What’s that? You want some unfettered viewing of Europe’s most famous dance team? You got it!

CSKA Moscow Dance Team

Therein, the Lietuvos Rytas ladies are not only wearing some sharp Harley Quinn-looking red and black outfits, but also show some skills in incorporating the roundball into the routine. As this video was shot during a practice session, a few kinks sneak into the choreography, but with a tad more work this could well be the best reason to pull for the Lithuanian side to make the Euroleague Top 16…

This marks the second time CSKA has been chosen for the honor, the first coming in 2005.

As though we needed any more wonderfulness out of the Russian squad, CSKA Dance Team leader Anna Burkina promises that “We will prepare eight new dances with new music, movements and costumes. I hope the fans will like it.”

Hey, BiE is sold already. And yes, video clips after the break.

See you at the Unicaja game!

Could Pionir Arena become known not only as one of the Euroleague’s top venues, but also a top spot in Europe for single ladies to scope out lads?

Seriously. So declares one Ona Mona, penner of the “Sex i Grad” column for website Balkan Insight (a page you can bet BallinEurope has bookmarked). Ms. Mona has her finger on the, ahem, pulse of Belgrade’s singles scene in her writing engaging columns in Carrie Bradshaw fashion. Her latest target is none other than Pionir.

Having previously decided that Belgrade boys were generally buff ‘n’ bitchin’, Ona this week proclaims that “If you’re a gambling woman, trying your luck in love, then the sports arena is the place to be.”

“A smart predatorica,” writes Ona, “knows that these male oases actually offer the richest and highest quality in potential mate material.” In a display of cunning sports knowledge, Ms. Mona goes on to state that “Belgrade and Serbia have some of the best teams in Europe when it comes to major sports, i.e. water polo (think of those tight shorts and wet glistening bodies) and basketball (think broad-shouldered boys taking shots).”

Ona ultimately works herself up into a bit of a frenzy in talking about not only those studboys playing the game, but fans of the black-and-white as well:

“Just the potential for titillation is enough to make me a season ticket holder. Imagine being in Hala Pionir, among a minimum of 5,000 men hyped up for some action. If the home team wins, envisage the chaos, the euphoria. You have to be incurably shy or blind not to pick up at least one guy there. Even if you know nothing about sports, just feigning interest will make them excited…”

Yeah, we know what you mean, Ona.

So there you have it, single men in Belgrade. You’re hot, you’ve got an intriguing Euroleague squad, you’ve got Pionir, and you’ve got smart gorgeous women like Ona Mona on the hunt for you in your home court. I’d say an investment in a 2009-10 season ticket is an investment in your future, wouldn’t you?

As unabashed admirers of the glamorous ladies of the CSKA Moscow dance team, BallinEurope thought it might be a good idea to briefly chat with one of the Red Army’s prettier side – ‘cuz, you know, we’re professionals with a website here…

Former world-class rhythmic gymnast for Russia, team captain and six-year CSKA Moscow veteran Anna Burkina, took ten minutes of out her preseason schedule to talk with BallinEurope about training, the team’s greatest aspiration, and her own sort of devotion. And oh yes, lots of pictures are included.

What is your training in dance and what have you done professionally?
I was in rhythmic gymnastics for 15 years, became a world champion, then finished my sports career and went to dance for CSKA.

How does one become a cheerleader in Moscow, especially with its top dance team, CSKA?
It is very difficult. We have one big casting session during the off-season and a lot of casting sessions during the season. Some girls visit our practices regularly but they cannot reach the highest level – physically, aesthetically. We are constantly looking for new faces.

The CSKA Moscow dance team is known worldwide and is certainly one of the most popular teams anywhere. Do you feel that you have a great reputation to uphold when you are performing?
Surely, it’s a big pressure, big responsibility. And a lot of work: Every dance has its own idea – to support the team, to put the pressure on the opponents, to make the fans cheer. You should give your heart out to every dance.

