NLB 10
Parting shots, part one: Okur throws dagger; Splitter near double-double; D-Will’s jersey retired (no, really)
A few players returning to the NBA made expected final appearances with their European clubs last night as the mass departure to the ‘States begins. BallinEurope runs down a handful of individual performances from Adriatic League, Eurocup, and FIBA Eurochallenge games. • Big shot of the night, NBA-related or no, was certainly Mehmet Okur’s three-point […]
Partizan defeats Olimpija, 77-74, for fifth straight NLB title in mysteriously under-covered game
Congratulations go out from BallinEurope this morning to Partizan Belgrade, whose dynasty (or, as the NLB official site would have it, “dominancy”) in Adriatic League basketball rolled on last night when the Black-and-Whites won their fifth consecutive championship. So let’s go right to the official writeup on the game: (AdriaticBasket) – Partizan is the 10th […]
Official BallinEurope Euroleague Power Rankings: Post-week seven
Apologies for the tardiness of this column, dear readers, but the Official BallinEurope Euroleague Power Rankings are just as fun and informative on Sundays as they are on Saturdays! With four teams through into the Top 16 round and several more on the bubble, who’s cruising and who’s losing? BiE says the two dozen squads […]
NLB wrap: Zagreb bests Radnicki, Buducnost upsets Partizan, CEZ Nymburg no. 1
The first week of play in the Adriatic League (a.k.a. the NLB Liga ABA) was capped yesterday with KK Zagreb’s 82-76 home-opener win over Radnički despite an amazing performance by Michael Lee – and just check out who’s atop the standings. Lee, a two-sport star at St. Bonaventure who was with the Hungarian league’s Albacomp […]
Beyond Vesely: Five European names North America must know for 2010-11
With BallinEurope’s profile piece on Jan Vesely in, today we’re adding a bit of a primer on some other names certain to get increasing mentions in NBA culture from your team’s elimination from the playoffs through to the draft and into the 2010 FIBA World Championships in August/September. NBA fans who want to get in […]
Draft profile: Jan Vesely
In tribute to that great international pastime known as “NBA mock drafting,” BallinEurope’s man in the U.K., Sam Chadwick, periodically takes a look at some of Europe’s prospective high draft picks. Today’s profile features the Czech Republic’s Jan Vesely, a power forward reckoned to be the second European taken in the NBA draft (after Donatas […]
Lalić signs with Olimpija: Is there hope?
Ball in Europe doesn’t know if the smoke is clearing for beleaguered Union Olimpija, but at least yesterday’s announcement of the Jure Lalić signing provides some seed for optimism. The 24-year-old Croatian had been playing for EuroCup team Spirou Charleroi. Much more than a single youth player, proverbial tremendous upside or no, will be required […]
European Basketball Calendar: February 2010 (first half)
And now for the public-service portion of Ball in Europe … at no cost to you runs a somewhat comprehensive of the basketball action going down for the first two weeks of February; schedule information is provided for top leagues in Spain, France, Germany, and Italy, together with international leagues and FIBA competitions. This calendar […]
European basketball calendar: January 2010 (update)
Now that some more European basketball competitions, including the Euroleague, EuroChallenge and FIBA Eurocup Women are moving into a second phase, Ball in Europe presents an updated January calendar for your perusal. A new edition of the calendar will be published in February. In the immediate short-term, don’t forget about the Euroleague group draw which […]
European basketball calendar: January 2010
Emerging from the holiday season, we happily find a month packed with wall-to-wall basketball on The Continent. Below is a partial calendar filled with listings for matchups in a handful of Europe’s larger domestic leagues and international club competitions for men and women. We’ll post updated versions of this schedule as time allows and blanks […]