Pau Gasol 180
Is Dirk Nowitzki really the greatest European NBA player ever?
“When it’s all said and done Dirk will end up being the greatest European basketball player to ever play in the NBA, if he isn’t already.” So ran the tangential line from within a story at Bleacher Report entitled “A New Decade: A New Future.” Though this contention is taken for granted in the U.S., […]
Europe's top national teams of the 2000s
After taking a look at the European players of the decade and top professional teams of the decade, BallinEurope today turns attention to the national level. Which teams from the 2000s will we still recall fondly in years to come? Below are listed eight key national squads from the passing ten-year span, the unforgettable basketball […]
Best of the (Basketball) Net: Rants 'n' quotes edition
Wrapping things up for the weekend here at BallinEurope means mostly one thing: a rundown of some of the best basketball stuff made available online this week. Some news, quotes and video for this week starts now. Starting off with a well repeated, now-definitive story, then: Namely, the New York Knicks’ Darko Milicic will be […]
The BallinEurope All-Decade All-European Team
While technically this decade doesn’t end until 2010, with millions of sports websites and blogs proclaiming December 31 the end of the 2000s, who is BallinEurope to be pedantic? (Especially when there’s a good excuse to make an all-time team roster.) Therefore, in the spirit of a new era, BallinEurope seeks to comprise Europe’s All-Decade […]
The European Player of the Year nominees are…
The nominees are in over at FIBA Europe and, with the exception of one (or two, thanks to Rubiomania) categories, voting could be pretty tight in the FIBA Europe Player of the Year 2009. Yes, Pau Gasol and Ricky Rubio are on the list in a threat to become repeat winners in the Male POY […]
Being Danilo Gallinari (in the NBA)
We all know the NBA needs specialists, and that this is a request asked particularly of non-American players who haven’t the status in the ‘States to claim balls and minutes while they’re newly arrived from Europe. Then, by fighting for minutes against and using smarts beyond the US players, young European players soon present more […]
Best of the (Basketball) Net: Returned from Vacation edition
A few good reads for you to catch up with this weekend as the “Best of the (Basketball) Net” column returns. Enjoy the hits from around the ‘net! Seventeen-year-old Jeremy Tyler (Remember him? The “the first American to skip his senior year of high school to turn pro”?) is struggling even to earn playing time […]
Swine flu hits Maroussi, Pau returning to acting
The swine flu – officially called the H1N1 virus – reached two more basketball players in Greece as Euroleague side Maroussi will be without Michalis Pelekanos and Kostas Kaimakoglou with the illness. Also in the news, Spanish star Pau Gasol returns for another test in acting and Euroleague to offer viewers first hand access.
Best of the (basketball) net: NBA Overshadows Almost All Edition
A serious grab bag of entries from around the blogosphere this week, though in light of international tours, David Stern’s vague non-proclamations, and the imminent tipoff to the season, all things basketball were a bit overshadowed by the NBA beast. Except, perhaps, for one very nice mini-documentary on Lithuanian ball… Happy surfing, everyone!
After Eurobasket, the future: Part one
Ball in Europe contributor Francesco Cappelletti wraps Eurobasket 2009 with little surprise and a long view on the future of Europe’s premiere national basketball programs. Today, analysis on the tournament’s top four finishers. It was simply a result that we could take for granted: Spain at the top of Europe, with silver medalist Serbia beaten […]
From BiE to Team Spain: ¡Felicidades!
If this were America, i’d be searching for hyperbole right now, calling the 2009 edition of Team Spain the greatest Spanish team ever, the greatest European team since dissolution of the Soviet Union, the greatest non-USA squad ever assembled … but instead, BallInEurope humbly offers congratulations to the fantastic Spaniards for finally achieving Eurobasket gold. […]
Eurobasket 2009 championship: Serbia can win if…
“Let’s be realistic. Spain is a great team” – Nikolas Zisis, Greece That’s the lead quote over at the Eurobasket 2009 official site, and it’s good enough to lead here at BallinEurope.com as well on the morning of the final game. Firstly, congratulations to Spain and Serbia for getting into the final game after a […]