BallinEurope wishes congratulations to skill development trainer Ganon Baker Basketball, which celebrated its 10-year anniversary this week. Among partners and clientele of the company are Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Vince Carter, Amar’e Stoudemire, Deron Williams, Chris Paul, Jerryd Bayless and Kevin Durant. (Not a bad lineup there.)
Nov
0
Skills specialists Ganon Baker Basketball celebrate 10th anniversary
Oct
1
Sabatini on Kobe-to-Bologna: “It’s now his choice.”
The individual wheeling-and-dealing epic of the NBA lockout may be close to done … but Kobe Bryant might be a European basketball for just one game. The current story from Virtus Bologna president Claudio Sabatini, via the club’s official website, is that two offers were extended to the Los Angeles Laker in yesterday’s efforts to bring him into Serie A ball for 2011-12.
After a meeting with Bryant’s representatives on Wednesday night, Sabatini stated that two proposals were advanced: a single-game offer and a 40-day deal.
Oct
8
Revisiting the odds: Which NBA players will come to Europe for 2011-12?
Deja vu in our future?
Kobe Bryant: 1/5 if you believe Claudio Sabatini, 1/1 if you’re a bit more stoic. The Kobe-to-Bologna soap opera storyline continues into this weekend with the Virtus head ever more publicly confident that the Los Angeles Laker will in fact be playing ball in Italy this season – at least for a month.
Most recently, Sabatini announced that he had reached an agreement with Bryant’s agent Rob Pelinka vis-à-vis a 40-day deal that would have Kobe playing 10 games in Milano colors. Something seems a bit amiss with this announcement, however, as the team is not playing in any pan-European competitions in 2011-12, and thus is on a once-a-week schedule. (Maybe. More on this below.)
Sep
5
Kobe Bryant to Virtus Bologna: The plot thickens
Sabatini, the deal maker
While Kobe Bryant reportedly has refused any offer from Italian club Virtus Bologna that does not entail him (theoretically) playing with the team for the entire 2011-12 season, Bologna management appears to be clearing a path to make such a signing possible.
The big news in this direction early this week is twofold: Firstly, Virtus club president Claudio Sabatini has confirmed that a sponsorship deal to pay a multi-million euro salary – an arrangement which the sanctioned Beşiktaş worked in order to pay Deron Williams’ Continent-high contract – to the Los Angeles Laker is in place. “We have a sponsor supporting us,” stated Sabatini on Sunday. “It’s an Italian company that’s known all over the world.” (Hmmm, BiE doesn’t suppose that’s Armani…)
Of course, a bit of a snag hits here, as the sponsorship deal may have been made in the framework of Sabatini’s original offer, which began at $600,000 for a single game and extended to $3 million for the season; ESPN later reported that a $6.7 million pitch (just under €5 million by today’s exchange rate) had been made to Kobe, but at least one website today claims that Bryant has shot back with a call for *$15 million* to play the season in Bologna.
Sep
15
Top salaries in European basketball, 2011-12
Kudos and thanks to BallinEurope reader Agent, who recently crunched some numbers for basketball fans vis-à-vis the top salaries in European basketball for the 2011-12 season. In case you’re wondering why some top NBA names are seriously considering jumping the puddle, check out the findings below.
Using euros as the currency, and figuring for net income, i.e. after taxes, as of September 25th, 2011, the top 10 highest-paid players in European professional club basketball for the 2011-12 season are:
1 (tie). Mehmet Okur, Turk Telekom Ankara – €3.5 million net income
1 (tie). Deron Williams, Beşiktaş – €3.5 million
3 (tie). Nenad Krstic, CSKA Moscow – €3.0 million
3 (tie). Rudy Fernandez, Real Madrid – €3.0 million
5. Ersan Ilyasova, Efes Istanbul – €2.7 million
Continue Reading…
Jul
3
Amidst talks with Beşiktaş Cola Turka, Kobe Bryant nets one
While attending a friendly between the Champions League finalists in that other sport – FC Barcelona and Manchester United – in Washington, D.C., Kobe Bryant was reportedly wooed by Beşiktaş Cola Turka officials into perhaps playing for the TBL/Eurocup side during the 2011-12 season in case of a protracted NBA lockout.
