The New Euroleague (The Start of NBA Euroleague Division) Begins In 2016-17 Season

[Euroleague]

The Euroleague has announced that it's new league will begin next season.

This is the league that will eventually become NBA Euroleague, the NBA European division that the NBA has been talking about for many years.

The new Euroleague will eventually be a joint effort of Euroleague and the NBA, with the top clubs of Europe being able to play against NBA teams.

The Euroleague begins this project next season, and once it is formed, the merger with the NBA will happen soon after.

The Euroleague will next season contract down from 24 teams, to 16 teams. This is being done in order to increase the level of the competition, and to increase revenues and profits.

It will be a true league model system, the same as a European national domestic or regional league, and the same as the NBA.

Every team will play against every other team, in both home and away games, during a regular season, and then the league will finish with a playoff format of successive series.

This is different than the current Euroleague, which uses a round robin system of different group stages, draws, and then culminates in a final four.

The new Euroleague will also have a franchise system, the same as American sports leagues. Meaning that the 16 teams will be given franchises. This is different than the current Euroleague, where teams are qualified or not each year based on a system of contracts (which uses European results) and national league results, and where multiple different teams change in the league every year, and where basically any team in Europe has a chance to play in the league.

Under the new system, only the clubs that meet a very high standard of rules will be qualified to play in the league.

In the new Euroleaugue, teams must have a minimum budget of $17 million dollars a season (which can be increased in the future by Euroleague). In the current Euroleague, the minimum budget is $5 million.

Also, the new Euroleague will have a financial regulation system, similar to the NBA salary cap, in which all teams must publish and release all their financial info, salaries of players, etc.

No team will be allowed to spend more money than it earns, and club sponsors will only be allowed to make a sponsor contribution to the team, rather than pay for the whole budget. Meaning that teams must cover their costs through profits.

If teams do not cover their costs, and at least break even in profits, and follow all salary cap rules, then they will be kicked out of the league and replaced by a new franchise. Every team will be given a financial review at the end of each season, in order to make sure that they meet these requirements.

There will also be a minimum and maximum player salary cap that each team will have to adhere to each season. This refers to the net income (after all taxes and agent fees have been paid) salaries of each player on the teams.

In the new Euroleague, there will be new arena rules, where teams must have at least an 11,500 seat arena (in current Euroleague, they need at least a 5,000 seat arena). Also, all the arenas must meet new rules, which stipulate that the arenas must have current NBA level training facilities, practice facilities, media, broadcast, and communication capabilities, press and conference rooms, locker rooms, wireless access, merchandising shops, and food and bar areas.

In the new Euroleague, every 3 years all of the 16 franchise teams will be reviewed, and the team that is deemed to be the least worthy of being in the league, can lose its franchise and be replaced by another team from Europe. But only if another team from Europe meets all of the league's new standards and qualifications.

There will also be new major sponsors and TV deals for the new Euroleague that starts next season. And also, there will be a new league revenue and profits sharing system for the teams of the league, as well as increased incomes, with each team receiving payments for every game they will play in the league, for every win they get in the league, and also a supposed $5 million prize to the league's champion, with the runner up supposedly receiving a $1 million prize.


The 16 franchises of the new Euroleague have not yet been finalized, but these 30 teams are said to be the current league candidates:


Fenerbahce Istanbul - Turkey (if Turkey forms a fully professional league)
Efes Istanbul - Turkey (if Turkey forms a fully professional league)
Darussafaka Istanbul - Turkey (if Turkey forms a fully professional league)
Galatasaray Istanbul - Turkey (if Turkey forms a fully professional league)
Besiktas Istanbul - Turkey (if Turkey forms a fully professional league)

Real Madrid - Spain
Saski Baskonia Vitoria - Spain
Malaga - Spain
FC Barcelona - Catalonia (Spanish League)

CSKA Moscow - Russia
Khimky Moscow Region - Russia
Lokomotiv Kuban - Russia (if they relocate to Sochi)

Olympiacos Piraeus Athens - Greece
Panathinaikos Athens - Greece

Olimpia Milan - Italy
Virtus Roma - Italy (if they merge with AS Roma)

FC Bayern Munich - Germany
Alba Berlin - Germany
Bayer Giants Leverkusen - Germany (if they invest in a first tier basketball team)

Paris Saint Germaine - France (if they form a basketball section)
AS Monaco - Monaco (French League) (if they move to a new arena)

Red Star Belgrade - Serbia (Adriatic League)

Maccabi Tel Aviv - Israel
Hapoel Jerusalem - Israel

Zalgiris Kaunas - Lithuania

Astana - Kazakhstan

London Arsenal - United Kingdom (if they form a basketball section)
Chelsea FC - United Kingdom (if they form a basketball section)
Manchester United - United Kingdom (if they form a basketball section)
Manchester City - United Kingdom (if they form a basketball section)


These 11 teams are said to have already been finalized as getting franchises in the new Euroleague, that will eventually soon become the new NBA Euroleague division:


Fenerbahce Istanbul - Turkey (if Turkey forms a fully professional league)
Efes Istanbul - Turkey (if Turkey forms a fully professional league)

Real Madrid - Spain
Saski Baskonia Vitoria - Spain
FC Barcelona - Catalonia (Spanish League)

CSKA Moscow - Russia

Olympiacos Piraeus Athens - Greece
Panathinaikos Athens - Greece

Olimpia Milan - Italy

FC Bayern Munich - Germany

Maccabi Tel Aviv - Israel


The last 5 teams will be selected from the other above candidates.

The new Euroleague officially will begin in the 2016-17 season, and will then form into the new NBA Euroleague division soon after that.

[Real Men Wear Green]

Link?

[DavisIsMyUniBro]

Can I just say, I don't know why people disrespect the euro league so much.

Is it the same as the nba? No. But what is?

I mean, it's the 2nd highest level of bball competition in the world (well, professional)

And generally, dirk, gasoline, etc, all come from there. We have legends that have come from the euro league

I don't really watch the euro league, but I respect the people who work there.

[DavisIsMyUniBro]

WAIT
WHAT
I MISREAD RHE TITLE
THIS IS A HORRIBLE IDEA
WHAT IS THIS
NO ****ING WAY THIS IS HAPPENING

Also, it wouldn't work at all.

[DavisIsMyUniBro]

No offense, but I feel this is bs.

Why would man city and man it'd be separate teams? I'm an avid man city fan, and like, all of those names are just the soccer teams

[Real Men Wear Green]

WAIT
WHAT
I MISREAD RHE TITLE
THIS IS A HORRIBLE IDEA
WHAT IS THIS
NO ****ING WAY THIS IS HAPPENING

Also, it wouldn't work at all.
I could believe that Euroleague is streamlining. But to merge with the NBA would take drastic changes and a ton of discussion among NBA owners and with the NBPA that just hasn't happened yet. But let's see if he has some kind of link.

[fiddy]

:sleeping


Link?
voices in OP's head

[DavisIsMyUniBro]

Also. It's not in the news

[catch24]

Can I just say, I don't know why people disrespect the euro league so much.

Is it the same as the nba? No. But what is?

