Alphonso Ford EuroLeague Top Scorer Trophy explained

The Alphonso Ford EuroLeague Top Scorer Trophy, also known as the EuroLeague best scorer, is an annual basketball award of Europe's premier level league, the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague. It is given to the top scorer throughout the EuroLeague season, up until the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Final Four stage of the season. The award, under its current name, began in the 2004–05 season, and is named after the late Alphonso Ford, who was one of the greatest scorers in EuroLeague history.

Since the Alphonso Ford award has been given out (2004–05 season onward), a player could average the most points during the EuroLeague full season competition, and not win the award, since it is only counted for games up to the EuroLeague Final Four. Prior to the 2004–05 season, the EuroLeague's top scorer was recorded statistically, but it was called the EuroLeague top scorer award.

EuroLeague top scorers (1992–2004)

Season Position Top scorer Team PPG
FIBA EuroLeague top scorer (1991–92 to 1999–00)
1991–92SG Nikos Galis Aris32.3
1992–93SG Zdravko Radulović Cibona23.9
1993–94SG Nikos Galis (2) Panathinaikos23.8
1994–95SG Predrag Danilović Buckler Bologna22.1
1995–96PF Joe Arlauckas Real Madrid26.4
1996–97SG Carlton Myers Teamsystem Bologna22.9
1997–98SF Peja Stojaković PAOK20.9
1998–99SG İbrahim Kutluay Fenerbahçe21.4
1999–00SF Miljan Goljović Zlatorog Laško20.2
FIBA SuproLeague Top Scorer (2000–01)
2000–01SG Miroslav Berić Partizan23.3
EuroLeague top scorer (2000–01 to 2003–04)
2000–01SG Alphonso Ford Peristeri26.0
2001–02SG Alphonso Ford (2) Olympiacos24.8
2002–03PG/SG Miloš Vujanić Partizan25.8
2003–04PG/SG Lynn Greer Śląsk Wrocław25.1

Multiple EuroLeague top scorers (1992–2004)

Number Player
2 Nikos Galis
Alphonso Ford
110 Players

Alphonso Ford Trophy winners and top scorers (2005–present)

Beginning with the 2004–05 season, the EuroLeague awards the Alphonso Ford Trophy, in memorial of the late Alphonso Ford, to the player with the highest scoring average before the EuroLeague Final Four takes place. Because of this, it is still possible for a player to lead the league in scoring, but not win the Alphonso Ford Trophy. This happened during the 2006–07 season, when Igor Rakočević won the Alphonso Ford Trophy, but Juan Carlos Navarro was the league's top scorer.

Navarro had the highest full season scoring average in the EuroLeague, at 16.8 points per game, but did not win the Alphonso Ford Trophy, because he did not have the highest scoring average prior to the start of the EuroLeague Final Four. So instead, Rakočević was given the trophy, despite actually finishing second in the full season scoring statistical category, with an average of 16.2 points per game.

Season Position Alphonso Ford Trophy (Top Scorer) Team Ref.
Alphonso Ford EuroLeague Top Scorer Trophy (2004–05 to present)
2004–05SG Charles Smith Scavolini Pesaro20.7
2005–06SG Drew Nicholas Benetton Treviso18.5
2006–07SG Igor Rakočević Tau Cerámica16.2
2007–08PF Marc Salyers Roanne21.8
2008–09SG Igor Rakočević (2) Tau Cerámica18.0
2009–10PF Linas Kleiza Olympiacos17.1
2010–11SG Igor Rakočević (3) Efes Pilsen17.2[1]
2011–12PG Bo McCalebb Montepaschi Siena16.9[2]
2012–13PG Bobby Brown Montepaschi Siena18.8[3]
2013–14SG Keith Langford EA7 Milano17.6[4]
2014–15PG Taylor Rochestie Nizhny Novgorod18.9
2015–16SG Nando de Colo CSKA Moscow18.9[5]
2016–17SG Keith Langford (2) UNICS21.8[6]
2017–18SG Khimki21.8[7] [8]
2018–19PG Mike James AX Armani Exchange Milan20.2[9]
2019–20(Not awarded)SG Shane Larkin Anadolu Efes22.2
2020–21SG Alexey Shved (2) Khimki19.8[10]
2021–22PG Vasilije Micić Anadolu Efes18.2[11]
2022–23PF Sasha Vezenkov Olympiacos17.6[12]
2023–24SG Markus Howard Baskonia19.5[13]
Notes:

Juan Carlos Navarro was the Top scorer[14] of the 2006–07 season, while Igor Rakočević was the Alphonso Ford Trophy winner.[15]

There was no awarding in the 2019–20, because the season was cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic in Europe.

