PRESS RELEASE

Turkish Airlines EuroLeague MVP for March-April: Walter Tavares, Real Madrid

It is the fourth such honor for the All-EuroLeague center

Euroleague Basketball has named Real Madrid center Walter Tavares as the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague MVP for the months of March and April. The towering center was instrumental in Real Madrid's strong 6-1 finish to the regular season, which helped Los Blancos advance to the postseason, securing seventh place and home-court advantage for the Play-In Showdown.

During the March and April stretch, in which EuroLeague teams played the final seven rounds of the regular season, Tavares consistently dominated on both ends of the court. He averaged an impressive 16.7 points per game, shooting a highly efficient 77.4% from two-point range (41-of-53) and 75.9% from the free-throw line (22-of-29). His presence was also felt on the boards, where he pulled down 7.1 rebounds per game, and defensively, where he contributed 0.9 blocks per contest. He posted a remarkable PIR of 21.3 over those seven games.

The MVP of the Month award is now in its 20th season. The winner is named by Euroleague Basketball based on his and his team's performance during the month in question. The award for March and April was based on the seven games that all teams played during that period.

This is Tavares's fourth monthly MV. He was similarly honored in October 2018, November 2021 and April 2023, after which he led Los Blancos to the EuroLeague crown. With four MVP of the Month trophies, Tavares has tied Sasha Vezenkov of Olympiacos Piraeus for the third-most in competition history. Nikola Mirotic of EA7 Emporio Milan is the leader with seven and Mike James of AS Monaco is second with five.

Tavares showcased incredible consistency throughout March and April. He scored between 13 and 23 points in each of the seven contests, never dipping below a PIR of 14 and reaching as high as 28. He also secured at least 5 rebounds in every game.

Real Madrid's impressive 6-1 record during March and April included victories on the road against Virtus Segafredo Bologna, Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade, and Paris Basketball, as well as home wins against LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne, EA7 Emporio Armani Milan, and ALBA Berlin. The team's only loss came on the road at Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens.

Tavares's stellar performances positioned Real Madrid to host Paris Basketball in the Play-In Showdown this Tuesday, April 15. His continued leadership and dominance will be crucial as the team embarks on its quest for a record 12th EuroLeague title.

Euroleague Basketball (EB) is a global leader in the sports and entertainment business, devoted to running the top European competitions of professional basketball clubs under a unique and innovative organizational model. Owned and administered by some of the most successful and historic clubs in the world, EB manages the continent’s two premier men’s basketball competitions, the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague and the BKT EuroCup, as well as the sport’s premier under-18 showcase, the EB Adidas Next Generation Tournament.

The EB competitions bring the elite of European basketball to all five continents and to the entire sports community through the OTT platform EuroLeague TV. EB also organizes a series of community and educational activities, led by the One Team program, in alignment with the United Nations Agenda 2030 Sustainable Development Goals. On the academic side, the EB Sports Business MBA trains future professionals in sports management.