I mean, it's the 2nd highest level of bball competition in the world (well, professional)

And generally, dirk, gasoline, etc, all come from there. We have legends that have come from the euro league

I don't really watch the euro league, but I respect the people who work there.

I would say its backlash from all the posts made by OP, who is known as a troll (claims EL > NBA) and pathological liar (never backs up any of his claims)

Euroleague is a great league littered with serviceable NBA players.

BTW, I cant seem to find ANY links regarding this "news". Maybe our friend here can provide a few for us? :confusedshrug:

[Euroleague]

WAIT
WHAT
I MISREAD RHE TITLE
THIS IS A HORRIBLE IDEA
WHAT IS THIS
NO ****ING WAY THIS IS HAPPENING

Also, it wouldn't work at all.

It is happening, because Euroleague's CEO announced it at a press conference. It's already agreed upon by the league and the clubs. And they are working in conjunction with the NBA, in order to get the league ready for when the NBA opens up the NBA Euroleague Division.

[Euroleague]

No offense, but I feel this is bs.

Why would man city and man it'd be separate teams? I'm an avid man city fan, and like, all of those names are just the soccer teams

Those clubs are candidates to get teams in the new 16 team Euroleague. They are NOT finalists for the league. Only 11 clubs have been finalized to receive franchises.

Fenerbahce Istanbul - Turkey
Efes Istanbul - Turkey

Real Madrid - Spain
Saski Baskonia Vitoria - Spain
FC Barcelona - Catalonia (Spanish League)

CSKA Moscow - Russia

Olympiacos Piraeus Athens - Greece
Panathinaikos Athens - Greece

Olimpia Milan - Italy

FC Bayern Munich - Germany

Maccabi Tel Aviv - Israel


And the two clubs from Turkey will only get franchises if Turkey forms a new fully professional league by next season. The current Turkish League is not a fully professional league, so Turkish basketball won't meet the new rules and regulations of the new Euroleague, as it is currently built. So 2 of those 11 teams are also contingent on their national domestic league becoming fully pro, which it is not right now.

Obviously, the English clubs would have to form basketball sections in order to get franchises. The same also has to happen for Paris Saint Germaine.

But the NBA is insistent on having clubs in England (especially in London), and also in Paris. So that is why these clubs are being given the chance by Euroleague to get franchises in the new Euroleague.

[fiddy]

It is happening, because Euroleague's CEO announced it at a press conference. It's already agreed upon by the league and the clubs. And they are working in conjunction with the NBA, in order to get the league ready for when the NBA opens up the NBA Euroleague Division.
Back up your silly claims

[artificial]

NoLinksYo?

[fiddy]

NoLinksYo?
Nope, and we wont see any

[nba_55]

It is happening, because Euroleague's CEO announced it at a press conference. It's already agreed upon by the league and the clubs. And they are working in conjunction with the NBA, in order to get the league ready for when the NBA opens up the NBA Euroleague Division.

Post a link.

You lying crazy PSYCHO bitch!

[Euroleague]

Here is an English link talking about the Euroleague CEO meeting with the Angelopoulos brothers, the owners of Olympiacos, and the most powerful owners in Euroleague.

They met to talk about the new league and their team being finalized with a franchise.

http://www.eurohoops.net/euroleague/139079/aggelopoulos-brothers-met-with-bertomeu

Here is an English link with the Euroleague CEO discussing the new league's rules before he met with the owners of the clubs to finalize it.

http://www.eurohoops.net/featured/138751/there-is-still-room-to-find-solutions-with-fiba

The details and explanations of all this will come out more in the next few days to weeks. But understand that almost all of the stories will not be in English speaking media.

[sportjames23]

I Feel Devotion.

[r0drig0lac]

:facepalm

[FKAri]

Link?

http://www.reactiongifs.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/nick-cage-lol.gif

[SpecialQue]

The details and explanations of all this will come out more in the next few days to weeks. But understand that almost all of the stories will not be in English speaking media.

That's mighty convenient for you.

[Dr.J4ever]

I could believe that Euroleague is streamlining. But to merge with the NBA would take drastic changes and a ton of discussion among NBA owners and with the NBPA that just hasn't happened yet. But let's see if he has some kind of link.

EL the poster is speculating, as there is nothing at all in the links he provided that speak of mergers and such with the NBA.

Behind the scenes though, I wouldn't dismiss this completely. There was a report that when Adam Silver visited Real Madrid to watch the Celtics play there a few weeks ago, Silver supposedly met with Real Madrid officials to discuss Real entering the NBA. Could it be that the Real people discussed with Silver this EL streamlining efforts in 2016-2017? Most probably.

However, this doesn't mean the NBA is giving it's nod to any moves done by the EL. It just means the EL COULD, but may not, be positioning itself to merge with the NBA in the future, just like other leagues did in the past. Both the AFL and ABA made moves in the past where it could be easier for the rival big league to swallow it up. This could be what is going on.

[JtotheIzzo]

Those clubs are candidates to get teams in the new 16 team Euroleague. They are NOT finalists for the league. Only 11 clubs have been finalized to receive franchises.

Fenerbahce Istanbul - Turkey
Efes Istanbul - Turkey

Real Madrid - Spain
Saski Baskonia Vitoria - Spain
FC Barcelona - Catalonia (Spanish League)

CSKA Moscow - Russia

Olympiacos Piraeus Athens - Greece
Panathinaikos Athens - Greece

Olimpia Milan - Italy

FC Bayern Munich - Germany

Maccabi Tel Aviv - Israel


And the two clubs from Turkey will only get franchises if Turkey forms a new fully professional league by next season. The current Turkish League is not a fully professional league, so Turkish basketball won't meet the new rules and regulations of the new Euroleague, as it is currently built. So 2 of those 11 teams are also contingent on their national domestic league becoming fully pro, which it is not right now.

Obviously, the English clubs would have to form basketball sections in order to get franchises. The same also has to happen for Paris Saint Germaine.

But the NBA is insistent on having clubs in England (especially in London), and also in Paris. So that is why these clubs are being given the chance by Euroleague to get franchises in the new Euroleague.

Catalonia separated?

Did you get this info from the same fictional news source you got the story in the OP from?

:rolleyes:

[swagga]

https://media.giphy.com/media/Nz0rVQT4NPiBa/giphy.gif

[swagga]

https://33.media.tumblr.com/bbc83952cacc271dc052bac4405b316b/tumblr_nkjsn0aBep1s0t8mao1_500.gif

[KNOW1EDGE]

It is happening, because Euroleague's CEO announced it at a press conference. It's already agreed upon by the league and the clubs. And they are working in conjunction with the NBA, in order to get the league ready for when the NBA opens up the NBA Euroleague Division.

Link or ducktales.

[Euroleague]

FIBA officially announced it also, CONFIRMING ONCE AGAIN that all I do is tell the truth, tell the truth, tell the truth, and give this site secret inside info BEFORE it is known anywhere else.

But despite this being the case here for YEARS, I still get accused of "lying" and "making things up".

