BallinEurope, the European Basketball news site

Yet another strange twist in the NBA Nuclear Winter! BallinEurope was tipped off by European Prospects’ Christophe about a Germany-based Die Welt story which has Kevin Durant signing with … BBC Bayreuth. Indeed, club spokesman Michael Birkhan is quoted as saying that “We expect a decision [from Durant] on Wednesday.” (BiE’s assuming that means next Wednesday…)

The story notes that Maccabi Tel Aviv (who reportedly is gunning for just about every locked-out NBA player these days) and Valencia Basket were also in the running for the Oklahoma City Thunderer’s services and a bizarre arrangement may be in the cards for the three clubs: With Bayreuth potentially having worked out a sponsorship deal that would pay Durant’s salary for three weeks, Die Welt imagines that a deal in which K.D. “played in November in Valencia, during the first half of December in Tel Aviv and after Christmas in Bayreuth” is not out of the question.

Wow, Kevin Durant: The European Tour, eh?

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BallinEurope welcomes another NBA player to the Continent this afternoon with the long-awaiting signing of Omri Casspi with Maccabi Tel Aviv today reportedly a reality, according to the Cleveland Plains-Dealer.

The locked-out Cavalier first expressed frustration with the NBA Players’ Union this weekend and took Israel’s Euroleague club up on its longstanding offer. Writes Tom Reed: “Cavaliers swingman Omri Casspi has opted to play overseas until the NBA lockout ends. … Casspi, acquired from the Sacramento Kings in the offseason, has been long rumored to return to Israel during the work stoppage. He also had been considering a team in Italy. … Kyrie Irving is believed to be weighing his international options, as well.”

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Yahoo! Sports this morning reported that at least three major clubs – Euroleaguers Maccabi Tel Aviv, EuroCup side Valencia Basket and, interestingly enough, BBC Bayreuth of Germany – have put forth offers for Oklahoma City Thunder superstar Kevin Durant to play in Europe while the NBA player lockout continues.

And according to Spain-based basketball website TuBasket.com, this marks the second time Valencia club officials have put forth an offer to Durant. “Weeks ago” the club reportedly began the bargaining process with the Thunderer, first putting forth an offer of €200,000 (about $275,000) per month, which was subsequently upped to €475,000 ($650,000). Durant’s asking price was €675,000 ($928,000).

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Locked-out New Jersey Net Jordan Farmar continued his personal drive to history in impressive fashion against Real Madrid on Thursday night. Farmar contributed a huge 35 overall performance index rating based on 27 points on 10-of-12 overall shooting to go with five assists in Maccabi Tel Aviv’s 88-82 win. The official Euroleague writeup on the EL’s top five performers of week three follows, along with a Farmar-filled highlight reel.

(Euroleague) – Jordan Farmar delivered his finest performance to date since joining Maccabi Electra Tel Aviv over the summer, leading the Israeli champs to an 88-82 victory over Real Madrid and earn Week 3 bwin MVP honors.

Farmar, a Euroleague rookie, had big shoes to fill this season when he took the spot in the starting lineup of All-Euroleague point guard Jeremy Pargo, who led the Israeli champs to the EL title game last season. But in a highly-anticipated showdown against the team Maccabi bested in the semifinals at last season’s Final Four in Barcelona, Farmar came through using his speed, shot-making ability and ball-handling skills to post big numbers: He finished with 27 points on 9-of-11 two-point shooting, made his only three-point attempt, and added five assists, four rebounds and eight fouls drawn for a performance index rating of 35, which was best in the Euroleague this week.

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Here’s an early nomination for video clip of the week: Check out Richard Hendrix of Maccabi Tel Aviv going to work in a Chance Cup game against Barak Netanya. With the Euroleague side already well into a laugher and up 81-41 in the third quarter (final score 117-66), Hendrix takes the occasion to kiss the sky with a brilliant one-handed jam. Look out, Euroleague…

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European basketball leagues and the NBA may be coming to a close for 2010-11, but there’s still plenty of hoops to keep up with – and even more online video clips for the watching! BallinEurope starts your Sunday with a dozen clips shot in the U.S., Greece, Spain, Israel and other locales. Enjoy today’s action (Olympiacos-Panathinaikos! ACB semifinals!) … after checking out BiE’s playlist, of course.

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If you hear expressions like “history in the making” and “significance” and “immortality” during the 2011 Euroleague Final Four, rest assured that this is no exaggeration, for an EL championship from one team will not only prove the existence of God but once and for all will finally settle the debate as to His favorite sports team.

The team on an incidental mission is Maccabi Tel Aviv; few, it would seem, gave the Israeli side less of a chance to be in this tournament than head coach David Blatt himself. Speaking with Blatt back in February, heinnews ran an extensive interview with the man which was capped by the following exchange.

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And suddenly, the Spanish influence on the Euroleague has been reduced to just one team in the final four – exactly as many squads as Greece, Israel and Italy’ll have. Caja Laboral in the end just didn’t have enough answers for Maccabi Tel Aviv’s depth and star power, while Panathinaikos displayed the blueprint for taking out FC Barcelona in dominating the baseline and constantly playing the aggressor in driving time and again to the basket. (Of course, it helps if you have Dimitris Diamantidis in the lineup as well…)

And kudos to Montepaschi Siena for successfully shrugging off a horrible game one loss in what might have been a disaster for morale while reestablishing the hyperquick-moving, high-scoring offense that had faltered a bit in the Top 16 round.

Real Madrid hosts Power Electronics Valencia on “Wednesday or Thursday” to determine the last entry into the Euroleague Final Four, and – BiE’s repeating it here out of shock – España’s only team to go this far.

Highlights from last night’s games, as well as the officially-selected top five plays, follow.

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Slightly belated congratulations from BallinEurope go out to the women of Elitzur Ramla for their recent coronation as 2011 FIBA Eurocup Women champions by dint of a 61-53 victory over Arras Pays d’Artois in France.

In the match, second leg in the two-game playoff format, Elitzur dug themselves an eight-point hole early but stormed back with a 20-2 run in the first half. Elitzur’s Laine Selwyn and Le’Coe Willingham led all scorers by contributing 15 points each. Teammate/Team Israel and former New York Liberty/University of Marylander Shay Doron accounted for 14, including 10 in the first half.

Israeli hoops pundits are welcoming home the squad while proudly noting Elitzur’s status as “the first Israeli women’s basketball team to lift a European title.”

Official FIBA Europe game writeup follows; apparently, no video of this final is really publicly available online…

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One old-timer’s name popping up in the news lately is former Maccabi Tel Aviv/Team USA great Tal Brody.

Actually, to define Brody as “great” in his years with Maccabi is overwhelming understatement, as the man’s career has weaved a thread through the club’s and, to an arguable extent (and o, it will be argued; see below) Israeli basketball history. A brief retelling of the man’s career highlights, then.

Though drafted by the Baltimore Bullets, Brody never played in the NBA and instead got with Maccabi Tel Aviv for the 1966-67 season. Maccabi immediately ascended to the European Champions Cup final four round with Brody starting in the shooting guard spot. Military commitments returned Brody to the ‘States for a couple of years and he played with on fifth-place Team USA at the 1970 FIBA World Championship.

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