December 2010 38
Introducing the ultimate BiE rankings: The Top 100 basketball teams in Europe
In gearing up to produce another official BallinEurope Euroleague Power Rankings column (it’ll be up here after the draw next week), BiE got to thinking about how unsatisfying the task will be with only 16 teams remaining. After all, BiE regularly has an eye on hundreds of teams and though the Euroleague is clearly cream-of-the-Continental-Crop, […]
Iverson’s 26 points for naught as Tofas blows out Beşiktaş Cola Turka, 94-72
Allen Iverson’s best performance since signing with Beşiktaş Cola Turka was all futile, as eleventh-placed Tofaş took a 33-13 first quarter lead and never looked back for the 94-72 victory. Mr. Answer produced 26 points on 9-of-16 overall shooting plus in time-honored Iversonian fashion also took nine free throws, second highest in the game, plus […]
Apoel Nicosia-Pinar Karsiyaka war spreads to cyberspace
Fan violence extreme enough to result in injuries to players and law enforcement officers, FIBA sanctions and fines, Prime Ministerial denouncements, official apologies, and now high-level hacking in the name of basketball: Who knew Eurochallenge ball could get so controversial? The distinctly un-Christmas atmosphere has tinged the international competition ever since the craziness that followed […]
10 for 10: BiE’s All-Euroleague Regular Season all-stars
If BallinEurope is spelling “lull” with one L, you know that Euroleague basketball is between stages of play. No matter, BiE has a good argument starter to help wile away a little time before next Tuesday’s draw for grouping the Top 16 round: Announcing the official BallinEurope All-Euroleague Regular Season Team for 2010-11! Though many […]
Festivus Invitational Tournament continues: Dream Team handed stunning loss; Europeans barely survive 60s again
Four more games are in the books as the first-ever BallinEurope Festivus Invitational Basketball Tournament rolls on, shattering all attendance records for Budapest basketball (no major feat, but still) as fans gather to witness the all-time greats plucked from their native timestreams for their amusement … but who was amused when the Dream Team itself […]
Practice? Not for Steve Francis, who’s out in China
For all those debating the wisdom and/or point of Allen Iverson’s playing in Turkey, BallinEurope asks you to consider the career of Steve Francis in China, which, according to an early-morning report today, is over after just 13 days and four games. The Beijing Shougang Ducks will cut Francis today, a day after his second […]
Iverson returns, Besiktas knocks off Pinar Karsiyaka, 89-65
After having the original date for the game set back a day from Christmas, Allen Iverson and Beşiktaş Cola Turka punished Pınar Karşıyaka on Boxing Day instead, 89-65; Karşıyaka had pulled off a 101-98 upset of Euroleague contenders Fenerbahçe Ülker last week but was not to reproduce their fortune in this game. In his return […]
Festivus Invitational continues: Dream Team rolls, All-Time Toronto Raptors split
Three more games to report on from the first annual BallinEurope Festivus Invitational Tournament brought to you by sports simulation website What If Sports – all apologies for the late reportage, but even BiE can’t ignore the family for hoops 365 days a year has to merrily celebrate the holidays – as day two wraps […]
Asvel Basket GM: “Bling-bling” players cost us Eurocup
If it were up to Asvel Basket general manager Pierre Grall, at least two of his players would have found a stockingful of coal this morning for their recent lackluster play. A 2009-10 Euroleague team, Asvel was ignominiously bounced from Eurocup contention this week despite beating KK Hemofarm Stada, 81-80, before over 4,600 fans in […]
Christmas greetings, the Zalgiris Kaunas way
For Christmas this year, Žalgiris Kaunas is offering Christmas greetings in the best fashion Lithuanians know: With basketball, electronic card-style. Head on over to the official website by clicking here to a page that merrily welcomes you with “Žalgiris Kaunas welcomes the approaching winter holidays and gives good cheer!” (“Kauno Žalgiris sveikina su artéjančiomis Žiemos […]
Dream Team Europe nips 1960 Team USA, 107-106, in Festivus Invitational opener
The first annual BallinEurope Festivus Invitational Tournament tipped off today, brought to you incidentally (they probably even haven’t heard of BiE) by the sports simulation website What If Sports. Opening up the tournament is BiE’s own (slightly modified) Dream Team Europe, who hosts that original dream team, the 1960 Team USA squad that destroyed all […]
Diana Taurasi flunks drug test, suspended in Turkey
Perhaps a worrisome Christmas it’ll be for women’s basketball great Diana Taurasi and backers of her Fenerbahçe side. In the wee hours of the morning, ESPN reported that a drug test on Taurasi had come back positive for an unspecified illegal stimulant. Said Taurasi’s lawyer Howard Jacobs, “We’re taking it one step at a time,” […]