The San Antonio Express-News (Mike Monroe) reports: James Gist, the power forward from Maryland the Spurs made the 57th selection in the 2008 draft, signed a contract Monday to play for Angelico Biella, according to the Italian League team’s Web site. Gist, 6-foot-9 and 235 pounds, played well for the Spurs’ summer league team in Las Vegas and Salt Lake City. However, he likely would have spent most of the season with the Spurs’ D-League team in Austin had he signed an NBA contract. By playing in Italy, Gist can get significant playing time without costing the Spurs a roster spot.
Category: International Basketball Blog
International basketball blog
Jaycee Carroll signs in Italy
The Salt Lake Tribune (Sunnie Redhouse) reports: After a month of the NBA summer league, Jaycee Carroll has decided to play professional basketball in Italy. The Utah State graduate signed a one-year contract to play with Siviglia Wear Teramo, an A1 Italian professional basketball team. He will report to the team on Aug. 25. Carroll said the decision came after many conversations with his agent and basketball organizations. “We were looking at every option that we had,” Carroll said. “We were thinking that an NBA team was going to make an offer.” But none did. Nothing solid anyway.
Dan Dickau signs in Italy
“It will be a great experience, both living-wise and basketball-wise,” Dickau told The Columbian newspaper.
“The free agency was kind of slow,” said Dickau to The Columbian. “We kept looking at the NBA, and nothing was coming forward. So I said, ‘Let’s look at all our options and decide what’s best.’ ” … “This doesn’t close my NBA career by any stretch,” Dickau said. “I just felt that right now, this was the best thing for me.”
Euroleague.net reports: Avellino signed veteran point guard Dan Dickau to be its starting playmaker, the club announced Tuesday. Dickau (183, 29) will make his Euroleague debut with Avellino, which is also playing in Europe’s top club competition for the first time. He arrives from the Los Angeles Clippers of the NBA, where he averaged 5.3 points and 2.6 assists in 67 games last season.
Team USA getting wild media attention
As an international sports media superstar and the founder of InsideHoops.com, I understand the lifestyle of an NBA player. Each day I’m forced to hide from millions of adoring fans as I spend my day with a revolving door of supermodel girlfriends. The biggest challenge I had this week was choosing which of my 37 cars to give away to the Victoria’s Secrets model I just had to break up with due to simply not having enough time to fit her into my busy schedule.
(Actually, my job does provide tons of lifestyle perks, but, needless to say, the above is a SLIGHT exaggeration. For example, I only have 24 cars, not 37.)
With all that accurate stuff said, here’s a picture of the media frenzy in Beijing, China as reporters interviewed some Team USA players. Click this picture link.
What’s wild is, there were probably tons of other TV camera guys and reporters looking to join those giant hurdles who were simply unable to, or else those groups would have been way bigger.
Overseas: Roma inks forward Angelo Gigli
Euroleague.net reports: Lottomatica Roma added another piece to its revamped frontcourt by signing Angelo Gigli to a three-year deal. Gigli (25, 209) arrives from Benetton Treviso, where he spent the past two years. The big man was born in South Africa, but grew up in the Italian capital from age 2.
Mavs 2nd rounder Shan Foster goes overseas
The Dallas Morning News (Brandon George) reports: Dallas Mavericks’ fans will have to wait a while to see 2008 second-round draft pick Shan Foster knocking down 3-pointers at American Airlines Center. Foster, a 6-6 guard from Vanderbilt, has signed a one-year contract with a team in Europe and will play overseas next season, Mavericks president Donnie Nelson said Thursday in an e-mail. Nelson, who is in China serving as an assistant coach for China’s men’s Olympic basketball team, didn’t specify the team Foster signed with. The Mavericks still retain Foster’s NBA rights.
Yao Ming to be flag bearer for second straight Olympics
The Houston Chronicle (Fran Blinebury) reports: As China prepares to stand tall by hosting its first Olympic Games, it is only fitting that 7-6 Yao Ming will carry his nation’s flag into the Bird’s Nest stadium at Friday’s Opening Ceremonies. A person with knowledge of the decision, who is not permitted to speak officially, confirmed the Rockets’ center, after carrying the Olympic torch through the main gate of the Forbidden City on Wednesday, will be the Chinese flag bearer for his second straight Olympics. Yao would not say that he has been chosen for the honor. The Chinese delegation is expected to make its announcement on Thursday morning, Houston time. “Of course, I want to be the flag bearer again,” Yao said. “I have experience. It feels good.”
Legendary Israeli coach Ralph Klein dies
The Jerusalem Post reports: Legendary basketball coach Ralph Klein died Thursday morning at Tel Hashomer’s Sheba Medical Center. The 77-year-old, widely regarded as Israel’s greatest basketball coach, had been battling with cancer in recent years. Klein was born to a Hungarian family in Berlin. Before the outbreak of the Second World War, he fled with his family to Budapest. Klein’s father was killed in Auschwitz, but the rest of the family was saved from the Nazis by Raoul Wallenberg, a Swedish humanitarian sent to Budapest under diplomatic cover to rescue Jews from the Holocaust.
Former college standouts playing in Spain
The Oklahoman (Darnell Mayberry) reports: The list of former college standouts currently on rosters in the ACB league include: Melvin Sanders (Oklahoma State), Chris Thomas (Notre Dame), Nik Caner-Medley (Maryland), David Noel (North Carolina), Aaron Miles (Kansas), Marcus Haislip (Tennessee), Louis Bullock (Michigan), Quincy Lewis (Minnesota), Curtis Borchardt (Stanford), Alex Acker (Pepperdine), Scott Padgett (Kentucky), Pepe Sanchez (Temple) and Pops Mensah-Bonsu (George Washington). Highly touted San Antonio Spurs draftee Tiago Splitter also plays in the league, and Memphis Grizzlies forward Marc Gasol, the younger brother of Pau Gasol, won the league’s MVP award last season.
Overseas: Alba Berlin signs Ansu Sesay
Euroleague.net reports: Alba Berlin keeps getting ready for its Euroleague return by inking power forward Ansu Sesay to a one-year deal, with an option to extend it until the end of the 2009-10 season. Sesay (206, 32) arrives from Armani Jeans Milano, where he averaged 10.5 points, 4.9 rebounds and 1.4 steals in 14 Euroleague games last season.