
Want to take your best shot at joining one of Europe’s elite basketball teams? Get in touch with EuroProBasket today to learn more about how our basketball camps in Europe can help you go pro.
Where is basketball biggest in Europe?
If we had to pick out the most basketball-crazy countries, then Greece, Spain, Lithuania, Serbia, and Slovenia would be top of the list. In Lithuania, it’s the national sport with its biggest team, Zalgiris Kaunas, attracting a huge following.
Basketball also enjoys great popularity in France, Germany, Italy, Turkey, and Croatia. All of these countries have a competitive basketball league, even if some don’t contribute any of the best European basketball teams to the rankings.
What is the equivalent of the NBA in Europe?
The American NBA league is the most popular basketball league in the world, but the Euroleague offers a compelling equivalent for European basketball fans.
It features the top clubs from across the continent, boasting star players who often transition to the NBA and showcase a tactical, team-oriented style of play.
Just like the NBA, the Euroleague delivers high-stakes competition with passionate fanbases, making it the prime showcase for the best of European basketball.
Reading about these clubs is one thing. Playing on European courts is another.
The European Summer League puts you in competitive games in Valencia, Spain — one to twelve weeks, against European players, in front of European coaches.
Which is better, the NBA or EuroLeague?
In a straight fight, the NBA beats the EuroLeague in terms of star quality, roster depth, and investment.
However, the quality of the EuroLeague has improved over recent years, due to several factors.
- Increased revenue investment from wealthy benefactors allows the best European basketball teams to have higher salaries, although still not at the level of the NBA
The EuroLeague’s rising revenue levels since 2013
Source: Forbes (Via EuroHoops)
- Rule changes that encourage a faster pace of play and offensive skills add to the excitement of games
- Development pipelines that allow EuroLeague teams to source young talent from European training academies.
With continued progress, the EuroLeague could become a truly global rival to the NBA in the years to come.
What are the biggest European basketball tournaments?
The EuroLeague is the biggest European basketball tournament, but there are other competitions in various countries that hold a lot of prestige within the FIBA system.
One that’s always near the top of the “European Basketball League Ranked” lists is Spain’s Liga ACB, which has produced the NBA All-Stars Pau and Marc Gasol. In 2016 alone, there were 39 former ACB players in the NBA.
Real Madrid and Barcelona dominated the ACB for most of the last decade, but the 2026 title went to Valencia Basket, who beat Barcelona 108-84 in game four of the final for their second Spanish championship.
Other notable mentions should go to the Turkish Basketball Super League (BSL), which has received an avalanche of recent investment, and the Basketball League of Serbia whose clubs Crvena Zvezda and Partizan Belgrade are regular EuroLeague competitors.
Nobody starts at Real Madrid. They start by getting seen in Europe — which is what the European Summer League exists for.
The 10 best European basketball teams in 2026
When listing the best European basketball clubs, it’s easy to glance at the EuroLeague team rankings and simply go with those at the top, but we can add another factor to the equation: longevity.
We’ve looked at their performances not just this season, but over the last three years, to help us arrive at the most accurate results for top-quality teams in Europe.
Using a weighting system skewed toward recent performance, here are the top ten basketball teams in Europe since 2021.
10. Partizan
Photo of pre-season game vs Partizán and Fuenlabrada Source: Baloncesto Fuenlabrada
Amid talk of Partizan or Serbian rivals Red Star being left out of the EuroLeague hasn’t impacted the former’s performances over the last couple of seasons.
Although they missed out in 2024, they put in a good showing in the previous year’s playoffs, going down to eventual champions Real Madrid in a tightly fought series.
With their short-term future in doubt, we may not see Partizan on this list for some time, but it’s certainly been a couple of years worth remembering for the team’s fans.
Fun fact: Parizan’s Štark Arena (which they share with Crvena Zvezda) is the biggest in the EuroLeague with a capacity of 20,094 spectators.
9. Maccabi Tel Aviv
Photo Lorenzo Brown Maccabi Tel Aviv vs Hapoel Tel Aviv Winner League finals game Source: eurohoops.net
Maccabi is the most successful team in Israel with an incredible 56 domestic titles during its illustrious history (second-placed Hapoel Tel Aviv has just five).
Their form over the past few years has been solid, with consecutive play-offs followed by entry into the first-ever play-in in 2024.
Their play has been marked by resilience, with the team’s standout player, Wade Baldwin, being instrumental in their success. Support from Josh Nebo and Bonzie Colson, who have delivered standout performances throughout the season, has also helped their performances.
Known for their fast-paced style of play, Maccabi Tel Aviv has been a good watch and deserves its place on this list.
Fun fact: Nikola Vujcic is the only player to have scored a triple-double twice in the same EuroLeague game.
8. Anadolu Efes Istanbul
Photo: Anadolu Efes vs Partizan Euroleague 2023 Source: ntvspor.net
Anadolu Efes has not just cemented its status as a basketball powerhouse but has emerged as a beacon of Turkish sports excellence since 2021.
Capturing the EuroLeague basketball championship not once but twice in consecutive seasons – 2020-21 and 2021-22 – they’ve succeeded in giving the European heavyweights a bloody nose.
Performance levels have dipped since with the team missing out on the playoffs two seasons in a row, but their historic achievements coupled with strong domestic regular seasons means they still deserve to be placed among Europe’s elite.
Fun fact: Anadolu player Shane Larkin scored an incredible 49 points in the team’s 109-86 victory against Bayern in 2019, a record for the EuroLeague in its current format.
