The FIBA EuroBasket 2025 is just a couple of days away, and you can feel the energy in the air, which should not be a huge surprise, given that this is one of the most prestigious international tournaments all around the world. So, for the upcoming weeks, all eyes will be on the courts of Cyprus, Finland, Poland, and Latvia, where we’ll see some of the best teams in the world compete for the European championship.

However, while the championship will be something that will be on the minds of each of the 24 elite teams heading to the tournament, that’s not the only honor up for grabs. That’s because the EuroBasket, apart from honoring winners, also ensures that other outstanding contributions receive similar recognition through a series of awards.

These honors promote leadership, skill, and potential, making them an important part of the legacy of the 90-year competition. But wait, do you know what these honors are? Which players can win them? Probably not, right? Well, don’t worry, because we’ve got you covered. So, here’s a detailed list of all the honors on the line at the FIBA EuroBasket 2025.

Most Valuable Player (MVP)

This is an honor that most of the NBA or just basketball fans in general would be aware of, because just as the name suggests, the Most Valuable Player or MVP trophy is handed to the most dominant and consistent player throughout the tournament. To win this prestigious award, the player must have a meaningful impact and an overall great tournament.

This includes all aspects of the court, all the way from scoring to game-changing ability. Not just that, it’s also the highest individual honor a player can receive at the FIBA EuroBasket, similar to what we see in the NBA (but the winners are not picked by a media panel). That’s why only the best of the best can contest to be the MVP of EuroBasket.

Previous winner: Willy Hernangómez

All-Tournament Team (All-Star Five)

The All-Tournament Team, or often referred to as the All-Star Five, is an honor bestowed upon the five best players in each position. This includes guards, forwards, and a center. More often than not, these players are from teams that have made a deep playoff run, and they contributed significantly to that run.

So, you could even go as far as saying the All-Star Five are the five best players from each position on the court throughout the tournament. That’s why you could expect stars like Nikola Jokic, Giannis Antetokounmpo (he made the cut in the last edition), or even Luka Doncic to be part of this dream team once the competition concludes.

Previous winners: Willy Hernangómez, Lorenzo Brown, Rudy Gobert, Dennis Schroder, & Giannis Antetokounmpo

All-Tournament Second Team

As you could assume, picking up just five best players out of the 24 participating nations can be a tedious task, and a few might not make it despite playing great basketball. Here’s where the All-Tournament Second Team comes in; it features the next best five players who did not make the All-Tournament Team.

While it might not hold as much prestige as making the All-Star Five, it’s FIBA’s way of recognizing talent and effort made by the competing players. Similar to the tournament team, this is also a dream team made up of the five best players at each position. So, it should be interesting to see which players make the cut on both these teams in the FIBA EuroBasket 2025.

Best Defensive Player

It’s often said that offense wins you games, defense wins you championships. So, it would be disrespectful if the best defender in the competition did not receive recognition for his efforts to consistently stop some of the best players in the world in their tracks. In fact, the name of this word does all the talking as it is handed to the best defender of the tournament.

Rising Star Award

While we now know that there’s an award for the best player throughout the tournament, what about the best young talent? Well, for that, the Rising Star Award is given to the best player under the age of 22 years. This recognizes the up-and-coming talent and players who will be worth keeping an eye on when the next edition comes around.

Best Coach

Well, it’s not just players who deserve all the recognition; coaches also play a vital role in a team’s victory throughout the tournament. In fact, their preparations began even before the competition tipped off. All the way from qualification to friendlies and finally the real deal, coaches have to always be on their toes and think about the next move.

That’s why it’s only right to recognize their contribution to a team’s overall success. The Best Coach award is handed out to the best coach throughout the tournament. While there was no best coach award handed out in the last edition, if there was, Spain’s head coach Sergio Scariolo would’ve definitely won the honors for leading his national team to a gold medal.

These are all the honors for which all of the top European nations will be locking horns, apart from, of course, the championship. So, it should be interesting to see which players and coaches can claim these as we eagerly await the EuroBasket 2025.