FIBA 1206
And you will know them by the trail of dead
Nobody was expecting a close run thing between Ireland and San Marino but the sheer barbarity the hosts put on display in the opening quarter set the tone for an utter rout. Emmet Ryan witnessed the carnage up close The first few days of action had shown that San Marino appeared to be the weakest […]
The little guys that do
Watching Malta take on Gibraltar at the FIBA European Championships for Small Countries, Emmet Ryan saw the spirit that makes this tournament special It was Gibraltar’s tournament opener and, whatever else, they weren’t going to go down quietly. From the off their bench was loud and into it, to a point that they clearly rubbed […]
Small countries but a big deal
Ireland opened their account on night one of the FIBA European Championships for Small Countries by winning a lively encounter over Andorra. Emmet Ryan would have settled for a damp squib of a game, he was just happy to be back courtside in person. The second half of Malta’s win over San Marino was well […]
The long wait for something real
Ireland’s senior sides return to competitive action for the first time in three years this summer. With the women’s European championships for small countries tipping off in Nicosia on 20 July and the men’s a few weeks later in Dublin, Emmet Ryan spoke with Dayna Finn and Ciaran Roe of the Irish senior teams about […]
The thing about All Star games
Kyle Hines threw an idea in the air on Sunday and Emmet Ryan decided to bite. What if Euroleague or Europe as a whole decided to have an All Star Weekend? What would it look like? Who would it serve? And what would be the point of it? It’s time for a deep dive Team […]
Interview: FIBA Secretary General Andreas Zagklis
He is one of the most powerful people in the whole of basketball and he spoke to us. FIBA Secretary General Andreas Zagklis sat down with Emmet Ryan to talk about the Olympics, relationships with the NBA & Euroleague, what’s next for Asia and Africa, and his advice for federations With the FIBA Intercontinental Cup […]
BiE’s best of the decade
We have a couple of treats in store next week but before that, we’ve taken the time to select the best writing on the site over the past 10 years, join us on a journey through the highs, the lows, the deep dives, and the tearful goodbyes Between game analysis, player profiles, addressing big issues, […]
BiE’s book I Like it Loud is finally on sale
You may have noticed activity on this site has been near non-existent since the end of last season. BallinEurope editor Emmet Ryan had a book to finish while also dealing with his day job. Things got crazy but it’s finally available to buy, in ample time for the holiday season Back in Munich airport last […]
Turkey’s heartbreak ends dire day for Europe in China
Turkey got as close as anyone possibly could to an upset for the ages but it just wasn’t enough and, Emmet Ryan writes, it was a gut punching end to a rough day for European teams at the 2019 FIBA World Cup In the summer of 2017, Sertaç Şanlı was meant to be dropping to […]
Punter balls out as Virtus Bologna take BCL title
Basket City is back baby. With victory in the 2019 Basketball Champions League (BCL), Virtus Bologna ended a 10 year drought of major honours as they ensured another banner would be raised in PalaDozza. Emmet Ryan watched it all in the Sportpaleis in Antwerp Kevin Punter came here to play and the well-traveled man delivered […]
What you need to know about the Basketball Champions League final
It all comes down to this, Virtus Bologna vs Tenerife for one of the biggest prizes in European basketball. Rather than just do a straight preview, Emmet Ryan has a primer for those unfamiliar with the Basketball Champions League (BCL) or indeed the teams After two lopsided encounters in the semi-finals on Friday, both Virtus […]
Tenerife tame the Giants to progress in Antwerp
The crowd came, they brought the noise, they set a record, and they had reason for hope, but the young Antwerp Giants simply couldn’t overcome a canny Tenerife side in the Basketball Champions League Final Four. Emmet Ryan watched the clock strike midnight on Cinderellaujgm This was not an aesthetically pleasing game of basketball. Nor […]