7. FC Barcelona
Photo: Tomas Satoransky, Jan Vesely, Laprovittola, Nikola Mirotic, Kalinic Source: euroleague.com
Alongside its soccer team, FC Barcelona Bàsquet is a global superpower that has been the starting point for superstar NBA players Juan Carlos Navarro, Ricky Rubio, and the Gasol brothers.
The team’s strong EuroLeague showings since 2021 put it in a firm second place in the rankings, although there has been plenty of heartbreak along the way. Both 2022 and 2023 saw them crash out to bitter rivals Real Madrid (although they did recover to win third place on both occasions), while they slipped to defeat in the ‘21 final vs Anadolu Efes.
The team has shown plenty of character under Coach Grimau, however, so the best of them may be yet to come.
Fun fact: Barcelona still boast the best season record of 20-2, which they recorded in 2009-2010.
6. Monaco
Photo: Monaco Eli Okobo, Mike James and Donatas Motiejunas Source: EuroLeague Basketball
Monaco’s rise in the EuroLeague has been meteoric. From EuroCup champions to Final Four contenders in two seasons, they’ve defied expectations.
Coach Obradovic took over mid-season 2021 and led them to a playoff series win, while they secured home-court advantage in 2023 and ultimately a thrilling Game 5 victory to reach the Final Four for the first time ever, beating FCB to third place.
The team is built around ambition and the will to win. Their aim must surely be to continue surprising everyone.
Fun Fact: Monaco became the first French club in 26 years to reach the Final Four in 2023 and only the third-ever, after Limoges and ASVEL.
5. Panathinaikos Athens
Photo Panathinaikos vs Alba-Berlin Source: paobc.gr
Panathinaikos made a dramatic improvement in 2023-24 following the appointment of Anadolou coach Ergin Ataman.
Frenchman Mathias Lessort was the driving force behind the team’s runners-up spot as the team showed signs of cohesion with their new coach’s ideas.
The team’s nine wins on the road in 23-24 set a new club record, which has Panathinaikos fans dreaming of a new era of success.
Fun fact: Mike James, who has turned out for Panathinaikos in two spells, has the highest average points per game (16.45)
4. Valencia Basket
Valencia Basket’s 2025-26 squad: Liga Endesa ACB champions, Supercopa winners, and the club’s first EuroLeague Final Four. Photo: Valencia Basket
Valencia Basket just had the best season in the club’s history, and it is the reason this list looks different from last year’s.
They won the Liga Endesa ACB, beating Barcelona 108-84 in game four of the final at the Palau Blaugrana on 24 June 2026. It is the club’s second Spanish title, after 2017 – both won under Pedro Martinez.
They also took the Supercopa Endesa, and reached the EuroLeague Final Four for the first time in the club’s history, knocking out Panathinaikos 3-2 in the playoffs before Real Madrid stopped them in the semi-final. A domestic double and a Final Four in one season.
Jean Montero and Kameron Taylor drove the title run, with 23 and 21 points in the clinching game.
There is a reason we talk about Valencia more than most. EuroProBasket is based inside L’Alqueria del Basket – Valencia Basket’s official facility, 13 courts, the largest of its kind in Europe. Our players train in the same building as a squad that just won Spain and reached the last four in Europe.
That is the difference between reading about European basketball and being in it. See the programs we run there.
3. Real Madrid
Photo: Tavares, Campazzo, Yabusele, Llull, Real Madrid Baloncesto 2023-2024 acb Source: M Jimenez
Real Madrid still hold more EuroLeague titles than any other club, and they are still the standard everyone else is measured against.
They reached the 2026 final and lost it 92-85 to Olympiacos – a fourth final in five years, after finishing runner-up to Panathinaikos in 2024. On the way they ended Valencia Basket’s first Final Four run, taking the semi-final 105-90.
Two finals in three seasons without lifting the trophy is the one gap in an otherwise relentless record.
2. Fenerbahce Beko
Photo source: https://www.fenerbahce.org/
Fenerbahce Beko won the 2025 EuroLeague, beating Monaco 81-70 for the club’s second European crown.
They returned to the Final Four in 2026 as defending champions before Olympiacos ended the run in the semi-final. That is three straight Final Fours – fourth in 2024, champions in 2025, semi-finalists in 2026.
Very few clubs in Europe sustain that. Istanbul remains one of the hardest places in the competition to win a road game.
1. Olympiacos Piraeus
Photo: Olympiacos Kostas PapanikolaouSource: Euroleague.com
Olympiacos are the reigning European champions. They beat Real Madrid 92-85 in the 2026 final in Athens for the club’s fourth title, and its first since 2013.
What made it historic was how they did it. Olympiacos finished top of the regular season and then won the whole competition – the first club ever to manage both in the same year. They removed defending champions Fenerbahce 89-74 in the semi-final on the way.
Georgios Bartzokas has built the side around suffocating defence and a deep rotation rather than one star. Evan Fournier was named Final Four MVP.
So, there we have it, a comprehensive guide to the top European basketball teams currently making waves across the continent.
If you’re a basketball fan looking to expand your horizons beyond the NBA, then Europe’s elite teams offer a compelling alternative with their own unique brand of exciting basketball.
Ready to fast-track your game development at an affordable price? Contact EPB right now to find out how our basketball training camp will help you go pro.
Every player on this list started somewhere.
Get on a European court this summer. One to twelve weeks in Valencia, Spain, playing competitive games in front of people who sign players.