:facepalm :facepalm :facepalm :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes:

Anyway, FIBA, who is working jointly on this with the Euroleague and the NBA (NBA now has 1/4 of the votes on FIBA's permanent council), released their own version of this new Euroleague, which has also been approved by their assembly council, and by the clubs of Europe, to go to the final stage (where they decide on which model to adapt). Euroleague already finalized their model.

FIBA's plan for the new Euroleague is basically identical to the Euroleague's, except that it does not include a league system model, as it stays in round robin format, and it only gives 8 teams the guaranteed franchise, instead of Euroleague's 16. The Euroleague and the biggest European clubs won't like this model as well, because it is less modern and less NBA like. However, the FIBA model offers more revenues through just the side of profit sharing, with each club getting a guaranteed $2.1 million in net cash checks from the league, through the profit shares. And with that amount being able to increase every year.

The two plans, the one of Euroleague, which is finalized, and this one of FIBA (which will be finalized at the next council), will then be jointly voted on within the next couple of weeks.

Basically, they will discuss the two plans, and then the clubs will pick the measures and proposals of each they like best, and modify them and that will form the new league officially. For example, they might take some of the ideas of each plan and combine them.

The big clubs should like Euroleague's plan better, as it gives no weight to lesser and smaller clubs in Europe (it follows an NBA model). While the smaller clubs should like FIBA's plans better, as it still gives some credence to smaller and less important clubs (it follows basically a UEFA Champions' League model).

[Euroleague]

Here is again more further confirmation in English:

http://www.eurohoops.net/featured/140500/fibas-plan-on-the-new-competition

FIBA’S PLAN ON THE NEW COMPETITION

FIBA announced its plans for the new competition which will be discussed on 3 November in Geneva.

Here is the press release by Fiba with all the details for the new competition:

“The International Basketball Federation will welcome a delegation representing top European clubs, together with Euroleague representatives, at the House of Basketball on 3 November to discuss the launch of a new European top club competition.

The talks will take place following a meeting hosted by FIBA earlier this month with ULEB (Union of European Leagues of Basketball) and representatives of European domestic and regional leagues, during which important conclusions on professional basketball were agreed.

The discussions with the clubs will revolve around FIBA’s new top club competition model which was proposed to top European clubs in July. This new model has been created to provide a solid base for the future growth of European basketball, with elite clubs very much at the heart of basketball’s competitions system and its growth plans. It is also aimed at protecting and strengthening Europe’s domestic leagues and nurturing new basketball talent.

FIBA Secretary General Patrick Baumann said: “We look forward to welcoming a delegation from the top European clubs to the House of Basketball and formally open a proper communication channel with them. FIBA greatly appreciates the support they have given to top-level basketball for many years. We are very keen to hear their views on our proposed new top club competition and any other topics they might be interested in, given how much FIBA has changed and grown over the past few years. We look forward to having open and constructive discussions on the future of professional basketball in Europe and are happy to note that national federations and other basketball stakeholders look forward to remodelling the European Club competitions.

“Together with our committed strategic partners, FIBA wants to move the top international club competitions in Europe up to the next level, including more regions over time, to develop harmoniously the sport for all clubs and the basketball family as a whole.”


The FIBA Model
As presented to the clubs earlier this summer, FIBA’s new top European club competition will consist of 16 teams playing each other in a round-robin format. The best eight teams will then advance to the play-offs.

There will be eight guaranteed spots among the 16 teams for FC Barcelona (Spain), Real Madrid (Spain), Olympiacos Piraeus (Greece), Panathinaikos Athens (Greece), Maccabi Electra Tel Aviv (Israel), CSKA Moscow (Russia), Anadolu Efes Istanbul (Turkey) and Fenerbahce Ulker Istanbul (Turkey).

There will be a further four guaranteed spots for the national league champions of France, Germany, Italy and Lithuania. The remaining four slots will be filled after a qualification round in which teams from 28 national leagues – with at least 23 more national champions – will participate.

The format for the play-offs will be ‘best-of-three game’ series, with the winners going through to the final four knockout stage.

The new competition is designed to tackle key challenges that basketball faces and is based on firm principles:

It will be stable and consistent in the long term, while offering the opportunity for expansion in future years; It is simple and easily understood by fans and the general public; The format ensures that competition results are not predictable; It is credible from a sports perspective, not solely driven by commercial interests; It is also financially sustainable over the long term, having secured major investment and with both FIBA and FIBA Europe committing their own resources to the competition; It is inclusive, providing opportunities to new teams from emerging countries in the sport; It is clear and transparent with regards to the roles and responsibilities of all of basketball’s stakeholders; It protects domestic leagues by ensuring that European league game days are not played at the weekend.

A new company, jointly owned by FIBA, FIBA Europe, investors and clubs, should be established to manage and govern the new competition.

The new company would centralise TV rights and broadcast operations, retaining the revenues generated by those rights. It would also earn revenue from some digital and marketing rights and guarantee a distribution of €30 million per season to competing clubs.

The clubs will manage the new league through a governing board and each club will receive guaranteed revenues, performance bonuses and profit sharing. They will be entitled to decide how to use their share of the profits under the principles of Financial Fair Play.

The governance structure of the company should also allow for future adaptation, as well as enabling other strategic partners to join”.

[Euroleague]

As you can see, in both the Euroleague model, and the FIBA model, these following teams are getting a franchise in the new Euroleague (which is the league the NBA will merge with):

FC Barcelona (Spain)
Real Madrid (Spain)
Olympiacos Piraeus (Greece)
Panathinaikos Athens (Greece)
Maccabi Tel Aviv (Israel)
CSKA Moscow (Russia)
Efes Istanbul (Turkey)
Fenerbahce Istanbul (Turkey)

Since this has all been discussed first with Euroleague/FIBA and the clubs, that means that these 8 clubs for sure are the ones the NBA is targeting to go into the new NBA Europe division. Since these same 8 clubs all get the franchise under both approved league models.

Also, remember that the NBA officially joined FIBA's permanent vote council last year, and that the NBA now has the controlling vote in FIBA, as it was given 8 votes, instead of the 1 that everyone else gets.

That means that the NBA has already approved of this, now that FIBA announced it as well, along with the Euroleague.

[Euroleague]

Catalonia separated?

Did you get this info from the same fictional news source you got the story in the OP from?

:rolleyes:

Euroleague Basketball, which owns the Euroleague, and ULEB, which controls the council of the national domestic leagues in Europe, are both headquartered in Catalonia.

Jordi Bertomeu, who owns and runs the Euroleague is also Catalan.

Catalonia considers itself as a separate country and to be independent.

FIBA registers it as Spain, but not the other organizations.

The Spanish national team is even a joint multi national team, like Yugoslavia was. It is several national teams combined into one, ala Yugoslavia and Soviet Union, or Great Britain in current times. It is not just "Spain", but also the Catalan national team, etc.

Stop being an ignorant jackass.

[outbreak]

The part people don't agree with isn't the new euroleague structure, it's the claims you make that the nba will merge with this league likes it's a done deal. Your links don't mention any merger being official so it's just you making your predictions and acting like they are facts, you post a link claiming it's all true when the link only confirms the part people weren't disbelieving.

