International Basketball Blog – Page 38 – NBA Blog

Luol Deng may sign overseas

Add Luol Deng to the list of players more seriously considering European offers now that the NBA lockout is in the hands of lawyers.

Deng, who has been receiving offers for weeks to play overseas, is seriously considering four to five offers and could make a decision as early as next week, according to his Chicago-based agent Herb Rudoy. Any offer Deng signed would contain an opt-out clause should the NBA lockout end to salvage a shortened season, Rudoy said.

Deng, who is currently visiting family and overseeing charity work in his native Sudan, is a British citizen who has become the face of Great Britain’s national team since that country granted his family political asylum years ago. The offers that Deng is most seriously considering are based in Europe.

— Reported by K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune

Kevin Durant in talks with a basketball team in Germany

The agent for Kevin Durant confirmed an overseas media report Thursday that the Oklahoma City Thunder star is in talks with BBC Bayreuth about playing in Germany during the ongoing NBA lockout.

Agent Aaron Goodwin told ESPN.com on Thursday night that talks between the teams are “ongoing” but said the deal is not in the final stages as described by SPOX.com.

The SPOX report quoted Bayreuth general manager Bayreuth GM Uli Eichbaum as saying: “We’re in the final stages of a deal and I’m an optimist. It’s not looking bad.”

Over the weekend, Durant told Yahoo! Sports that he was also weighing offers from Maccabi Tel-Aviv in Israel and Valencia in Spain.

“I’m right on the fence with playing overseas and I’m about to jump over,” Durant said.

— Reported by Marc Stein of ESPN.com

Stephen Curry again considering going overseas

Warriors point guard Stephen Curry is now considering going overseas to play, since it’s looking as if NBA action appears to be a ways away.

Curry said via text message he is currently weighing his options. He will not only consider where to play and for how much, but when. Curry is enrolled at Davidson College and wants to finish the semester.

— Reported by Marcus Thompson of the Contra Costa Times Blog

Nic Batum named Euroleague Week 4 MVP

SLUC Nancy forward Nicolas Batum was at his best against on Thursday with a brilliant all-around performance to lead the French champs to a 90-85 win over previously unbeaten Caja Laboral. The victory made Nancy 2-0 at home this season and just like in their previous win in front of French fans, Batum was the star of the show and subsequently earned Week 4 bwin MVP honors. Batum amassed an impressive stat line of 21 points with just 3 missed shots in addition to 9 rebounds, 4 assists and a block en route to a performance index rating of 35. Beyond the numbers, Batum was also crucial to the Nancy effort in that he played all 40 minutes – his average 39:26 minutes per game is most in the league – and was clutch down the stretch with and 7 points in the game’s last 5 minutes. Batum also becomes the first player to win the weekly MVP award twice this season. He did face stiff competition this week for the highest index rating from FC Barcelona Regal swingman Chuck Eidson who tallied a 34 index in a 92-75 win over Montepaschi Siena.

— Reported by Euroleague.net

Polish team cuts Alonzo Gee

Asseco Prokom announced Wednesday that it released forward Alonzo Gee from the club effective immediately. According to a press release from the club, Gee was dropped “as a consequence of breach of obligations specified in contract.”

In three Turkish Airlines Euroleague games with the Polish champs, Gee averaged 11 points and 6.3 rebounds.

— Reported by Euroleague.net

After retirement, Yao Ming returns to class

It’s back to the books for retired Chinese basketball star Yao Ming.

The former Houston Rockets center and No. 1 draft pick in the 2002 NBA draft started classes this week at Jiaotong University, one of the top schools in the country, China Daily and other newspapers reported Tuesday.

“The teacher showed me some mercy and did not leave me any homework,” Yao joked to reporters after his first day of courses at the university’s Antai College of Economics and Management.

Yao said the first order of business was assessing “how weak my foundation is” and working with instructors on a tailored course of study.

Yao, who retired four months ago because of chronic injuries to his left foot, is taking classes in mathematics, English and modern Chinese history—a subject he enjoyed in high school.

— Reported by the Associated Press

Israeli women`s basketball league cancels season

The Israeli women’s basketball league canceled its entire season after local players went on strike to protest a new rule giving more playing opportunities to foreigners. The decision leaves several top WNBA players out of work.

This is the first time in the league’s 54-year history that a whole season has been scrapped. Israel has one of Europe’s top professional leagues, and the WNBA said 13 of its players spent their winter in Israel last season.

Most of the league’s top players are Americans who come over after the WNBA season. Players who were set to take part this season included Jia Perkins of the San Antonio Silver Stars, Tanisha Wright of the Seattle Storm, Karima Christmas of the Tulsa Shock and Plenette Pierson of the New York Liberty.

The strike centered on the league’s decision to reverse a policy requiring teams to have at least two Israeli players on the court at any time — a rule that is common in Europe to help promote local talent. The new regulations would allow teams to play four foreigners at the same time, angering local players who saw their possibilities of earning playing time diminished. A similar rule change took place this offseason in the Israeli men’s league as well.

— Reported by Aron Heller of the Associated Press

Stephen Curry uninjured in car crash

Former Davidson basketball star Stephen Curry had a car accident in the Charlotte area last week, but he walked away from the crash uninjured, according to his father.

“He’s fine,” Dell Curry told the Observer in a brief phone interview Tuesday night. “He ran into the back of someone who stopped short.”

— Reported by Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer

DaJuan Summers ends time playing basketball in Italy early

Detroit Pistons forward DaJuan Summers is the latest NBA player coming home early from an overseas job. He left his Italian team after only four games.

Any other American NBA player considering making a similar job to Europe or Asia during the ongoing lockout might want to talk to Summers first.

“I would tell them to be prepared for any and everything because it’s a different world than what you are used to,” Summers told Yahoo! Sports in a phone interview from Italy.

Summers, 23, played for the Pistons the past two seasons, averaging 3.2 points as a reserve, but struggled to crack the team’s regular rotation given the number of forwards on the roster. Shortly after the lockout began, Summers signed a two-year contract with European powerhouse Montepaschi Siena. Siena finished third in the 2011 Euroleague Final Four and has won four straight Italian League championships.

“They were telling me how much they wanted me to be a part of the team,” Summers said. “With those things considered, I thought it was a good move to get that exposure with the top Italian League, as well as a top Euroleague team.” …

The team gave Summers and his girlfriend and son a nice three-bedroom house in Siena’s countryside. But though Siena is a popular Italian tourist destination, Summers had trouble adapting to living in a small town – and he thinks team officials picked up on it.

— Reported by Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports

Former NBA player Ruben Boumtje-Boumtje retires

Former Portland Trail Blazers center Ruben Boumtje-Boumtje is retiring immediately because of a heart condition.

Boumtje-Boumtje’s latest club Bayern Munich says the 33-year-old player decided to retire after a medical exam uncovered “new irregularities” that could have later consequences. The club gave no details Wednesday.

Boumtje-Boumtje says his “health and family are of the greatest importance.”

— Reported by the Associated Press