Honors since the 2004–05 season

Players

Number Player
3 Igor Rakočević
2 Keith Langford
Alexey Shved
1 Bobby Brown
Nando de Colo
Linas Kleiza
Bo McCalebb
Drew Nicholas
Taylor Rochestie
Marc Salyers
Charles Smith
Mike James
Vasilije Micić
Sasha Vezenkov
Markus Howard

Player nationality

Number Country
8 United States
4 Serbia
2 Russia
1 France
Lithuania
Macedonia
Montenegro
Bulgaria

Teams

Number Team
3 Baskonia
2 Mens Sana
Olympiacos
Olimpia Milano
Khimki
Anadolu Efes
1 Treviso
Chorale Roanne
CSKA Moscow
Nizhny Novgorod
UNICS
Victoria Libertas Pesaro

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Alphonso Ford Top scorer Trophy: Igor Rakocevic, Efes Pilsen. Euroleague.net. 9 May 2014.
  2. Web site: Montepaschi Siena's Bo McCalebb wins Alphonso Ford Top scorer Trophy. Euroleague.net. 9 May 2014.
  3. Web site: Montepaschi Siena's Bobby Brown wins Alphonso Ford Top scorer Trophy. Euroleague.net. 9 May 2014.
  4. Web site: Alphonso Ford Top scorer Trophy goes to Keith Langford, EA7 Emporio Armani Milan. Euroleague.net. 9 May 2014.
  5. Web site: 2015-16 Alphonso Ford Top scorer Trophy: Nando De Colo, CSKA Moscow. Euroleague.net. 3 May 2016.
  6. Web site: Alphonso Ford Top scorer Trophy goes to Keith Langford of Unics!. Euroleague.net. 8 May 2017.
  7. http://www.euroleague.net/news/i/8pww997bgoa63bjs/euroleague-alphonso-ford-top-scorer-alexey-shved-khimki EuroLeague Alphonso Ford Top scorer: Alexey Shved, Khimki.
  8. https://www.eurohoops.net/en/euroleague/670493/euroleague-alphonso-ford-top-scorer-alexey-shved-khimki/ EuroLeague Alphonso Ford Top scorer: Alexey Shved.
  9. https://www.euroleague.net/news/i/9na65cwgf46e3tem/alphonso-ford-top-scorer-mike-james-milan Alphonso Ford Top scorer: Mike James, Milan
  10. Web site: Alphonso Ford Top scorer Trophy: Alexey Shved, Khimki. Euroleague.net. 12 May 2021.
  11. Web site: 2021-22 Alphonso Ford Top scorer Trophy winner: Vasilije Micic, Anadolu Efes Istanbul. Euroleague.net. 9 May 2022.
  12. Web site: Sasha Vezenkov captures the 2022-23 Ford Top scorer Trophy EuroLeague . 2023-05-12 . Euroleague Basketball . en-GB.
  13. Web site: 2024-05-09 . Baskonia’s Markus Howard wins the 2023-24 Alphonso Ford Top Scorer Trophy EuroLeague . 2024-05-09 . Euroleague Basketball . en-GB.
  14. http://www.euroleague.net/main/statistics?mode=Leaders&entity=Players&seasonmode=Single&seasoncode=E2006&cat=Score&agg=PerGame Statistics RANK PLAYER POINTS AVE. 1 NAVARRO, JUAN CARLOS 16.77
  15. http://www.euroleague.net/news/i/84901/alphonso-ford-top-scorer-trophy-igor-rakocevic-efes-pilsen Alphonso Ford Top scorer Trophy: Igor Rakocevic, Efes Pilsen.