Today, the Zalgiris Kaunas fans got shocking news. Crowd and journalist favorite D.C. Collins will move to Rostov, last year seventh-best in the Russian Superleague. I tried to investigate what could have motivated the American guard to move from a Euroleague team to a mediocre Russian team.
Rostov (Russian: Росто́в; Old Norse: Rostofa) is one of the oldest towns in Russia and an important tourist centre of the so called Golden ring. It is located on the shores of Lake Nero in Yaroslavl Oblast. Population—35,300…
This is what Wikipedia tell us about D.C.’s new home. So it’s probably not the city’s size or nightlife that motivated DeJuan to change his residence.
Kommersant, one of the most famous Russian newspapers, tells us the following about Rostov.
The region has diverse plant and animal life. Fertile black earth soils that cover nearly two-thirds of the region’s territory are its most important natural resource. This natural wealth makes Rostov region one of Russia’s largest agricultural producers, second only to Krasnodar Territory.
Wow, it seems there’s no oil, but the region lives on agricultural production. Hmmm, this doesn’t look like the team has millions to spend. Maybe D.C. watched this fantastic video that local authorities produced to promote the region:
Don’t know if that was enough, either.
Some Zalgiris fans still hope that D.C. returns because they know about this guy from Rostov. And they think that their favorite guard may be afraid. So D.C., please watch this video before you really sign your contract. We want you in the Euroleague, not somewhere in the middle of the Russian Pampa.