NBA Finals: Victor Wembanyama has no more time for calm
Once more, the San Antonio Spurs and Victor Wembanyama were too calm. Once more, they fell to a vibrant New York Knicks. Emmet Ryan on a need for raw aggression from the Western Conference champions in the NBA Finals. Here’s the thing about being a Zen master. It’s not about running from emotion, it’s about […]
NBA Finals: Victor Wembanyama must turn calm into chaos
It’s possible to be too calm. That’s something Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs need to realise before Game 2 of the NBA Finals. Having lost the opener to the New York Knicks, the Spurs look like they need to change the tempo up a bit, writes Emmet Ryan After winning the Western Conference […]
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 […]
Sasha Vezenkov has one last step to take
He has the individual accolades to go with the domestic titles and adoration from Olympiacos fans. The one thing Sasha Vezenkov is missing is a Euroleague title. In Athens, he gets a chance to change that. Sasha Vezenkov has done everything he could in Euroleague basketball and more, bar that one thing. He has Euroleague […]
Nando de Colo came back for one last job
This looks like a romantic finale, Nando de Colo having one last Euroleague Final Four with Fenerbahce. The reality is far more pragmatic. He wasn’t signed for a sentimental farewell but to fulfil a vital function. Emmet Ryan on how the veteran is filling a crucial role for Sarunas Jasikevicius. Nando de Colo doesn’t need […]
Usman Garuba found the right way back
He wasn’t the first and he won’t be the last. Usman Garuba impressed as a young gun in Europe, made the leap to the NBA, and came back having struggled to find a place. Now, as he enters a Euroleague Final Four with Real Madrid, Garuba has a stage to prove his relevance more than […]
Why Nikola Jokic Stood Out in the 2026 NBA MVP Futures Race
The NBA calendar has reached its most intense stretch, with the Conference Semifinals unfolding and the Finals just weeks away. Yet, one of the league’s biggest storylines wasn’t decided on the court – The MVP race. Nikola Jokić found himself, once again, at the center of that conversation, even after Denver’s early playoff exit. With […]
Jean Montero shows the madness of modern basketball
Jean Montero is the star for Valencia ahead of the club’s first ever appearance in the Euroleague Final Four. Yet the discussions of his future, be they a big money move in Europe, a jump to the NCAA, or finding an NBA opportunity, dominate the conversation around him. Emmet Ryan on how Montero just being […]
Valencia refuse to blink and reach Euroleague Final Four
Valencia took the best punches Panathinaikos could throw and asked them to hit harder. In only their second ever trip to the playoffs, they are headed to the Euroleague Final Four. Emmet Ryan on how hockey subs, an unselfish attitude typified by Jean Montero, and a refusal to let fear creep in guided them to […]
Panathinaikos and Valencia have turned Game 5 into theatre
They are the two greatest words in European basketball; Game 5. Wednesday’s battle between Panathinaikos and Valencia is already historic for a range of reasons but it’s the drama behind this burgeoning Euroleague rivalry that has got a continent salivating. Emmet Ryan on what promises to be an extraordinary night. The first two games teed […]
AEK bring the hammer down on Unicaja’s three-peat dream
AEK controlled every aspect of their Basketball Champions League Final Four clash with Unicaja Malaga in a statement win. The three-peat chasing Unicaja couldn’t handle the Athens club in any aspect of the game. Emmet Ryan on a most impressive display. This was a true team effort. Everyone in a yellow jersey had one goal […]
Rytas outsmart Tenerife to reach BCL title game
Rytas arrived from Vilnius playing with house money, having reached the Basketball Champions League final four for the first time ever. La Laguna Tenerife were more than familiar with both the stage and the venue in Badalona. The freedom from pressure felt decisive, writes Emmet Ryan, as even the heroics of Marcelinho Huertas weren’t enough […]