1995–96 FIBA European League

The 1995–96 FIBA European League, also shortened to 1995–96 FIBA EuroLeague, was the 39th installment of the European top-tier level professional club competition for basketball clubs (now called EuroLeague). It began on September 7, 1995, and ended on April 11, 1996. Panathinaikos B.C. became the first Greek team to lift the FIBA European League championship after beating FC Barcelona Banca Catalana by one point in the final match of the competition's Final Four, which was held at Paris.

The 1995–96 season saw the return of 1991-92 European League champion Partizan on the international scene, after three years ban of Yugoslav clubs due to UN embargo. However, Partizan was eliminated in the qualifying rounds.

It was the last season of the competition that took place under the name of FIBA European League, as the competition was renamed to FIBA EuroLeague, starting with the next season.

Competition system

*42 teams (the cup title holder, national domestic league champions, and a variable number of other clubs from the most important national domestic leagues) played knock-out rounds on a home and away basis. The aggregate score of both games decided the winner.
*The sixteen remaining teams after the knock-out rounds entered the Regular Season Group Stage, divided into two groups of eight teams, playing a round-robin. The final standing was based on individual wins and defeats. In the case of a tie between two or more teams after the group stage, the following criteria were used to decide the final classification: 1) number of wins in one-to-one games between the teams; 2) basket average between the teams; 3) general basket average within the group.
*The top four teams from each group after the Regular Season Group Stage qualified for a quarterfinal playoff (X-pairings, best of 3 games).
*The four winners of the quarterfinal playoff qualified for the final stage (''Final Four''), which was played at a predetermined venue.

Country ranking

For the 1995–1996 FIBA European League, the countries are allocated places according to their place on the FIBA country rankings, which takes into account their performance in European competitions from 1992–93 to 1994–95.

Team allocation

The labels in the parentheses show how each team qualified for the place of its starting round:

* TH: Title holder.
* 1st, 2nd, 3rd, etc.: League position after Playoffs.

First round

Second round

Group stage

If one or more clubs are level on won-lost record, tiebreakers are applied in the following order:
#Head-to-head record in matches between the tied clubs
#Overall point difference in games between the tied clubs
#Overall point difference in all group matches (first tiebreaker if tied clubs are not in the same group)
#Points scored in all group matches
#Sum of quotients of points scored and points allowed in each group match

Quarterfinals

Final four

Semifinals

April 9, Palais Omnisports de Paris-Bercy, Paris

3rd place game

April 11, Palais Omnisports de Paris-Bercy, Paris

Final

April 11, Palais Omnisports de Paris-Bercy, Paris

Final standings

Awards

FIBA European League Top Scorer

* Joe Arlauckas ( Real Madrid Teka)

FIBA European League Final Four MVP

* Dominique Wilkins ( Panathinaikos)

FIBA European League Finals Top Scorer

* Artūras Karnišovas ( FC Barcelona Banca Catalana)

FIBA European League All-Final Four Team

See also

* 1995–96 FIBA European Cup
* 1995–96 FIBA Korać Cup

References

External links

1995–96 FIBA European League
*
Eurobasket.com 1995–96 FIBA European League

{{DEFAULTSORT:1995-96 FIBA European Championship

1995-1996