Do you, like lots of the players themselves, have a goal of performing in the USA or elsewhere in Europe?
Of course, it’s one of our goals. I mean we would like to perform abroad one day; last year, we visited the USA and Canada to watch NBA cheerleaders, to gain some new ideas, experience. But our biggest dream is to perform during Olympic Games.

What is the training/performing schedule like during the season? Do you practice with the team in the off-season as well?
During the season, we practice three hours every day except Sundays, plus two or three games per week. In the off-season, we have only a one-month vacation in July.

What are the best things and worst things about being on the team?
I cannot say that there is something bad in our work. As I said, it is a great responsibility to work for CSKA, to perform on the highest level. As for other aspects, they are all positive.

How long do you want/expect to be with the team?
As long as I can. That’s my life, I like my work very much; it’s my number one priority.

Do the CSKA Moscow cheerleaders have “groupies”? Do you get fan mail?
Yes, sure. I think every dance team has its fans. Ours have created a number of communities on Vkontakte.ru [a Russian version of Facebook]. They send us questions and we answer.

Finally, are you a basketball fan? Have you always been?
I was more of gymnastics fan for most of my life – you understand, why. But later I fell in love with basketball and now I watch all the games available – in the Russian league, Euroleague, and the NBA.

More pictures of Ms. Burkina are available here. And here.

Be sure to check out the following in your spare time; some good reads were published in the midst of the dog days of summer.

Heinnews and European Prospects are covering the U20s and U18 men’s championships, respectively, but the latter also brings the insidious scandal regarding Team Kazakhstan’s Anton Arsenyev. Or Anton Arsenev Alexandrovitch, if you prefer.

Meanwhile, basketball of a grassroots kind is alive and well in India, not least in terms of all-around good guys like coach J.D. Walsh helping organize things over there. Hoops Addict interviews Walsh on his experience on the Subcontinent.

Here’s a comprehensive look at former D-League players now in Europe from the excellently named Ridiculous Upside.

Another column on why Euroleague is superior to the NBA? Sure, we’ll plug that! (Despite a bit of an early dig at Lamar Odom, perpetual savior of my fantasy basketball bacon.) This time, Slam of Slam and Freaknick’s Euroleague Adventures argues on the superiority of the Euro-offseason as opposed to that of the NBA.

Also at EuroleagueAdventures.com this week: Slam provides his take on the performances of Christian Eyenga, Jonas Jerebko, Omri Casspi, Rodrigue Beaubois and Serge Ibaka in NBA Summer League.

Finally, The Hoop Doctors provided a most excellent picture gallery of the San Antonio Spurs’ Silver Dancers cheerleading squad, proving if nothing else that not everything is bigger in Texas. Nor should it be.

And from the Eternal Argument Department comes The Hoops Doctors’ “Top 10 Biggest NBA Draft Busts.” From this side of the ocean, all we can say is “How does Shawn Bradley make this list and not Darko Milicic?”

Have a good week, everyone!

And again.

• ALBA Berlin vs. DKV Joventut

It’s a old-school vs. modern choreography battle here, with DKV Joventut’s more traditional approach spiced by generous amounts of shimmying and grinding placed against the ALBA Berliners’ strange cowboy fetish-cum-striptease number. Already ahead, that button-cute girl at center puts the Dutchmen – I mean, Dutchwomen – over the top. (And no, i don’t want to know how old she is.)

The winner: DKV Joventut

• Asseco Prokom vs. Olympiacos

The Asseco team’s music in the video clip may be straight out of the Eurovision Song Contest catalogue, but damn, these women can dance, the rhythmic gymnastics elements are wonderful, and those costumes (you’ll know the ones)? Whoa.

It’s tempting to say that the Olympiacos ladies have no chance at all; i mean, all they really have going for them against Asseco Prokom’s all-out cheerleading attack are those outfits. Then again, those outfits…

The winner: Asseco Prokom

• Unicaja vs. CSKA Moscow

After utterly smoking the Zalgiris Kaunus girls, 76 to 24 percent, in the first round, the Unicaja senoritas are forced to take on those goddesses worthy of worship from Moscow. And nothing more really needs to be said on that matter.

