RIGA (Latvia) - Every European player grows up dreaming of representing their nation at FIBA EuroBasket, and once they manage to get their first chance, they all hope to make a good first impression.
Here's a look at the players who've had the biggest impact so far among those who are making their EuroBasket debut in the 2025 edition.
Neemias Queta - Portugal
Portugal had been waiting 18 years for a victory at EuroBasket, and Neemias Queta couldn't wait for his debut in the competition. The result? A dominant performance of 23 points, 18 rebounds, and 4 blocks to help Portugal defeat Czechia in the opener.
The 26-year-old Celtic is averaging a near double-double of 15 points and 8.6 rebounds as well as 2.0 blocks per encounter after the first four games in Group A.
Nikola Jovic - Serbia
At the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 and the Olympic Games in Paris last year Nikola Jovic presented his credentials as the next big thing for Serbia.
In his first EuroBasket, the 22-year-old Miami Heat forward is averaging 11.8 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 2.3 assists per game. He's also shooting an amazing 73.3 percent from two-point range, 55.6 percent from three, and 100 percent from the free-throw line.
Pelle Larsson - Sweden
Sweden need to recover from a 1-3 start but the way Pelle Larsson has been performing in his first EuroBasket the Nordic team have every reason to believe they can turn things around in Group B.
The young Swede has been showcasing his full skillset in Tampere and is averaging 20.3 points as the tournament's eighth-leading scorer going into Tuesday's games as well as 4.3 rebounds and 2.3 assists per contest.
Santi Aldama - Spain
Following the retirement of the Gasol brothers, and other iconic players such as Sergio Rodriguez, Juan Carlos Navarro, Sergio Llull and Rudy Fernandez, Spain is building for the future.
One present certainty is Santi Aldama, who's playing in his first-ever FIBA EuroBasket. In Limassol, the Memphis Grizzlies gem has put up 13.0 points and 5.0 rebounds per game for Sergio Scariolo's team.
Jordan Loyd - Poland
Every red-and-white fan in the stands of Spodek Arena was in disbelief watching Jordan Loyd take down Slovenia with 32 points over 7-of-8 from three-point range. What's even better, is that he didn't stop there.
The Poland shooting guard continued to deliver offensively against both Israel and Iceland, helping the hosts punch their ticket for the Round of 16 early. He's the fourth leading scorer at EuroBasket 2025 with 28.3 points per game.
Zaccharie Risacher - France
When Frederic Fauthoux needed him in JL Bourg-en-Bresse, Zaccharie Risacher answered the call so convincingly that he was eventually selected with the No.1 overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft by the Atlanta Hawks.
Now that both the coach and the 2005-born forward are at FIBA EuroBasket 2025 with France, Risacher is delivering off the bench. Stephane's gifted son is averaging 12.0 points on 53 percent shooting from beyond the arc in just 18 minutes per game.
Honorable mentions
The new-look France could well warrant a separate chapter, as in addition to the aforementioned Risacher they have several fresh faces stepping up, such as Washington Wizard Alexandre Sarr, who is averaging 9.5 points and 4.5 rebounds but over two encounters, and Bilal Coulibaly, with 9.7 points and 5.0 rebounds per game.
Moreover, Sylvain Francisco has been France's playmaking leader thus far, collecting 13.0 points, 4.7 rebounds and 4.3 assists per game. He had 32 points, 7 rebounds, and 5 assists without any turnovers in France's victory over Slovenia.
There could be another Swede on this list, as Melwin Pantzar has been playing big minutes for the yellow-blues in Tampere. The new Unicaja guard is averaging 11.3 points and 4.5 rebounds per contest.
Two years ago, Arturs Zagars broke the all-time record for assists in a single FIBA Basketball World Cup game when he dished 17 dimes in Latvia's win over Lithuania. In his first EuroBasket, at home, he's averaging 8.3 points and 3.8 assists per game, despite featuring for only four games in the game against Portugal due to injury.
Two first-time EuroBasket participants who have shined in Group D action are Italy's 21-year-old winger Saliou Niang is averaging 9.7 points on 69.2 percent shooting from the floor and Greece power forward Konstantinos Mitoglou, who is contributing 14.7 points on 70.0 percent shooting.
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