International Basketball Blog – Page 40 – NBA Blog

Stephon Marbury about to begin new season playing basketball in China

China’s most beloved New Yorker, Stephon Marbury, arrived for his third season in the Chinese Basketball Association at Beijing Capital Airport on October 6th with a bunch of bags, a lot of smiles and two big band-aids on his head. (And as always, a lot of people with cameras taking his photos.) After playing one and a half seasons Taiyuan, Shanxi province, and Foshan, Guangdong, two Chinese cities not exactly known as foreign hotspots, Marbury has finally made it to his Chinese professional basketball mecca, Beijing.

This season, Steph will play for the Beijing Shougang Ducks. Last season, led by former New York Knicks and Atlanta Hawks center, Randolph Morris, the Ducks finished in eighth place, which gave them the right to be swept out of the first round of the playoffs by eventual league runners-up, Xinjiang Guanghui. Aiming to build off that success, the Ducks brought back Morris for another year and signed Marbury, who interestingly enough was close to signing with the team last year before team management ultimately decided to go with Steve Francis instead. (We don’t need to remind you how that ended up.) Although the team will be weakened with the departure of Jordanian national teammer, Zaid Abbas, who moved on to Fujian SBS this season to act as their Asian import, teaming up with Morris and Taiwanese national team point guard/CBA heartthrob, Lee Hsueh-lin, will give Marbury by far his best chance to make it to the post-season for the first time in his Chinese career.

— Reported by NIUBBall.com

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LeBron James takes his talents to Liverpool

LeBron James took his talents to Liverpool on Friday—and finally got his hands on a championship trophy.

The Miami Heat star toured the Premier League club’s facilities for the first time since becoming a shareholder of the 18-time English champions. James held up the Champions League trophy won by Liverpool in 2005 and posted a picture on Twitter of a red No. 6 jersey with his name on it.

The two-time MVP will sit in the directors’ box at Anfield Stadium for Saturday’s Premier League match against Liverpool rival Manchester United.

“Jersey ready for the big match 2morrow,” James tweeted.

— Reported by the Associated Press

Manu Ginobili suffers minor ankle sprain

Manu Ginobili is hobbling around his Argentinian home after suffering a slightly sprained right ankle earlier this week.

The Argentinian paper La Nueva Provencia reports today that Ginobili sustained the injury while working out with several members of the Argentinian national team during a pickup game in Bahia Blanca, Argentina. (Hat tip: Project Spurs.com)

The injury, which is not considered serious, apparently occurred when Ginobili landed awkwardly on his ankle after attempting a 3-point shot.

— Reported by Tim Griffin of the San Antonio Express-News Blog

Thunder guard Thabo Sefolosha signs in Turkey

Turkish champion Fenerbahce Ulker strengthened itself on the wings with the signing of Thabo Sefolosha, who is among the game’s premier defensive players. Sefolosha (1.99 meters, 27 years old) arrives from Oklahoma City of the NBA, where he averaged 5.1 points, 4.4 rebounds and 1.2 steals over 79 games as a starter last season. He has played a total of five seasons in the NBA between Chicago and Oklahoma City and appeared in 367 regular season games. Sefolosha began his professional career with Tege Riviera Basket in his native Switzerland before joining Elan Chalon in France. He spent two seasons there between 2003 and 2005 and took part in the Eurocup both seasons.

— Reported by Euroleague.net

InsideHoops.com editor says: I assume he has an out-clause to return to the NBA when the lockout ends.

Guard Patty Mills named NBL Australia player of the week

It didn’t take long for Portland Trail Blazers point guard Patty Mills to make his presence felt in Australia’s National Basketball League.

Mills, left idle by the NBA lockout, was named the NBL’s player of the week Tuesday after scoring 28 points to lead the Melbourne Tigers to an 82-76 comeback win over the Sydney Kings on the league’s opening weekend.

— Reported by the Associated Press

Yi Jianlian will play in China, with out-clause for NBA return

Until the NBA and its players’ union can come to a resolution on a new collective bargaining agreement, Yi Jianlian is returning to the place where his professional basketball career started.

Jarinn Akana, one of Yi’s representatives, confirmed that his client has signed a contract with the Guangdong Southern Tigers of the Chinese Basketball Association which will have an NBA out for whenever the labor dispute is settled.

The CBA allowed its teams to sign only free agent NBA players, and Yi is an unrestricted free agent after the Wizards declined to extend his $5.4 million qualifying offer for next season. Wilson Chandler, J.R. Smith and Kenyon Martin have all signed to play in China since the league decided to lock out its players on July 1, but the CBA does not allow foreign players to leave until the conclusion of the season.

Akana explained in a telephone interview that since Yi is a local player, the CBA and the Southern Tigers have both afforded him the privilege of leaving whenever he signs another deal in the NBA.

— Reported by Michael Lee of the Washington Post blog

Man arrested in Romania over death of American player Chauncey Hardy

Romanian prosecutors say a man has been detained over the killing of American basketball player Chauncey Hardy.

Ionut Adrian Tanasoaia surrendered to police early Monday. He is accused of beating up Hardy in a bar in the southern Romanian city of Giurgiu on Saturday night.

Mediafax news agency reported that Tanasoaia attacked Hardy because he wanted to dance with his girlfriend.

— Reported by the Associated Press

NBA`s loss has become China`s gain

Carrie Xu is used to rooting against the Nuggets. She’s a Los Angeles Lakers fan, after all. And this season, she’ll continue to root against the Nuggets. She’s a Shanghai Sharks fan, after all.

And three Nuggets of this past season are on rival teams in the Chinese Basketball Association — Kenyon Martin now plays for Xinjiang Gyang Hui, while Wilson Chandler and J.R. Smith play for Zhejiang Guangsha.

“I’m sad about the lockout and about the current status of the lockout,” said Xu, a former Nike employee who blogs for chinasportsbiz.com. “But I’m happy for the Chinese basketball fans, who can enjoy such great players.”

There should be some great ball in China this winter. The Nuggets players will likely put on a show, though the competition level is more Joel Anthony than Carmelo Anthony. To put it in perspective, the top scorer on the CBA’s top team last year was American Quincy Douby — and not many folks have even heard of Quincy Douby.

— Reported by Benjamin Hochman of the Denver Post

Raptors guard Jose Calderon to train with Barcelona

Barcelona says Toronto Raptors point guard Jose Calderon has followed the Gasol brothers and decided to train with the Spanish club during the NBA lockout.

Calderon is the latest Spanish international to practice with Barcelona after Los Angeles Lakers center Pau Gasol and his brother Marc of the Memphis Grizzlies linked up with the club earlier this week.

While the Gasol brothers are practicing with the first team, Calderon will train with the Barcelona B team from Sunday.

— Reported by the Associated Press

Hawks center Zaza Pachulia signs in Turkey

Days after qualifying for the Turkish Airlines Euroleague Regular Season, newcomer Galatasaray of Turkey announced on Friday the return of big man Zaza Pachulia to Europe’s top competition. Pachulia (2.10 meters, 27 years old) arrives from the Atlanta Hawks of the NBA, where last season he averaged 4.4 points and 4.2 rebounds in 79 appearances. Pachulia made his Euroleague debut during the 2001-02 season playing with Ulker Istanbul, where he stayed for two years.

— Reported by Euroleague.net

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