The last official word I've seen from the NBA was that they were still considering either incorporating euro teams (which these changes would be a good step in that direction) or setting up their own teams but they see it as a 5-10 year project.

It will happen eventually though.

[Euroleague]

EL the poster is speculating, as there is nothing at all in the links he provided that speak of mergers and such with the NBA.

Behind the scenes though, I wouldn't dismiss this completely. There was a report that when Adam Silver visited Real Madrid to watch the Celtics play there a few weeks ago, Silver supposedly met with Real Madrid officials to discuss Real entering the NBA. Could it be that the Real people discussed with Silver this EL streamlining efforts in 2016-2017? Most probably.

However, this doesn't mean the NBA is giving it's nod to any moves done by the EL. It just means the EL COULD, but may not, be positioning itself to merge with the NBA in the future, just like other leagues did in the past. Both the AFL and ABA made moves in the past where it could be easier for the rival big league to swallow it up. This could be what is going on.

The NBA isn't going to swallow up the Euroleague through a hostile takeover merge. It is going to merge with it, by combining into a partnership with it.

The leagues you talked about, AFL and ABA had less money and power than the NFL and NBA did. The new Euroleague, which is based on some of the biggest and richest clubs of Europe, and the entire world for that matter, has just as much money and power behind it as the NBA does, and maybe even more, when you also consider that they come from a bigger media and TV market than the USA, and have almost unparalleled fan bases.

These are the mega rich and uber powerful sports clubs of Europe. There is no way in hell the NBA, or any other American sports league, has the money or power to take them over and buy them out.

[outbreak]

The NBA isn't going to swallow up the Euroleague through a hostile takeover merge. It is going to merge with it, by combining into a partnership with it.

The leagues you talked about, AFL and ABA had less money and power than the NFL and NBA did. The new Euroleague, which is based on some of the biggest and richest clubs of Europe, and the entire world for that matter, has just as much money and power behind it as the NBA does, and maybe even more, when you also consider that they come from a bigger media and TV market than the USA, and have almost unparalleled fan bases.

These are the mega rich and uber powerful sports clubs of Europe. There is no way in hell the NBA, or any other American sports league, has the money or power to take them over and buy them out.

They wouldn't even try to buy them out, they'd do what stern and silver have mentioned in the past which is to set up their own division with their own clubs in the hopes it'd make the euroleague teams in those cities obsolete.

I'm not sure the idea would work as well as they hope though, it's one thing to have a big market in some euro cities who watch league pass but it's another to establish new franchises and pick up new fanbases that will regularly attend the games. Look at how Vancouver went. It'd probably work in London and Paris where tourists would help bring up attendance but a lot of other cities people wouldn't buy in imo.

[Euroleague]

The part people don't agree with isn't the new euroleague structure, it's the claims you make that the nba will merge with this league likes it's a done deal. Your links don't mention any merger being official so it's just you making your predictions and acting like they are facts, you post a link claiming it's all true when the link only confirms the part people weren't disbelieving.

The last official word I've seen from the NBA was that they were still considering either incorporating euro teams (which these changes would be a good step in that direction) or setting up their own teams but they see it as a 5-10 year project.

It will happen eventually though.

As I said, the new Euroleague gets formed officially first, and then soon after that it will eventually become the new NBA Euroleague, or what the NBA has sometimes referred to as "NBA Europe".

The NBA already stated last year that they would do this within 5 years. That means now 4 years from now. The new Euroleague does not even being until the 2016-17 season. So by the time the new Euroleague starts, that means 3 years from the date the NBA already set to form the NBA European division. Which just happens to coincide with the Euroleague's league model that after the first 3 years of the league are completed, the Euroleague will review all of the clubs and decide who keeps a franchise, and who gets a new one.

Which is exactly what this is. That is also why FIBA allowed the NBA into their permanent voting council last year, and gave them the controlling voting power. Because they are getting ready to setup this new league, working in conjunction with Euroleague, ULEB (national league of Europe union committee), FIBA Europe (controls FIBA EuroBasket), and the NBA.

There is a ton of money to be made in revenues in European basketball. It just has not been happening because up until now all the revenues are divided between FIBA Europe, Euroleague, ULEB (national league council), and the clubs themselves. Plus, the NBA places itself into Europe as trying to siphon off the money to be had in TV deals and merchandising.

This new system will combine it all into one system, therefore maximizing the revenues in TV, sponsors, and merchandise for these big European clubs. Which also just happen to have enormous fan bases, and play in a huge media market (European sports market). And all of the clubs being talked about, except for Maccabi, also have incredibly rich owners.

And yes, as Dr.J4ever mentioned, Adam Silver just met with the President of Real Madrid to already discuss this.

And also, last year the owner of the Memphis Grizzlies stated to the press that the NBA owners already told Silver that they want this and have already voted to approve it, putting the biggest clubs of Europe into the NBA.

There was also another report that mentioned two NBA GMs anonymously, and said that the young and newer NBA owners, all want to badly get into the biggest European clubs as soon as possible, because it would mean billions upon billions of dollars of new revenues for the NBA.

There was also another report last year that stated that Silver wants badly to get this done as soon as possible, to make the NBA the first North American sports league to merge into Europe. Because of the fact that the NFL also has plans to expand into Europe, and even to merge with some of the biggest English football (European soccer) clubs. As well as that MLB has plans to expand and merge into the the Japanese baseball league.

The thought process of the NBA is that whatever league is able to go global first, will be the league that secures the biggest sponsors and investors in the initial launching of the new league. The worry the NBA has is that if they don't get expanded into Europe before the NFL does, that they will lose out on the billions and billions of dollars that is available in sponsors and investors.

So you can say whatever you want to, but this is reality, and people saying otherwise are just being xenophobic and spouting off some kind of "American exceptionalism" bullshit.

[Euroleague]

FIBA and Euroleague have met to compare the two league plans that are being proposed as the format of the new Euroleague (which will eventually become NBA Europe).

FIBA's proposed new name of the league is "Basketball Champions League", modeled after UEFA Champions League.

The new logo has also been proposed:

http://www.sport24.gr/Basket/article3753423.ece/BINARY/original/champions-league.jpg

In addition to this, the minimum league budget has been proposed to be set at $30 million.

In FIBA's model, 16 teams will play a 30 game regular season, after a 4 game qualification round. The top 8 teams will then make the playoffs, and play in a best of 3 playoff series.

The winning teams of the playoffs will then go to the Final Four. So FIBA's proposed format retains the round robin system and Final Four, but increases the time of the Euroleague season from the current length of 32 weeks, to 37 weeks.

Under FIBA's proposed model, 8 teams will be given franchises. FIBA's proposed format model is as follows:

8 franchises:

​​Real Madrid (Spain)
CSKA Moscow (Russia)
Olympiacos Piraeus (Greece)
FC Barcelona (Spain)
Maccabi Tel Aviv (Israel)
Fenerbahce Istanbul (Turkey)
Panathinaikos Athens (Greece)
Efes Istanbul (Turkey)


4 additional places for the champions of each season's national domestic leagues in Lithuania, France, Italy, and Germany:

Lithuanian League champion
French League champion
Italian League champion
German League champion


4 final places will be awarded through the qualification round. The qualification round will include 28 teams, from 23 different European national domestic and regional leagues:

Qualification team 1
Qualification team 2
Qualification team 3
Qualification team 4


The Euroleague and FIBA are also discussing a new "Global Euroleague Draft".

