International Basketball Blog – Page 43 – NBA Blog

Kevin Durant undecided on going overseas

Darnell Mayberry of the Oklahoman reports:

Durant had previously stated his intentions to make a decision by Oct. 1. The erratic nature of negotiations for a ratified collective bargaining agreement, however, has thrown off Durant’s timeline.

“I’ve thought about it before and I really was close to making a decision about doing that,” Durant said of possibly signing overseas. “But I kind of stopped a little bit once I heard things were kind of moving a little better with the lockout. But one day it’s good and one day it’s bad. You never know.”

With the start of the season approaching and no imminent deal anywhere in sight, the NBA announced Friday it has postponed training camps indefinitely and cancelled 43 preseason games league-wide. The Thunder lost two of its seven scheduled preseason games.

“I was shocked. The lockout is starting to be for real now,” Durant said. “Now that they’ve canceled some preseason games and postponed training camps, people are starting to really think (a lost season) can really happen.”

Kenyon Martin to sign largest contract in Chinese league history

Benjamin Hochman of the Denver Post reports:

Longtime Nuggets forward Kenyon Martin will sign a contract to play with Xingiang Guanghui in the Chinese Basketball Association.

Martin’s contract will be the the biggest in CBA history.

“It’s a great opportunity for him to stay in shape and stay fresh,” said Andy Miller, Martin’s agent. “And it also gives him an opportunity to expand his name globally.”

Cavaliers forward Semih Erden signs with Turkish team

Tom Reed of the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports:

Semih Erden has become the first Cavaliers player to find work overseas during the NBA lockout. He won’t have to leave his hometown to earn a paycheck.

The 7-foot forward is planning to play for Besiktas, a Turkish team that also signed New Jersey Nets guard Deron Williams. The club is located in Erden’s native Istanbul.

He was expected to finalize the contract either Tuesday or Wednesday.

Under terms of the agreement, he can return to the Cavaliers once the lockout is resolved. Agents for several Cleveland players have said their clients are considering European options as the league’s work stoppage threatens the start of the season.

Kevin Seraphin signs in Spain

Euroleague.net reports:

Caja Laboral addressed a need for frontcourt players with the signing of Kevin Seraphin. The big man comes off a silver-medal winning performance at EuroBasket 2011 with the French national team. Seraphin (2.05 meters, 21 years old) averaged 4.7 points and 1.9 rebounds over nine games in Lithuania for les Bleus. He spent last season for Washington in the NBA where he produced 2.7 points and 2.6 rebounds over 58 appearances. A native of French Guiana, Seraphin developed at Cholet Basket where he made his professional debut as a teenager.

Rudy Fernandez signs with Real Madrid in Spain during NBA lockout

The AP reports:

Dallas Mavericks forward Rudy Fernandez has signed with Real Madrid’s basketball team during the NBA lockout.

Madrid says Fernandez has agreed to play in Spain during the labor negotiations. The deal includes an option for Fernandez to play with Madrid once his contract with the NBA champions ends.

Dallas acquired Fernandez in June after three seasons with the Portland Trail Blazers.

Rodney Buford and Eddie Robinson to play in new Canadian basketball league

Former NBA players Rodney Buford and Eddie Robinson have signed with the Halifax Rainmen of a new Canadian League that begins play next month.

The 33-year-old Buford, a 6-foot-5 guard, played five seasons in the NBA with Miami, Philadelphia, Memphis, Sacramento and New Jersey. He also played in Greece, Israel, Ukraine and Germany.

Robinson, 35, spent a season with the Charlotte Hornets and three with the Chicago Bulls. He hasn’t played professionally since 2008.

Spain beats France to win 2011 European basketball championship

The AP reports:

Juan Carlos Navarro stole the spotlight from what was supposed to be a big matchup between Pau Gasol and Tony Parker, leading Spain to it second straight European basketball championship.

Navarro scored 27 points to lead Spain to a 98-85 victory over France in the final on Sunday…

Gasol chipped in with a double-double, adding 17 points and 10 rebounds for Spain, which became the first repeat champion since Yugoslavia in 1997…

Another difference maker in the final was Oklahoma City Thunder forward Serge Ibaka, who had five blocks in a five-minute span in the second quarter when Spain built a 10-point lead that it never relinquished. Ibaka, a native of the Republic of Congo, was playing his first tournament for Spain after being granted citizenship in July…

Parker scored 26 points for France but the San Antonio Spurs’ star got little help and could not bring his team its first continental title. France came within six points in the third period but a 7-0 run keyed by a 3-pointer from Navarro restored Spain’s double-digit lead…

Navarro also had five assists to lead a balanced Spanish effort. Guard Jose Calderon of the Toronto Raptors added 17 points while the Dallas Mavericks’ Rudy Fernandez had 14 and the Memphis Grizzlies’ Marc Gasol—Pau’s younger brother— scored 11…

Boris Diaw of the Charlotte Bobcats had 12 points for France, Chicago Bulls star Joakim Noah had 11 and eight rebounds and Nicolas Batum finished with 10 points.

Read NBA fan discussion of the game in this basketball forum topic.

Spain and France advance to EuroBasket championship game

The AP reports:

Defending champion Spain and first-time finalist France will compete for the European basketball title on Sunday and have qualified for next year’s Olympics in London.

Juan Carlos Navarro scored 35 points in a performance his coach called a “masterpiece” as Spain beat Macedonia 92-80 in the first semifinal on Friday.

France got 22 points from Tony Parker to beat Russia 79-71 in the late game. Nicolas Batum added 19 points for France, which reached the championship game for the first time.

“I’ve been chasing this for 11 years and I’m very happy that I can finally say I’m going to the Olympics,” Parker said.

France won a silver medal in 1949 but the tournament was played in a different format and did not have a final.

France went on a 10-2 to finish the third quarter and pull away. Going into the fourth, the run was 16-4, with eight points coming from Ali Traore.

Pau Gasol had 22 points and 17 rebounds for Spain.

Navarro scored 19 points in the third quarter to break open a close game. Spain coach Sergio Scariolo did not hold back in praising his point guard.

J.R. Giddens signs in Greece

Euroleague.net reports:

PAOK Thessaloniki added some scoring punch by signing swingman J.R. Giddens for the season. Giddens (1.96 meters, 26 years old) made his Turkish Airlines Euroleague debut last season with Asseco Prokom, for whom he averaged 9 points on 47.4% three-point shooting and 5.2 rebounds in 10 games. His best game was his very first: 20 points on 9-for-9 two-point shooting and 10 rebounds in a losing effort against Khimki Moscow Region. Later in the season Giddens briefly joined Valencia Basket in Spain, but left before ever appearing in a game for the Spanish club.

Xavier Silas signs in France

Euroleague.net reports:

BCM Gravelines made a change at the shooting guard spot with the addition of rookie Xavier Silas and the release of Osiris Eldridge, who had signed for the club last month. Silas (1.95 meters, 23 years old) comes from Northern Illinois University, where he spent the past two seasons. He earned All-Mid-American Conference First Team honors last season. Silas was the conference’s leading scorer and ranked seventh in all of college basketball with 22.3 points per game. Before joining the Huskies, he played two seasons of college basketball at Colorado University.