FIBA 1042
Turkey’s heartbreak ends dire day for Europe in China
Turkey got as close as anyone possibly could to an upset for the ages but it just wasn’t enough and, Emmet Ryan writes, it was a gut punching end to a rough day for European teams at the 2019 FIBA World Cup In the summer of 2017, Sertaç Şanlı was meant to be dropping to […]
Punter balls out as Virtus Bologna take BCL title
Basket City is back baby. With victory in the 2019 Basketball Champions League (BCL), Virtus Bologna ended a 10 year drought of major honours as they ensured another banner would be raised in PalaDozza. Emmet Ryan watched it all in the Sportpaleis in Antwerp Kevin Punter came here to play and the well-traveled man delivered […]
What you need to know about the Basketball Champions League final
It all comes down to this, Virtus Bologna vs Tenerife for one of the biggest prizes in European basketball. Rather than just do a straight preview, Emmet Ryan has a primer for those unfamiliar with the Basketball Champions League (BCL) or indeed the teams After two lopsided encounters in the semi-finals on Friday, both Virtus […]
Tenerife tame the Giants to progress in Antwerp
The crowd came, they brought the noise, they set a record, and they had reason for hope, but the young Antwerp Giants simply couldn’t overcome a canny Tenerife side in the Basketball Champions League Final Four. Emmet Ryan watched the clock strike midnight on Cinderellaujgm This was not an aesthetically pleasing game of basketball. Nor […]
Virtus victorious over blunderous Bamberg
On the one hand there was a former European power looking to show it really was on the way back. On the other, there was a team that had reigned supreme in its homeland and now sought a first European final. It should have been a cracker, instead dire shooting from Brose Bamberg ensured that […]
Teodosic teases in his open try-out
Officially it was a do or die 2019 FIBA World Cup qualifier for Serbia. In reality, Milos Teodosic took the opportunity to remind all his suitors that he is exactly who they hoped he was and that he’ll have his choice of any Euroleague side come the summer chase for the continent’s hottest free agent. […]
So you want to leave your national league
It was a week off for Euroleague, so a bunch of teams got very angry over domestic matters. Things got stupid fast, potentially earth shaking decisions were rashly put out there, and now it’s time to talk about the real motivations. Emmet Ryan on the teams that are hinting at leaving town The national […]
It doesn’t always have to be pretty
It was a thriller out of nowhere as Tony Meier’s late three sent a cracker of a clash in Bologna to overtime while a 15 year old Greek showed signs of promise. Emmet Ryan was in the PalaDozza as Virtus eventually got over the line against a game Promitheas Patras in the last round of […]
Reyer survive a choppy flight
It started out so well but Reyer Venezia got flat fast before eventually closing out a win over a game Fribourg. Emmet Ryan was in Venice to take in the action Gonna fly now roared through a largely full Palasport Talierico in what seemed a touch misplaced move. I’m sure it’s normal but Reyer Venezia […]
A new road for the boys from Freak City
It was long past time that BiE had a trip to the BCL so Emmet Ryan visited an old haunt where times are changing. For only the second time this decade, Brose Bamberg are campaigning in Europe without the moniker of German champions. He went to the Brose Arena a couple of weeks back to […]
Ronny Turiaf talks Luka Doncic, Asvel, and more
It’s not every day a NBA champion visits Dublin but that’s what happened last week when Ronny Turiaf paid a visit to the National Basketball Arena in Tallaght. Emmet Ryan caught up with the maestro from Martinique who was in town to mark the end of the first ever jrNBA programme in Ireland Ronny Turiaf’s […]
Riders trotting into new territory
The return of British basketball to European competition officially happened in September but the more effective start happened this week. Emmet Ryan on the Leicester Riders connecting the UK back to Europe Let’s get the token reference to Leicester bringing Britain back into Europe at a time when it is trying to leave out of […]