Under the proposal being discussed, the new Euroleague would conduct a "global draft system of basketball players", just like the NBA does. Players from all over the world, including the USA, could then be drafted by Euroleague teams, and their rights then held by Euroleague teams.

Players could also then play in the D-League, NBA, or other international leagues, while the Euroleague teams maintain their draft rights.

In addition to this, the new league will also be officially partnered with and sponsored by one of the biggest professional sports leagues in the United States. Although they are not yet disclosing which league it is (but we can guess it is probably the NBA).

[RidonKs]

:applause:

[Euroleague]

FIBA announced that the Euroleague has until March, to decide on the exact details of the new league, before it is officially launched.

They also announced that each team playing in the new league would be guaranteed $1.9 million income before each season starts, and then guaranteed money for each game played, each game won, and for every step they take further in the tournament.

The champion of the league would be guaranteed $5.5 million in profits, for winning the championship.

Teams would also be allowed to spend as much money as they want to, which is different than Euroleague's current rules, which state that teams can only spend as much money as they generate in revenues.

[bukowski81]

FIBA announced that the Euroleague has until March, to decide on the exact details of the new league, before it is officially launched.

They also announced that each team playing in the new league would be guaranteed $1.9 million income before each season starts, and then guaranteed money for each game played, each game won, and for every step they take further in the tournament.

The champion of the league would be guaranteed $5.5 million in profits, for winning the championship.

Teams would also be allowed to spend as much money as they want to, which is different than Euroleague's current rules, which state that teams can only spend as much money as they generate in revenues.


Havent read the whole thread, but are there serious plans to have some kind of tournament between euroleague and nba teams?? I cant imagine how the logistics of that would work, but it would be great and i would definetely watch.

[Euroleague]

Havent read the whole thread, but are there serious plans to have some kind of tournament between euroleague and nba teams?? I cant imagine how the logistics of that would work, but it would be great and i would definetely watch.

FIBA and Euroleague have made those plans for many years, and already have a world basketball cup, which is called the FIBA Intercontinental Cup, and has existed for a long time. It's officially a world cup of basketball, and is an actual official tournament, unlike the old McDonald's Championship.

FIBA and Euroleague spent several years inviting the NBA to compete at this tournament, which have the NBA champions, the Euroleague champions, and the champions of FIBA Americas League play each other. But the NBA refused for a long time, so finally FIBA and Euroleague just brought the tournament between the Euroleague champions and the FIBA Americas League champions.

The tournament has been going like that (FIBA Americas League champions versus Euroleague champions) for a few years now, but each year the NBA champions have been invited to play at the tournament. However, so far, the NBA has refused to participate.

So the tournament is already in place, and FIBA and the Euroleague want the NBA to play in it, but the NBA has simply refused to have anything to do with it.

So there is no way to know if this is ever going to happen or not, since the NBA simply has to accept their invite to the tournament. But so far, they simply refuse to play at it. It comes down 100% to whether or not the NBA will ever stop refusing to play at it.

[Milbuck]

Giannis, Rubio, Mirotic, Porzingis > Spanoulis

[Euroleague]

Giannis, Rubio, Mirotic, Porzingis > Spanoulis

All added together? MAYBE.........

[Euroleague]

I just heard that FIBA World has supposedly changed it's foul rules from the current FIBA rules for fouling, to NBA rules for fouling...


This is an enormous change to FIBA rules, because under the FIBA fouling rules --->


Defensive players have the right to their own bubble of space around their area of the court that they are occupying (no James Harden and Dwyane Wade style free throws being allowed),

Defensive fouls are only called at the personal discretion and whim of the refs (which in the last 10 years or so, has allowed FIBA refs to decide dozens of huge games on their own, without any threat of punishment), and,

where impeding or changing the direction of the offensive movement of an offensive player, by physically touching them on the perimeter, does not have to be called a defensive foul, and is again at the ref's discretion (which is why Steph Curry is just an 8-12 points a game type of scorer in FIBA).


Supposedly, FIBA has officially changed these rules, to NBA foul rules, where -->


No defensive player has the right to his own bubble of space around the area of the court that he occupies (meaning Dwyane Wade and James Harden style free throws being allowed, where they were not before),

Defensive fouls no longer allowed to be called at the personal discretion and whim of refs, but being absolutely a must call, if a defensive foul occurs (perhaps the complete doom and destruction of national basketball teams like USA, Spain, and Lithuania, that get helped by the refs in almost every game they play), and,

where impeding or changing the direction of the offensive movement of an offensive player, by physically touching them on the perimeter, HAS to be called a defensive foul (players like Steph Curry and prime Steve Nash suddenly are "magically" transformed into supermen).


I am guessing that this is being done primarily for 3 reasons - in order to make the rules of the NBA and FIBA more uniform with each other, to stop national teams like Spain, USA, and Lithuania, from always getting help from the refs, and thus skewing international tournament results over and over, and as a part of the forming of the new version of the Euroleague, which is being created so that it can soon join together with the NBA, for the NBA Europe Division that the NBA wants.

[Milbuck]

All added together? MAYBE.........
Giannis scored as many points in his first 4 games of this season as Spanoulis' entire career........on 27% better shooting :roll: :roll: :roll:

[outbreak]

I just heard that FIBA World has supposedly changed it's foul rules from the current FIBA rules for fouling, to NBA rules for fouling...


This is an enormous change to FIBA rules, because under the FIBA fouling rules --->


Defensive players have the right to their own bubble of space around their area of the court that they are occupying (no James Harden and Dywane Wade style free throws being allowed),

Defensive fouls are only called at the personal discretion and whim of the refs (which in the last 10 years or so, has allowed FIBA refs to decide dozens of huge games on their own, without any threat of punishment), and,

where impeding or changing the direction of the offensive movement of an offensive player, by physically touching them on the perimeter, does not have to be called a defensive foul, and is again at the ref's discretion (which is why Steph Curry is just an 8-12 points a game type of scorer in FIBA).


Supposedly, FIBA has officially changed these rules, to NBA foul rules, where -->


No defensive player has the right to his own bubble of space around the area of the court that he occupies (meaning Dwayne Wade and James Harden style free throws being allowed, where they were not before),

Defensive fouls no longer allowed to be called at the personal discretion and whim of refs, but being absolutely a must call, if a defensive foul occurs (perhaps the complete doom and destruction of national basketball teams like USA, Spain, and Lithuania, that get helped by the refs in almost every game they play), and,

where impeding or changing the direction of the offensive movement of an offensive player, by physically touching them on the perimeter, HAS to be called a defensive foul (players like Steph Curry and prime Steve Nash suddenly are "magically" transformed into supermen).


