ESAKE 53
Introducing the ultimate BiE rankings: The Top 100 basketball teams in Europe
In gearing up to produce another official BallinEurope Euroleague Power Rankings column (it’ll be up here after the draw next week), BiE got to thinking about how unsatisfying the task will be with only 16 teams remaining. After all, BiE regularly has an eye on hundreds of teams and though the Euroleague is clearly cream-of-the-Continental-Crop, […]
Official BallinEurope Euroleague Power Rankings: Post-week nine
So Žalgiris gets its coach fired after playing .800 ball through 20 games, Spanish powerhouses lose in Lithuania and Germany, Valencia kills Milano, Efes Pilsen stuns PAO … just another week in Euroleague 2010-11, eh? And after happenings aplenty, it sounds like time for another edition of BallinEurope’s Official Euroleague Power Rankings! Let’s go! Tops […]
Official BallinEurope Euroleague Power Rankings: Regular-season halftime
BiE still can’t claim to totally understand what’s going on in Euroleague basketball in 2010-11 (Real Madrid lost by how many? To *who*?) but at least some of the cream is rising to the top. This latest edition of the official BallinEurope power rankings should probably wait ‘til after some key games over the weekend […]
The plot thickens in Greece…
The situation in Greece gets even crazier tonight after yesterday’s high weirdness featuring a bunch of Greek games with a bunch of non-Greek players. Before today’s AEK-Ikaros game, striking players wishing to demonstrate were confronted by riot police, whereupon, as Talk Basket reports, “The players were just peacefully sitting at [center court] when a battalion […]
Crisis in Greece: EΣAKE players on strike
Greek basketball players union Lazaros Papadopoulos said just a short time ago, “Basketball has died in Greece and no one has taken notice.” It’s no exaggeration on his part, but surely soon some will notice. According to Talk Basket, the Greek players’ union unanimously decided to strike effective immediately – just before the league’s opening […]
Maroussi out of Euroleague, maybe Greece for 2010-11; Olympiacos appeals penalty
Yet more bad news coming out of Greek basketball … last night, Euroleague officials announced that Maroussi BC will not be allowed to play in the big league’s qualifying round games to start on Tuesday. “Euroleague Basketball has been forced to take this decision,” read the official statement from officials in part, “after not having […]
Brutal week for Greek basketball capped with 80-72 loss to Spain
Hell of a week for Hellas basketball on both international and national league fronts… Team Greece was bounced from the 2010 FIBA World Championship by Spain last night in an improved showing from the Russia game, which had Ioannis Bourousis and Vassilis Spanoulis calling out for a little respect from the fans in the aftermath. […]
Mediterranean Basketball Association: To Be or Not To Be?
The rumor first popped up a couple of days ago on Talk Basket and an intriguing bit of gossip it is, too. According to that website, the Hellenic Basketball Federation (EOK) and former FIBA Europe president George Vassilakopoulos are advancing the idea of a Mediterranean basketball league which would include teams from Bulgaria, Cyprus, Greece, […]
From A.I. to Zalgiris: The top stories in 2009-10 European basketball
As BallinEurope closes the book on the 2009-10 basketball season, it’s time to take stock of the year that was with the clarity of history. Without further ado, let’s retrospect on the top 10 Eurocentric basketball stories of the season.
Sofoklis to return to L.A. for another shot at NBA
BallinEurope favorite Sofoklis Schortsanitis may soon be getting another chance to stick with the Los Angeles Clippers, according to Greece-based Sport Net and fellow ESPN TrueHoop Networker the ClipperBlog. Sofoklis will be heading to Los Angeles “in the next few days” to discuss contract terms. Clippers management is apparently emphatic about putting “Baby Shaq” through […]
List of 2009-10 European basketball champions
League play is now accelerating to a close all over The Continent, and BallinEurope’s “List of European Champions” page gets more updates. Most men’s domestic leagues have completely closed up shoppe for 2009-10, but BiE has also listed a few details on where other leagues stand at present; links are provided where possible. If no […]
Panagiotis Giannakis out as Olympiacos coach
And another big-name coach is out: Olympiacos BC officials today announced today that the club had “parted ways” with head coach Panagiotis Giannakis. Despite getting the Reds to consecutive Euroleague Final Fours, a feat not accomplished by Olympiacos since the late 1990s, Giannakis was doubtlessly held responsible for falling short of the big one either […]