EuroLeague 2345
Why Watching European Basketball Is Still Too Complicated
Access to basketball has gotten easier but there’s still work to do. Emmet Ryan on the baby steps to give fans in Europe more access to more competitions but the need to make some giant leaps. Emmet Ryan on the slow progress being made. The new season is in full swing and, no matter where […]
Dario Party #1: THEY WORKED TF OUTTA HER!!! SHE CAN’T EVEN SMILE!!!!!!!
The Dario Party has arrived at BallinEurope. With Dario Šarić returning to Euroleague, back with Anadolu Efes, it’s our great pleasure to get the unique insights of Leviya Francesca. Welcome to DarioWatch. Hi, I’m Lev. You may know me better as Lisco_2000 or the Dario Šarić girl. Three years ago, I started a column […]
Interview: A fresh approach to fantasy with Figurei8ht
Euroleague’s own fantasy game is long established, the Basketball Champions League has its own, and the NBA has no shortage of options. Yet one independent operator has entered the fray with an interesting offering. Emmet Ryan caught up with Figurei8ht to learn about their new Euroleague fantasy game. It’s been in operation since before the […]
EuroLeague Nights: Betting and Casino Culture Around European Basketball
EuroLeague basketball has never really been a domestic product in the way most top-flight football leagues are. A single season routes through Madrid, Istanbul, Belgrade, Athens, and a dozen other cities, and that constant movement has quietly shaped a betting and casino culture around the competition that looks nothing like what surrounds a typical national […]
Project B is already playing the timing game perfectly
The latest in a series of strategically timed releases from Project B points to some smart behaviour from its leadership. Announcing new arrivals like Angela Dugalic and Antonia Delaere during the WNBA break for the FIBA Women’s World Cup is no accident, writes Emmet Ryan. For a league that hasn’t even played a single game […]
Why European basketball clubs are rejecting the spending race
Sometimes, the price of the top table is downright distasteful to a basketball club. Ambition doesn’t require excess. Increasingly in recent times, plenty of clubs are saying no thanks to the chance to join the financial arms race in European basketball. In the second part of this series, we asked if European basketball could pay […]
Can European basketball actually pay for itself?
It’s a simple question. Can European basketball actually pay for itself? There’s more revenue but spending has risen too. A sport being richer doesn’t always mean it is healthier. The financial cocktail that makes up any sporting entity in Europe is intriguing. When it’s a sport other than football, you can often add football money […]
Why European basketball’s money race is accelerating
A fool and their money is easily parted. European basketball has never lacked rich owners willing to splash out for no return. What’s different about now is that more and more owners see basketball as an investment with real revenue potential. The first edition of the Sunday column after our summer break sees Emmet Ryan […]
Making sense of Euroleague expansion to 24 teams
Euroleague expansion is imminent but that also means major changes are coming. A conference split and a season overhaul is only the beginning. Emmet Ryan on how, as ever, it’s about growing revenue and not making a mess of it. Christos Stavropoulos seems to have confirmed what everyone is thinking. The Olimpia Milano GM told […]
Olympiacos finally conquer Real Madrid for Euroleague title
There was drama, despair, and determination throughout these furious forty minutes in the Oaka. The culmination of the Euroleague Final Four saw Olympiacos put to an enormous test by Real Madrid but finally emerged triumphant. Emmet Ryan reports on the night the Reds finally got over the line. The Olympiacos chants began over three hours […]
Real Madrid are still the final boss
In a season filled with variety and surprises, somehow the most normal thing happened. Real Madrid beat Valencia at the Euroleague Final Four. They are inevitable. Emmet Ryan on how even a wounded version of Los Blancos just made it look like normal business. We really should have seen this coming. I’m sure that many […]
Sasha Vezenkov leaves no doubt for Olympiacos
In the first half, Olympiacos wowed us with modular basketball. In the second, Sasha Vezenkov decided to leave no doubt. A convincing win over Fenerbahce saw them advance to Sunday’s title game at the Euroleague Final Four. Emmet Ryan shares his thoughts from Athens. Sasha Vezenkov has won all the individual accolades as well as […]