May 2011 49
Dastardly Dirk versus The Big Z: Who deserves a ring more?
The two have played a combined 1,837 regular-season NBA games, scoring over 33,750 points while nabbing more than 14,500 rebounds over 24½ full seasons. Each has rewritten the franchise record books of the team for which he spent the overwhelming majority of his career. Each has been underrated for much, if not all, of his […]
Romania: Cluj-Napoca pushes Asesoft to brink, nears historical feat
With five games down in Romania’s Divizia A finals, not only has U Mobitelco BT Cluj-Napoca come to within one win of snatching the title from six-time defending champs CSU Asesoft Ploiesti, they could also tonight hand the celebrated franchise its most ignominious defeat ever: The club’s *first-ever playoff series defeat.* Reports BallinEurope’s man in […]
Panathinaikos overcomes Olympiacos, 78-66, with massive free-throw advantage; Bourosis resigns from national play in protest
Just a couple of weeks ago, as Olympiacos polished off Aris in the EƩAKE semifinals with a couple of convincing wins to bring the Reds’ record against Greek sides to 36-0 in 2010-11, some observers were calling out for the brooms. After Sunday night’s play, cries of “sweep!” surely rang out across Hellas – but […]
Dirk, Dydek and beyond: Weekend video clips
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 […]
From Zen Master to Euroleague Master in Los Angeles?
Whoa, well now. Los Angeles Lakers fans knew that life would be bizarre in the post-Phil Jackson world, but so immediately? And involving Ettore Messina, for Naismith’s sake? HoopsWorld reported last night (this morning by CET standards) that the four-time Euroleague champion coach might be coming aboard to serve under intriguing non-Kobe approved incumbent Mike […]
New Zealand’s Abercrombie says “no” to Europe, Penney “maybe”
Even Down Under they’re talking about European ball and the NBA lockout. New Zealand Breakers CEO Richard Clarke today (or yesterday Antipodean Standard Time perhaps…) announced a couple of Euro-tinted roster moves by his defending Australian National Basketball League champs. According to New Zealand-based The Press, national team member Thomas Abercrombie will eschew playing in […]
Olympiacos vs. Panathinaikos: History on the Reds’ side?
In Greece, it will indeed be Olympiacos versus Panathinaikos playing for the championship for their sixth season in a row. Despite the disappointment Reds fans have suffered in recent history – as eight-time consecutive champs, the Greens have knocked off their rivals in the last seven Greek finals meetings going back to 1999 – Sport.gr […]
List of 2010-11 European champions: Nearing the finish edition
While some domestic leagues will seemingly be hosting playoffs right through to next season’s tipoff – BiE’s looking at you, ACB, French LNB, Serie A and Ligat HaAl – the great majority of European basketball associations have named their champion for 2010-11 … or are very close to doing so. Below runs BallinEurope’s updated roundup […]
Pau Gasol: “A bit distracted,” “A bit exhausted” in Lakers-Mavs series
For the Spanish-language ‘site Marca.com, Los Angeles-based sportswriter Jesús Sánchez recently got some quality face time with Pau Gasol – enough to fill three columns’ worth of stories. The key news for those looking ahead to the summer, a group that certainly includes Lakers fans and those cynical about the possibility of the NBA actually […]
Enes Kanter at NBA Draft Combine: “Evet” to Cavs, Wolves, Wiz; “Yok” to Raps, Bucks, Jazz
As Enes Kanter’s standing rises on mock draft boards, so too is his self-confidence, it would seem. According to The Sporting News, not only does Kanter feel his game has improved despite having to sit out a season of organized ball – “I worked on my shot, on my face-up game and I think I […]
Bo McCalebb might play for Team FYR Macedonia, will not attend training camp
Montepaschi Siena point guard Bo McCalebb is currently pursuing the Serie A title with his team, but folks in his alma mater town are already looking forward to Eurobasket 2011. Earlier this week, the New Orleans Times-Picayune spoke with the former UNO baller about the possibility of again playing with the FYR Macedonia national team, […]
Believe the hype: Playoff action in Spain, Lithuania, Romania, Germany
Sorry, the N-B-what? While Euroball fans can certainly take pride in the outstanding number of Continental players still competing in the big league overseas – a list that includes Team Turkey’s Omer Asik, Team France’s Joakim Noah, Team Britain’s Luol Deng, Zydrunas Ilgauskas of Lithuania, Team Switzerland’s Thabo Sefolosha, French sophomore Rodrigue Beaubois (sort of; […]