The winner: Come on, you have to ask? As good as the Unicaja ladies are, they’re never conquering The Red Foxes in my heart. Or anywhere else in my body.

Here’s a little further proof for y’all. (Read: A good excuse to kill more minutes of your worktime with some good unadultered appreciation of, um, the, um, athleticism at work here.)

• Regal FC Barcelona vs. Panathinaikos

How did the Barcelona women destroy Union Olimpija so handily (92 to 8 percent in the biggest landslide of the first round)? With the truly astonishing display of dance, beauty and especially uniform changes – that modified black business-suit look will appear in my dreams for weeks – in their video. As gorgeous and good as the Panathinaikos lassies are, this one’s over. (Note to head of Panathinaikos cheerleader squad: Fire whoever edited your video, easily the worst-produced of the quarterfinals.)

The winner: Regal FC Barcelona.

So go the BallinEurope endorsements for this all-important election which restores one’s faith in democracy. Remember: Vote early, vote often, and happy viewing!

• Taquan Dean hits 8 of 8 from behind the arc.
• Men are really that easy to manipulate. Do you know Milica Dabovic, the Serbian point guard on Fenerbahce Istanbul? I didn’t, but since her pictures in FHM, she has become a star on the European blogosphere.
• Are you younger than 18 and want to practice with Trevor Ariza in Berlin? Check out this website.
• TAU Ceramica wins it at the buzzer.
• The weekly Brandon Jennings watch: 27 minutes and 14 points in a win over GMAC Bologna.
• Who’s the worst FT shooter in the top European leagues? Jason Boone from Göttingen is one candidate, with a candid 9-of-32, or 28%, after 17 game.
• France won the World Championship by beating Croatia in the final this Sunday. Tony Parker received the MVP trophy … oh sorry, French fans, I was only talking about handball.
• Gordan Giricek told French media that in the NBA he was just a number. In the Euroleague, you have been just one line until now Gordan. Ok, that was mean.

Unfortunately I did not see that during half time, but Eva from Dreamcheers sent me the video:

Don’t you think the Euroleague should have chosen some college kids from the US to do that? Nothing against the two winners, but some drunk college guys would have been more fun to see jumping around with the girls.

Speaking of the Dreamcheers, one day in my life I felt a little bit like Jason from SPORTSByBROOKS – hanging out with hot chicks and taking pictures: [singlepic=154,320,240,,center]

I am sure though you rather see the girls without me ..

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But the true fans that I really appreciate are people who also blog – it really is like a big family – the basketball bloggers. Aren’t we different from all these journalists? I think somehow this puts us together (and not only because Mark Cuban said so). I’ve been lucky to get to know people like Henry Abbott from ESPN’s truehoop, Ryan McNeill from hoopsaddict and the guys from “The Hoop Doctors” – of course those aren’t the only ones I want to mention, but I’ve these people from the beginning, and the guys from hoops doctor are the reason for this article.

Surfing around their web site, I found some nice pictures that their fans sent in. As Os Davis mentioned in one of his recent articles, pictures say more than 1000 words; in this case, pictures say more than anything.

Check out Andre Kirilenko:

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(Courtesy of thehoopdoctors.com)

Well, we all have pictures like this taken at one stage of our life, right? Okay, maybe not … but the funny part is that this girl must be very popular amongst European players:

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(Courtesy of thehoopdoctors.com)

These two aren’t the only ones that take pictures with girls. Before and after every game you can see girls and boys trying to get a picture with their star – and so does Pau Gasol. Well, this is special since it was taken at a club; Pau looks REALLY excited and wears the funniest shirt I have ever seen on anyone:

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(Courtesy of thehoopdoctors.com)

Oh yes, it’s offseason for the Euroleague and Viktor Khyrapa, the former Chicago Bull, is now sitting on the CSKA bench, and this is what Viktor is probably doing:

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(Courtesy of thehoopdoctors.com)

In case you’re also interested in NBA players taking pictures like this, the hoop doctors have more of the stuff!