I am guessing that this is being done primarily for 3 reasons - in order to make the rules of the NBA and FIBA more uniform with each other, to stop national teams like Spain, USA, and Lithuania, from always getting help from the refs, and thus skewing international tournament results over and over, and as a part of the forming of the new version of the Euroleague, which is being created so that it can soon join together with the NBA, for the NBA Europe Division that the NBA wants.


https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/f/f3/Tin_foil_hat_2.jpg

[Euroleague]

Giannis scored as many points in his first 4 games of this season as Spanoulis' entire career........on 27% better shooting :roll: :roll: :roll:

Strange how "Giannis" was the 6th scorer on Greece's national team, while Spanoulis was the first scorer.

Spanoulis would average about 28/12 in the NBA.

[JtotheIzzo]

Strange how "Giannis" was the 6th scorer on Greece's national team, while Spanoulis was the first scorer.

Spanoulis would average about 28/12 in the NBA.

Hmm, if there was only some way where we could see how he'd actually do in the NBA...

Oh, he DID play in the NBA, and the 28/12 you are referring to are his 2pt and 3pt field goal percentages.

[Milbuck]

Strange how "Giannis" was the 6th scorer on Greece's national team, while Spanoulis was the first scorer.

Spanoulis would average about 28/12 in the NBA.
Spanoulis averaged 11 ppg on 41% from the field while completely dominating the ball and the offense, while Giannis put up 10 ppg on 49% while being constantly ignored. Not to mention Giannis' defense SHITS on Spanoulis'. Giannis was universally acknowledged as Greece's best player by the end of the tournament and almost singlehandedly won the game against Spain with his all-around game, while Spanoulis choked as usual and chucked up terrible shot after terrible shot and played his usual garbage defense. Dude was so garbage he announced his retirement from NT play immediately after :roll: :roll:

And no need to throw out hypothetical numbers, we already know what Spanoulis would do in the NBA.....2.7ppg on 32% FG and one flight back to Greece after getting his shit pushed in for 31 games :oldlol:

[outbreak]

Strange how "Giannis" was the 6th scorer on Greece's national team, while Spanoulis was the first scorer.

Spanoulis would average about 28/12 in the NBA.
:bowdown:
Giannis at 20 years old scored TWO points less than Spanoulis (Greece's best ever player) in only 2 minutes more play time over the course of the eurobasket :bowdown:

Giannis 78pts in 195 minutes on 49% shooting vs Spanoulis 80pts on 41% shooting.

Giannis confirmed as the future face of greek basketball!

[SaltyMeatballs]

Strange how "Giannis" was the 6th scorer on Greece's national team, while Spanoulis was the first scorer.

Spanoulis would average about 28/12 in the NBA.
You can't be serious.

[outbreak]

You can't be serious.
28/12 is about what Jimmer Freddette would average in the euroleague

[Euroleague]

Hmm, if there was only some way where we could see how he'd actually do in the NBA...

Oh, he DID play in the NBA, and the 28/12 you are referring to are his 2pt and 3pt field goal percentages.

If Giannis was so freaking great, he would not have been a bit part role player in three consecutive summers with,

the Greek Under-20 national team in 2013

the Greek team at the FIBA World Cup in 2014

and

the Greek team at the Eurobasket in 2015.



Three straight summers playing with Greece's national team, and he's been nothing but a top 6 scorer and at his best, a role player.

That = "NBA franchise player".


:facepalm :rolleyes:

Average role players for Greek national teams = franchise players in the NBA.

That means Spanoulis, THE BEST GREEK PLAYER, would be at least a top 5 player in the NBA, and more like a top 1 player. Considering a guy like Steph Curry sees about 1/5 the defensive pressure in the NBA, as Spanoulis does in Euroleague and FIBA competitions.

"Giannis", the "NBA franchise player" was being left unguarded and wide open in every game at EuroBasket, while teams were sending his man to double and help triple team Spanoulis. And "Giannis", "the improved 3 point shooter", bricked most of the wide open shots he got.

[Euroleague]

Spanoulis averaged 11 ppg on 41% from the field while completely dominating the ball and the offense, while Giannis put up 10 ppg on 49% while being constantly ignored. Not to mention Giannis' defense SHITS on Spanoulis'. Giannis was universally acknowledged as Greece's best player by the end of the tournament and almost singlehandedly won the game against Spain with his all-around game, while Spanoulis choked as usual and chucked up terrible shot after terrible shot and played his usual garbage defense. Dude was so garbage he announced his retirement from NT play immediately after :roll: :roll:

And no need to throw out hypothetical numbers, we already know what Spanoulis would do in the NBA.....2.7ppg on 32% FG and one flight back to Greece after getting his shit pushed in for 31 games :oldlol:

After the EuroBasket, Greece's coach and most of the Greek media, said "Giannis" was a huge disapointment for the 3rd summer in a row with the national team, and that he's nowhere close to as good at FIBA level, as he is in the NBA.

Keep smoking crack bro. It suits you.

[Sakkreth]

In a historic 10-year deal, with an option for a further 10 years, Euroleague Basketball and IMG, a global leader in sports, fashion and media, have set up a revolutionary joint venture to form new European competitions from the 2016-17 season onward.

Meeting in Barcelona today, the 11 clubs that currently possess A licences in the Euroleague – Anadolu Efes Istanbul, CSKA Moscow, EA7 Emporio Armani Milan, FC Barcelona Lassa, Fenerbahce Istanbul, Laboral Kutxa Vitoria Gasteiz, Maccabi FOX Tel Aviv, Olympiacos Piraeus, Panathinaikos Athens, Real Madrid and Zalgiris Kaunas – agreed on a new Euroleague competition model as the final step toward a true European league in which all teams play each other every season.

Euroleague Basketball and IMG together will manage the commercial operation, and the management of all global rights covering both media and marketing.

The Euroleague will have a new format with 16 teams: 11 permanent franchises (potentially expandable in the future), a berth for the Eurocup champion, three direct-access spots for domestic league champions and one place for the winner of qualifying rounds featuring eight teams. The 16 teams will compete in a round-robin regular season of 30 rounds, to be followed by best-of-five playoffs, with series winners advancing to the Final Four, at which the continental champion will be crowned.

The Eurocup will have 24 teams – 21 with access through domestic leagues and 3 wild card invitations – playing in an almost identical format to the one with which the Euroleague has enjoyed such great success in recent seasons. A 10-round regular season will be followed by a 14-round Top 16, two-game quarter-final and semi-final home-and-away series, finalizing with the championship game.

The new competition system builds on the principles of the brand, ownership and management of professional club competitions as well as the growth experienced over the past 15 years. This completes the vision of the clubs, expressed in the conclusions and strategic plan approved during the 2011 owner’s meeting in Versailles, since when Euroleague Basketball has been working on the clubs’ behalf.

The clubs wish to thank FIBA for the work it has done in recent months and the proposal it presented. The clubs announced their firm wish to continue conversations and discussions held over recent months to achieve consistent unity among all basketball stakeholders - namely clubs, domestic leagues and federations – joining forces to develop common strategies and policies that work towards the sole objective of growing the sport of basketball at all levels. Clubs will present the new project to the international federation and invite FIBA to join, working together for the growth and benefit of both club and national team competitions.

