Wikipedia
The Euroscar European Player of the Year Award is an annual basketball award given to the year's best male European basketball player. Its name is a portmanteau of Europe and Oscar, and the award is often referred to as "European basketball’s Oscar”. Any player with European citizenship is eligible for the award, regardless of his current club. The award is judged on the basis of both sports club and national team performances and accomplishments. The honor is presented the January after the calendar year it is awarded for, i.e. the 2011 award was presented in 2012. It was first given out in 1979 to Soviet center Vladimir Tkachenko, and has since then been routinely given to players who fared well in international competitions such as the EuroBasket, FIBA World Cup or Olympic Games. As of 2016, the most recent winner is Spanish player Pau Gasol. Lithuanian center Arvydas Sabonis and German power forward Dirk Nowitzki hold the record for most wins with six each.
The Euroscar is decided upon by a committee composed of coaches, players and sportswriters from 33 different countries. The award is presented by the Italian newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport. It is one of three player of the year awards that any European basketball player can receive, along with the official FIBA Europe Men's Player of the Year Award, and the Italian magazine's Superbasket Mr. Europa Award.