Bostjan Nachbar 20
The players seize the means of production
After a whole lot of talk and calls for action, the Euroleague Players Association was formally launched on Saturday in Belgrade. Emmet Ryan on a big step for player welfare and why it can’t be the end of the story Minutes after the first session with players on Thursday evening, the press gathered in Belgrade […]
Podcast: Talking international hoops with GB U20s coach Douglas Leichner, SellOutXBoy
Episode #45 of the BallinEurope/heinnews co-produced “Taking the Charge” podcast series is now available online or via iTunes. This week we’re talking (mostly) international competitions, though Hein does get off a good rant (well, as ranty as the guy gets) on FC Bayern Munich’s apparent moves to sop up all available talent from the BBL, […]
Podcast: Interviews with Bostjan Nachbar, Nick Gibson; “No Phoenix, No Ashes” reviewed
Episode number 10 of the “Taking the Charge” podcast series, a co-production of BallinEurope and Germany-based heinnews, is now online. Headlining this ‘cast is an interview with Brose Baskets Bamberg and Team Slovenia’s Bostjan Nachbar, who spent a solid ten minutes with David Hein after wrapping a Euroleague game – mad, mad, the maddest of […]
Euroleague Power Rankings: 2012-13 Opening Day Edition
All right, it’s that time again! With hours to go before the 2012-13 Euroleague season tips off, BallinEurope breaks out its first power ratings for the big league. Whereas normally a disclaimer to the effect of “the following ratings are based on current trending only and are not necessarily based on the overall quality of […]
Euroleague Playoffs games two: Impressions, notes, YouTube highlight clips
Games two of the 2011-12 Euroleague Playoffs have gone down … also down and just about out are Gescrap Bilbao Basket, once again outmatched and whipped by CSKA Moscow, 79-60. Unics Kazan may also be in the razor’s edge category as even a lackluster performance by FC Barcelona shooters – seriously, 19-of-57 (33.33%) overall and […]
Unics Kazan 76, Fenerbahçe Ülker 71: Impressions, highlights
Right, now we’re into it! BallinEurope was naturally pleased to see his dark horse elite-eight candidate Unics Kazan defend home court against Fenerbahçe Ülker on opening night of the 2011-12 Euroleague Top 16 round, 76-71 – though it sure wasn’t easy for Unics after they generously spotted the Turkish side a 17-point lead at halftime. […]
Euroleague Power Rankings: Top 16 Tip-off Edition
It seems like forever, but Euroleague 2011-12 resurrects itself for Top 16 opening night tonight. What better way to celebrate, reckons BallinEurope, than with some good ol’ power rankings? Once again, the caveat emptor-ish bit: These ratings are formulated from once source (namely yours truly) and are based on the way teams are trending at […]
Just because: 100 more of the greatest dunks of all-time
So what else are you going to do today while waiting for, say, Panellinios vs. Panathinaikos (tipoff time 5pm CET/11am EST) or Lugan Aro vs. Barcelona (tipoff time 6pm CET/noon EST)? Sounds to BiE like YouTube time. Here’s the latest of the “Top 100 Dunks of All-Time” breed. Though it’s skewed heavily toward the showman-type […]
Iverson, Besiktas blue-chippers not enough against Efes Pilsen, 85-83 (OT)
Say what you want about the European extension of Allen Iverson’s basketball career, the man can still play. Unfortunately, an utter lack of depth ultimately killed Beşiktaş Cola Turka and Ergin Ataman’s coaching debut with the Turkish club against Euroleague side Efes Pilsen Istanbul last night, 85-83 in overtime. Iverson played a sliver under 40 […]
Basketball Dreaming: Will Taiwan Phenomenon continue?
Now something of a personal story, if you’ll allow BiE. One of the great things about working a blog such as BallinEurope – after getting proper press seating for stuff like Euroleague Final Four and FIBA World Championships, of course – are the people you meet as a journalist. BiE’s not talking about hobnobbing with […]
Highlights from Union Olimpija-Efes Pilsen 2OT thriller
The Euroleague’s game of the night last night and probably ultimately in all of week one was seen in the Union Olimipija-Efes Pilsen battle – and BallinEurope does mean battle – in Ljubljana. By the time the buzzer sounded, some 8,700 had thrilled to only the third double-overtime regular-season game in EL history, with Olimpija […]
BallinEurope’s 2010 FIBA World Championship power rankings 5.0
Right. It’s time for the final edition – pending Nenad Krstic’s prospective suspension by FIBA – of BallinEurope’s 2010 FIBA World Championship power rankings. Now that Team USA has had it out with Spain and Greece, we can see the picture a little more clearly heading into the tournament tipping off Saturday. There’s a clear […]