Features 539
Luca Vitali – Sharing (the ball) is caring
Nicolò Origgi charts the road back to relevance for the once promising Luca Vitali. The Italian guard went from prospect to punchline but has fought his way back to relevance as he looks to breathe new life into Brescia in Serie A “A basket makes one guy happy, an assist makes two guys happy” – […]
Colin comes home
Broken, older, but more eager to fight than ever, Colin O’Reilly has come back to the Irish Superleague to try and restore UCC Demons as a force to be reckoned with. Last Saturday night he had to handle that the hard way against UCD Marian. Emmet Ryan on the return of the man who led […]
The price of peace has never been lower
FIBA and Euroleague have been at loggerheads for a while. It serves no-one any good but the dispute shows little sign of resolution. Emmet Ryan is more than tired of the fighting and it’s time for both sides to end the animosity. The solution is obvious, all it takes is being willing to make the […]
Doncic, Drinking, Double duty, and the Dubs – An Istanbul tale
With little attention to chronological order, Emmet Ryan looks back on the stories that defined EuroBasket and the life around the tournament. From an emotional Gabe Olaseni through the dominance of Luka Doncic, and whatever else he could think of in between, BiE’s editor looks back on the 2017 competition and how he eventually found […]
Gasper Vidmar – Hard as a rock
Slovenia’s triumph at EuroBasket 2017 featured starring roles for Goran Dragic and Luka Doncic but, as we saw so often, the supporting cast was crucial to their triumph in Istanbul. Nicolò Origgi looks at one man in particular who had to face huge challenges in the biggest games, Gasper Vidmar Slovenia’s astonishing Eurobasket title run […]
Slovenia Supreme as they claim EuroBasket 2017 title
Goran Dragic said he had dreamt a thousand times of nights like this but, after an epic battle, he need dream no more as Slovenia overcame Serbia to win EuroBasket2017. Emmet Ryan looks back on a thrilling final where the Dragon spurred his team on and the less heralded players came big when it mattered […]
Preview: Slovenia vs Serbia – EuroBasket 2017 final
After two and a half weeks of action it all comes down to this. One game to lift the Nikolai Semashko Trophy. Slovenia is looking to make history on multiple levels while Serbia is looking to go that one step further after losses in major finals in 2009, 2014, and 2016. 40 minutes will decide […]
Serbia’s ice man cometh
Bogdan Bogdanovic has not just been Serbia’s leader in EuroBasket 2017, he has been a model of calm when the game is on the line. In part two of our look ahead to Sunday’s final, Emmet Ryan looks at how Bogdan has grown over the past year and this tournament into a man who feels […]
Luka Doncic and a date with destiny
Slovenia pulled off the shock on the tournament on Thursday night when they tore Spain apart in the semi finals. In the first of our three part preview of Sunday’s EuroBasket 2017 final, Emmet Ryan looks at the coming out party for Luka Doncic in Istanbul In empty barns, When domes alight, No defence shall […]
Bogdanovic comes big to put Serbia in the final
It should never have been this close but Alexey Shved reminded every young player why they should practice their free throws. After a dominant first half, Serbia had to grind out victory over Russia to book their place in the final of EuroBasket 2017. Emmet Ryan writes that we saw the leadership of Bogdan Bogdanovic […]
Stuck behind the Iron Curtain, again
With the Azzurri having exited EuroBasket 2017 at the quarter final stage, Nicolò Origgi takes a look at the deeper issues that are limiting Italy’s progress and examines the benefits some nations with less fat to wade through have over the fallen powerhouse For the third time in a row, Italy has suffered a quarterfinal […]
Stunning Slovenia shock Spain to enter dreamland
Luka Doncic flirted with a triple double as Slovenia roared to their first every EuroBasket final, securing the nation’s first ever medal in the process. Emmet Ryan looks back on a night where every Slovenian on the floor did what was necessary to not only win but wreck Spain For Slovenia this was the biggest […]