Bryant did not participate in the celebrity match at the event, though he did present the “Man of the Match” award to Man U’s Nemanja Vidic after his side’s 2-1 victory over Barca. BallinEurope has yet to find anything definitive vis-a-vis the all-important negotiations between Mamba and Beşiktaş, but below runs a video featuring the nattily-attired Kobe netting a penalty shot at halftime. Perhaps he’ll be getting offers from Premiership clubs soon…?
Update: According to U.S.-based Sporting News, at least three sportswriters in-the-know have reported that Bryant did not in fact meet with Beşiktaş officials in Washington and there appears to be little chance at present that the Los Angeles Laker will play with the Turkish team this autumn.
Jul
2
Greece’s clubs owe players money … lots of money
While NBA franchise owners are crying poverty (reportedly, some 20 of 30 clubs are losing money), at least the players get paid. And while speculation on which NBAers will play in Europe during a 2010-11 full-season lockout continues – Whoever thought a Sonny Weems-to-Žalgiris deal would be so compelling? – we can now assume that few of the big league’s players will be coming to Greece.
To kick off the week, the Greek players’ union PSAK formally announced what has been rumored through this season and in seasons past: Namely, that most EΣAKE clubs are delinquent in payment.
In a stark post on the union’s official website Monday, PSAK representatives showed the results of “an investigation conducted by members of our association.” The numbers are indeed staggering.
Jul
2
European Vocation: Early fallout from NBA lockout
The NBA fan’s nightmare came to pass yesterday with the expiration of the league’s collective bargaining agreement with the players, the concomitant announcement of a player lockout, and fresh new fear that professional basketball in 2011-12 might not even happen in the ‘States.
BallinEurope’s gut reaction, at least on a visceral Eurocentric level? Cool! Bring on the empty stadiums and bring in the players to Europe! Whisperings since 2010-11 tipped off had some top clubs claiming to be stockpiling cash for NBA players should the lockout happen; combine this awareness with the desire for some of these guys to, you know, just *play* somewhere, America’s loss could truly prove to be The Continent’s gain – at least after the 2011 FIBA Eurobasket tournament, for which, not so incidentally, the NBA may also have a profoundly negative affect.
Jun
1
Angelopoulos brothers resign Olympiacos management; blame corruption, “unethical attacks”
Those Maloofs of Europe, George and Panagiotis Angelopoulos, have apparently given up their ownership of the Olympiacos franchise and they’ve done so in a big way.
In their (apparently philanthropic) run with the Reds going back to 2004, the pair have become known as running one of the freest spending operations in Europe – yet never won a Euroleague or EΣAKE title, while rival Panathinaikos amassed a combined 10 such championships during that time span. Today, the team is rumored to be in the poor financial shape currently plaguing more than a few European clubs – though in a bigger way, for sure.
In a scathing statement announcing their decision, the Angelopoulos Brothers touted their own accomplishments and the good Olympiacos had achieved by adding a whopping $50 million to government coffers. And then the positive was no longer accentuated…
The brothers went on to decry “behind-the-door mechanisms,” “unethical attacks” and, that oft-used allegation of Greek basketball, referee corruption. “Once again this year the decisions of the referees and the usual manipulations determined the champion,” stated they.
(One wonders what exactly EΣAKE officials and team owners would have to gain by rigging the championship into the same team’s favor for *nine straight seasons*. Could it be that, in the 2011 championship series, rampant whistle-blowing in game two aside, Panathinaikos generally spread the offense around better and dominated the Reds’ D in the halfcourt game?)
The official statement from Giorgios and Panagiotis Angelopoulos, courtesy Eurobasket.com, runs below.
May
1
Timberwolves in Spain: Will Rubio sign contract in May?
In case you were wondering whether the Minnesota Timberwolves had given up on Ricky Rubio, BallinEurope is here to tell you it ain’t so. A group of Minnesota Timberwolves front-office types, led by general manager David “Khaaaaaaaaaaaan” Kahn himself, arrived in Spain a couple of days ago and will reportedly be discussing matters with the FC Barcelona guard (plus presumably his powerful parents).