The clubs heard the details of IMG’s binding offer included in their 10-year business plan, which includes Euroleague Basketball's guaranteed and projected revenues over the course of the period, including profit sharing for both joint venture parties.

The clubs expressed their satisfaction at having made the definitive step toward a true European league in which all teams play each other and at being able to continue the evolution and growth they have experienced in recent years. They are equally thankful for the opportunity of joining a partner with the strength and credibility of IMG, having unrivalled experience in the world of sport, and are confident that this agreement will lead to exponential improvement in the product that is delivered to the fans, which remains the number one priority.
http://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague-basketball/news/i/6gt4utknkf9h8ryq

There are no french teams with A license, so I think it will be french champions as 12th team.

[Euroleague]

You can't be serious.

He's better than Steph Curry, and he is double and triple teamed in every single game he has played in the last 2 years.

So yes, he would easily average that in the NBA.

Not a single NBA player has seen even half the defensive pressure Spanoulis gets in FIBA at any of the FIBA tournaments of recent years.

Pau Gasol and Dirk and Gallinari and Parker, and guys like that get about 1/3 to 1/4 the defensive pressure at EuroBasket that Spanoulis gets.

The coach of Spain even said their entire defense and game plan was just trying to stop Spanoulis, which is why guys like Antetokounmpo spent the whole tournament WIDE OPEN.

And the incredible NBA players like Koufos, Calathes, Papanikolaou, and "Giannis" would not even get double figures in scoring, being left to play 4 on 3 and 4 on 2 the whole tournament.

Spanoulis would annihilate the NBA like nothing ever seen before in history.

[Euroleague]

http://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague-basketball/news/i/6gt4utknkf9h8ryq

There are no french teams with A license, so I think it will be french champions as 12th team and second russian team as 13th team. So that leaves us at 3 more open spots. Thoughts ?


Yeah, here is some more info.

The Euroleague upped their proposal for the new league, by countering FIBA's plan with an offer of even more money.

Under the Euroleague's new proposal, the clubs would get even more guaranteed money than the $32 million in money that FIBA is offering.

Also, the Euroleague would join in a partnership with the American sports company (IMG International Management Group), which would become a major sponsor and operator of the league. IMG manages other international sports leagues like the Indian football (soccer league).

With IMG as a manager, the idea is to be able to bring the Euroleague into the mainstream of USA sports, just as was done in recent years with European football (soccer).


As far as the other teams, Euroleague has been negotiating with Paris Saint Germaine (PSG) and also AS Monaco to get teams in the Euroleague from French League. Also, they have been negotiating with Bayern Munich for a long time on getting them built up to a permanent franchise.

So I would guess that these clubs will be involved. That is if PSG does form a basketball section.

Other than that, I don't really know. Clubs like Valencia, Khimki, Baskonia, Malaga, Galatasaray, Brose, Alba, UNICS, Bilbao, Hapoel Jerusalem, Partizan, Union Olimpijia, Cibona, Cedevita, Rytas, Besiktas, PAOK, Aris, Cantu, Darussafaka, Sassari, Belgian clubs, other French clubs, Baltic clubs, etc., those kinds of clubs - either don't have a big enough fan base, or the proper market, or the money needed for such a status, and in some cases not the right kind of arena situation also.

I would guess, it's clubs like Bayern Munich, PSG (if they form a basketball section), Monaco (they need a new arena though, so I'm not sure how that would work), and probably clubs like Red Star and AEK.

Red Star does not really have the money, but they have everything else, and with this new league format, money would no longer be a problem for them. AEK has absolutely everything the Euroleague could want going for them, including now finally again, a very rich ownership.

Other possibilities might be clubs like Zenit St. Petersburg and Lokomotiv Kuban. Zenit would have the money, and be willing to invest under that new model. Lokomotiv's owners have said before that they would move to Sochi to play in the big arena there, if they got a contract. So they would have everything needed then, except maybe the fan base.

Maybe some clubs like Hapoel Jerusalem and Roma could be possible - if they upped their budgets, which is possible. Hapoel Jerusalem is getting a lot more money now, since they built their new arena, plus under that new league format, they would have even more money. So they could up their budget a lot if they wanted to do so.

Roma has been discussing a merger with AS Roma, so AS Roma would have a basketball section, and under that scenario, then surely they would be in strong consideration.

[outbreak]

After the EuroBasket, Greece's coach and most of the Greek media, said "Giannis" was a huge disapointment for the 3rd summer in a row with the national team, and that he's nowhere close to as good at FIBA level, as he is in the NBA.

Keep smoking crack bro. It suits you.

Links?

Only things i can find are articles like this one

http://www.talkbasket.net/13378-katsikaris-speaks-on-greek-radio.html

"Since enjoying is first taste of senior international basketball at last summer’s FIBA World Cup, Katsikaris admits that hard-working Antetokounmpo is really excelling in his role with the Milwaukee Bucks, and he is maturing as each day progresses.

“Giannis has all the potential needed,” he said. “He is working hard and he has not understood the fuss that he has caused. I spoke with his coach, Jason Kidd and he told me that he is working very hard, he understands how things work and he don’t have to tell him one thing two times, he hears him and he works on it. He had some problems concerning tactics, but it belongs to the past now.”"

or this one: http://www.fibaeurope.com/coid_Ag7dLE9CHd2Fv,hFAlXLD1.articleMode_on.html

which talks about how the greek coach takes personal trips to visit giannis and how close they are.

Or this one

http://kiaenzona.com/equipo-kia/katsikaris/katsikaris-seleccionador-griego-radiografia-a-su-equipo-analiza-uno-a-uno-a-todos-sus-jugadores-12502/

"Giannis Antetokounmpo : He is a huge talent. A hulking physique. A very versatile player. I'll use almost all, less than 1 and 2 5. Systems, 3, 4. With the ball in his hands is spectacular rebounds, long arms ... he gives something very special."

Literally EVERY link I can find has the greek coach talking about how much he loves Giannis. These are links to interviews and DIRECT QUOTES from the actual coach.

[Euroleague]

Links?

Only things i can find are articles like this one

http://www.talkbasket.net/13378-katsikaris-speaks-on-greek-radio.html

"Since enjoying is first taste of senior international basketball at last summer’s FIBA World Cup, Katsikaris admits that hard-working Antetokounmpo is really excelling in his role with the Milwaukee Bucks, and he is maturing as each day progresses.

“Giannis has all the potential needed,” he said. “He is working hard and he has not understood the fuss that he has caused. I spoke with his coach, Jason Kidd and he told me that he is working very hard, he understands how things work and he don’t have to tell him one thing two times, he hears him and he works on it. He had some problems concerning tactics, but it belongs to the past now.”"

or this one: http://www.fibaeurope.com/coid_Ag7dLE9CHd2Fv,hFAlXLD1.articleMode_on.html

which talks about how the greek coach takes personal trips to visit giannis and how close they are.

