National Leagues 376
Kirilenko’s last showdown
As the curtain seemingly falls on Andrei Kirilenko’s career, BallinEurope’s Emmet Ryan reflects on a player whose success almost played second fiddle to his character. Everything about the name should have fit. He’s Russian, he’s got the right initials, he was born in Izhevsk (where the rifle was first produced), and he even chose the […]
Olympiacos win in a very familiar derby game
Game 1 of the Greek Finals got under way tonight, eventually. Emmet Ryan writes about how Olympiacos drew first blood in Piraeus against Panathinaikos. There was a delay to tip-off in Piraeus tonight. We’re used to issues around the Derby of Eternal Enemies, the name should really be a hint, but this seemed like a […]
Bobby Dixon leads Karsiyaka to rout of Fenerbahce
It was a massacre and a limp end to a season that promised so much for Fenerbahce. Emmet Ryan on how Bobby Dixon ripped the Istanbul giants assunder to send Pinar Karsiyaka to the Turkish Basketball League Finals The final score said Karisyaka won by 18 points but for a full 40 minutes it was […]
Reggie Redding, from some guy to THE guy
With his season ending in defeat on Thursday night, Emmet Ryan looks at Reggie Redding’s unusual journey towards becoming one of the most sought after free agents in Europe. Reggie Redding was many things at Villanova. Glue guy. Under-rated local prospect. Dude who made mistakes. One thing he definitely wasn’t was the man. On Thursday […]
Reggie Redding erupts as Alba go 2-1 up on Bayern
It was an offensive feast in Berlin as Alba Berlin took the 101-88 win in Game 3 to put Bayern Munich on the brink of elimination in the Bundesliga semi-finals. This game was an insult to defence. Alba may not be the most D-focused team at Euroleague level but in the Bundesliga, you expect them […]
Fenerbahce stunned at home after another shocking first half
Bobby Dixon was the hero for Pinar Karsiyaka in Istanbul but Fenerbahce Ulker allowed old problems to get in their way as they were stunned 96-97 at home in Game 1 of the Turkish League semi-finals. It’s almost best to go in reverse order here. Karsiyaka won thanks to a fortuitous off-ball foul late in […]
All Malcolm Delaney does is win championships
At Virginia Tech, Malcolm Delaney was a star. In Europe, no matter what jersey he wears, Malcolm Delaney just can’t stop being a champion Back at the Euroleague Final Four, it all seemed like a gag. Sitting in a bar after the semi-finals, with a few beers imbibed, the rest of the season for the […]
Crossing the stream is too smart to ignore
It has never been easier to follow basketball in Europe but there’s still a long road to go. Emmet Ryan explains why this is about more than just the uber geeks. College football in the United States used to be immensely regional. Rivalries remain so but the national picture is relevant throughout the full year, […]
Colin O’Reilly nabs unique double
The Irish league awards have been announced and the big news is that Colin O’Reilly has been named as both league MVP and coach of the year in the men’s Premier League. O’Reilly led UCC Demons to an unprecedented perfect season, going 18-0 in the league, 4-0 in the cup, and 2-0 in the playoffs […]
Business just about as usual in the Bundesliga playoffs
Pic via David Hein of heinnews. Ahead of flying to Madrid for the Euroleague Final Four, BiE’s Emmet Ryan spent his weekend in front of a huge PC screen watching the Bundesliga playoffs. There is something delightfully German in its aping of American culture around the Bundesliga playoffs. While it may not be Europe’s best […]
Nando de Colo scores 33 as CSKA beat Krasny Oktyabr
There was no Andrei Kirilenko for CSKA Moscow last night but that didn’t matter against Krasny Oktyabr as Nando de Colo scored 33 points along with grabbing 6 boards and dishing 5 assists in an 88-101 road win. CSKA sit at the top of the VTB League at 21-3.
Olympiacos roll past Rethymno
Olympiacos moved to 18-1 for the regular season in the A1 Ethniki as they cruised past AGO Rethymno on Monday. Check out the highlights.