BallinEurope, the European Basketball news site

BallinEurope will relate this item to basketball, though there are riffs aplenty to all of American sports in Steve Porter’s work – no matter. This DJ’s work is simply “fantastic” and “amazing” and well worth a listen or 500 by anyone who digs bitchin’ dance music.

Porter perhaps first entered the mainstream consciousness through good ol’ YouTube and other social networking-type stuff. Last year, Porter assembled an amazing remix of about a half-dozen famous media meltdowns ‘n’ blowups, called it “Press Hop,” posted it to the ‘Tube, and surely watched it quickly go viral: Today, Porter’s own posting has accumulated over 2.6 million views (and only about half of those were BiE’s).

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Haislep to join Baskonia

Baskonia fans had better brace themselves for a minor flurry of roster moves in coming days, as Lior Eliyahu may be returning to Maccabi Tel Aviv with the arrival of Marcus Haislip – plus Nemanja Bjelica’s coming aboard as well.

Spanish media, via Israel-based Haaretz, this morning reckons that hometown boy Eliyahu is “expendable” with the impending/completed signing of Panathinaikos’ Marcus Haislip. The logical choice for Eliyahu thereafter would be Tel Aviv, the team with which he had played for three seasons.

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While Los Angeles Lakers’ second-round draft pick Derrick Caracter impressed in NBA summer league play – even to rank third behind John Wall and DeMarcus Cousins in the NBA.com “Rookie Ladder” – the former UTEP Miner may yet have to wait one more year to play in the big league. No matter, though, as reportedly some four major European clubs are interesting in obtaining the services of the big man.

After missing one season in college ball due to a transfer out of Rick Pitino’s Louisville, Caracter stomped through the 2009-10 NCAA season in producing a line of 14.1 points, 8.1 rebounds, 0.9 blocks and 1.0 steals per game: stats impressive enough to earn Caracter the label of The Second-Round Steal of the 2010 NBA Draft.

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(Please excuse BallinEurope’s more personal tone today; trust me, i have as healthy a loathing for usage of the first-person in sports blogging as you no doubt do. On the other hand, it is called *You*Tube.)

When i was coming of age in the Cold War 1980s, there wasn’t one basketball universe but rather two developing in parallel. While we were thrilling to the likes of Bird ‘n’ Magic and Pat Riley’s coaching, Eastern European hoops were witness to studs such as Valdis Valters, the immortal Arvydas Sabonis and mighty mastermind Alexander Gomelsky.

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BallinEurope nears the end of The 35 Greatest Basketball YouTubes of All-Time with truly the cream of the crop from YouTube contributors. Today, we’ve got adrenaline-inducing excitement, record-breaking achievement, history-making tournament action, and the addiction of 2001.

And apologies in advance to a certain fan demographic for no. 3 on this list; y’all can console yourselves again with YouTube no. 8, if you’d like – or just skip to no. 2.

5. Cibona Zagreb vs. Partizan Belgrade, 2010 Adriatic League championship, with a finish probably even better than “0.4.” Those who saw this game or even saw this video fresh were blown away. ESPN’s Bill Simmons tweeted about it and Henry Abbott, El Hefe de ESPN TrueHoop Network, once called this clip goosebump-inducing: That’s endorsement enough for BiE.

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BallinEurope promised you superstars for this five-pack in The 35 Greatest Basketball YouTubes of All-Time: Are you ready for M.J. and a lotta other studs? If so, you’re in for a treat from BiE TV today. Once again, here are the so-called rules employed in fashioning this list.

And what better way to fill out number 10 on the list with…

10. Michael Jordan’s ESPN top 10. Imagine if His Airness had peaked in the YouTube era … How many zillions of these videos would there be? Would Jordan have had to sue the ‘Tube? Would Nike have bought it? Weird.

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It’s a bit of a dunkathon today at BallinEurope as we enter the top 15 of BiE’s official 35 Greatest Basketball YouTubes of All-Time, which were determined by these guidelines. (Usage of “guidelines” in previous sentence is very loose, indeed.)

There’re thrills, chills and a few ills in today’s selection of eminently watchable and rewatchable YouTube videos. Enjoy!

15. Top 10 Dunks over Ruben Boumtje-Boumtje, 2008-09. While Boumtje-Boumtje was a big fan favorite playing for EWE Baskets Oldenburg, his devotees still realized his shortcomings. This fan (really) vid is pretty amazing as a result. You know, it’s hard to believe that “Schadenfreude” is a German word…

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BallinEurope recently received an email from the folk(s) over at Greek-language blog site Basketball Aris about the team’s latest acquisition Pierre Pierce, who comes to Greece after a couple of seasons with LNB side Hyeres-Toulon.

Though BiE doesn’t get the chance to watch too much LNB ball – and even less of Hyeres-Toulon – i still have a few memories of the man’s sporadic career in the ‘States and on The Continent. They’re memories because Pierce is one exciting, aggressive and fearless player in the Allen Iverson mold; they’re sporadic because of continued consequences from indiscretions Pierce committed during his university days.

Pierce first saw the inside of the other kind of court in Iowa in 2002, just before the start of his sophomore year which was to chase his impressive freshman season (Pierce went for a line of 7.1 points, 3.3 assists and 3.3 rebounds per game with the University of Iowa Hawkeyes in 2001-02). Pierce was charged with and convicted on third-degree sexual assault, but managed to plea bargain his way down to a sentence of one year’s probation and 200 hours community service. In terms of basketball, the damage was done in the short term, as the school had suspended him from play upon his arrest.

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BallinEurope brings another five pages on YouTube you’ll be wanting to bookmark as the 35 Greatest Basketball YouTubes of All-Time countdown continues. As always, the rules used in creating the masterwork of minutiae may be found here.

And today’s first clip needs no introduction, but BiE’ll give one anyway. To wit:

20. The worst foul call ever. Speaks for itself, really. Starring who else but Joey Crawford?

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It began in Japan...

BallinEurope may be a bit slow on the uptake with this one, but it appears most everyone else fascinated with the newly-created Lebron James/Dwyane Wade/Chris Bosh threesome over in Miami Heat land has missed it, too.

It’s now pretty much taken for granted that “The Decision” – or rather more appropriately “The Amalgamation” – was planned for about four years (or at least “months” as the increasingly foot-in-mouthed Wade would have it). Apparently, the Miami Thrice decided that they were just having so much fun playing together during the 2006 FIBA World Championship that they should try to, you know, make it a reality in the NBA.

Except …

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