Now i don’t like to give free advertising to that all too well-known Worldwide Leader in [American] Sports, a.k.a. ESPN, but Euroball fans must check out J.A. Adande’s piece entitled Euro Lakers two wins from NBA Finals.
At the beginning of this season (in those already now seemingly long-ago days of the just pre-Gasol Era), one couldn’t help but look at the Laker boxscores and notice the Euroflavour of this team: deadshots Radmanovic and Vujacic, plus Turiaf le Grand. Throw in Mbenga and you’ve got quite the international team even before the gift from Memphis arrived.
Plus there was Kobe; when Americans scoffed at his lack of college education, it could always be pointed out that Jellybean’s kid was educated in proper European grade schools and how many languages do you speak fluently, by the way?
When Gasol came along and particularly when Andrew Bynum went down, there was a look about the guys on the floor, the perimeter game, that was different from all Lakers teams that had come before, that looked different from any other team in the league.
Adande — or rather, the Zenmaster — got it scoped and into words: “Phil Jackson has said that the Lakers have taken on another European basketball characteristic and aren’t as physical as other teams. But this style is working for them.”
That’s it exactly: The Lakers are the best Euroleague team not in the Euroleague.
J.A. excellently touches upon all the other aspects social and humourous about these Lakers: Difficulties with the insane English language (including a hilarious “lol”-type story about Radmanovic introducing himself to the Seattle Supersonics), Kobe’s polyglot talents, the futball influence, and the rounded skill set the top European players are generally trained in.
Well worth a look, BallinEuropeans. Not all American sports journalism is this engaging, well-written and fun.
Cheers.