Or this one

http://kiaenzona.com/equipo-kia/katsikaris/katsikaris-seleccionador-griego-radiografia-a-su-equipo-analiza-uno-a-uno-a-todos-sus-jugadores-12502/

"Giannis Antetokounmpo : He is a huge talent. A hulking physique. A very versatile player. I'll use almost all, less than 1 and 2 5. Systems, 3, 4. With the ball in his hands is spectacular rebounds, long arms ... he gives something very special."

Literally EVERY link I can find has the greek coach talking about how much he loves Giannis. These are links to interviews and DIRECT QUOTES from the actual coach.

That's English media, and it's before the EuroBasket. In Greek media he criticizes him all the time.

And why shouldn't he? He's had one good game against a good team in FIBA in his whole life.

The fact that he can't even score double digits when being left unguarded in FIBA, as compared to being the leader of an NBA team, is 100% absolute PROOF of what an incredible joke the level of NBA basketball is.

The same with how Porzingis was an average player on one of the worst teams in the Spanish League (4th best league in Europe), and on one of the worst teams in the Eurocup (2nd best league in Europe), yet he instantly starts producing in the NBA, and is being talked about as possible rookie of the year - is also 100% proof that the Euroleague is a MUCH MUCH MUCH MUCH MUCH MUCH MUCH better league than the NBA.

The similar examples in recent years number in the DOZENS, but at this point, it's so ridiculous, that it's not even a discussion, nor debate anymore. Every single person that does not think the Euroleague is better than the NBA is a certifiable lunatic.

Players like Huertas and Prigioni can't get in Euroleague teams = in the NBA.

Porzingis could not do jack squat shit in any good Euroleague team = "possible NBA rookie of the year"

Rubio and Antetokounmpo are really in all honesty, not even average players for Spain or Greece = "NBA stars"

Ty Lawson was one of the worst point guards in Euroleague = a starter in a supposedly top level NBA team

Etc., etc., etc. - the numbers of similar such examples has gotten so long now that it's just unbelievable.

[SpanishACB]

Can I just say, I don't know why people disrespect the euro league so much.

Is it the same as the nba? No. But what is?

I mean, it's the 2nd highest level of bball competition in the world (well, professional)

And generally, dirk, gasoline, etc, all come from there. We have legends that have come from the euro league

I don't really watch the euro league, but I respect the people who work there.

no one teaches kids how to use the internet and then shit posts like this happen all day

[outbreak]

English media but i have to use google translate to change it from greek to english?

If he criticizes him "all the time" post a link. Just once in your life post an actual source that says what you claim it says. Maybe he has criticised him after the odd bad game, he is young and most young players don't make the best decision, but you act like he thinks he is a bad player and I've posted links clearly showing the coach thinks he has good potential. Post the links where he says he is a scrub.

[Sakkreth]

Yeah, here is some more info.

The Euroleague upped their proposal for the new league, by countering FIBA's plan with an offer of even more money.

Under the Euroleague's new proposal, the clubs would get even more guaranteed money than the $32 million in money that FIBA is offering.

Also, the Euroleague would join in a partnership with the American sports company (IMG International Management Group), which would become a major sponsor and operator of the league. IMG manages other international sports leagues like the Indian football (soccer league).

With IMG as a manager, the idea is to be able to bring the Euroleague into the mainstream of USA sports, just as was done in recent years with European football (soccer).


As far as the other teams, Euroleague has been negotiating with Paris Saint Germaine (PSG) and also AS Monaco to get teams in the Euroleague from French League. Also, they have been negotiating with Bayern Munich for a long time on getting them built up to a permanent franchise.

So I would guess that these clubs will be involved. That is if PSG does form a basketball section.

Other than that, I don't really know. Clubs like Valencia, Khimki, Baskonia, Malaga, Galatasaray, Brose, Alba, UNICS, Bilbao, Hapoel Jerusalem, Partizan, Union Olimpijia, Cibona, Cedevita, Rytas, Besiktas, PAOK, Aris, Cantu, Darussafaka, Sassari, Belgian clubs, other French clubs, Baltic clubs, etc., those kinds of clubs - either don't have a big enough fan base, or the proper market, or the money needed for such a status, and in some cases not the right kind of arena situation also.

I would guess, it's clubs like Bayern Munich, PSG (if they form a basketball section), Monaco (they need a new arena though, so I'm not sure how that would work), and probably clubs like Red Star and AEK.

Red Star does not really have the money, but they have everything else, and with this new league format, money would no longer be a problem for them. AEK has absolutely everything the Euroleague could want going for them, including now finally again, a very rich ownership.

Other possibilities might be clubs like Zenit St. Petersburg and Lokomotiv Kuban. Zenit would have the money, and be willing to invest under that new model. Lokomotiv's owners have said before that they would move to Sochi to play in the big arena there, if they got a contract. So they would have everything needed then, except maybe the fan base.

Maybe some clubs like Hapoel Jerusalem and Roma could be possible - if they upped their budgets, which is possible. Hapoel Jerusalem is getting a lot more money now, since they built their new arena, plus under that new league format, they would have even more money. So they could up their budget a lot if they wanted to do so.

Roma has been discussing a merger with AS Roma, so AS Roma would have a basketball section, and under that scenario, then surely they would be in strong consideration.

I like those 3. Especially Alba, they have decent fanbase and arena, extra budget is the only thing theey need to perform bit better which would be enough imo.

[Euroleague]

English media but i have to use google translate to change it from greek to english?

If he criticizes him "all the time" post a link. Just once in your life post an actual source that says what you claim it says. Maybe he has criticised him after the odd bad game, he is young and most young players don't make the best decision, but you act like he thinks he is a bad player and I've posted links clearly showing the coach thinks he has good potential. Post the links where he says he is a scrub.

I posted links already numerous times. I don't save every single link of ANYTHING he said positive, and then try to use it to make aganda based posts like you did.

Antetokounmpo was being seriously CLOWNED on by Greek media after EuroBasket. He got a pass after FIBA World Cup, because it was his first big tournament, and he came off his rookie NBA season.

He did NOT get a pass after EuroBasket. The general consensus in Greek media was he plays only well in friendlies, and had one good game against Spain, which also happened to be lost by Greece, due to him making about 4 colossal blunders at the end of the game, including two ridiculous travel violations that directly caused Greece to lose a game they had been in control of the whole way before that.

He then followed that up with an atrociously horrendous game against Latvia, in the most important game of the tournament, where the Olympic qualification was on the line. He played so awful in that game, that he got benched early, and did not even play in the 2nd half, I believe until after the game was over and on by Greece (due to Spanoulis having to win the game BTW).

After Spanoulis retired from the national team, the media response as it related to Antetokounmpo, was that he played too poorly during the tournament, missed too many open shots created for him by Spanoulis, and could not make teams pay at all for double and triple teaming Spanoulis, and that this, along with his blunders at the end of the game against Spain, cost Greece the gold medal of the tournament. Most commentaries said they think Spanoulis quit because of the insistence of the coach to play Nick Calathes and Antetokounmpo too many minutes on the court with him, which allowed teams to double and triple team the whole time, which cost Greece the gold medal.

In so much media discussion on this, the coach never once disagreed with it, nor denied it, nor backed up Antetokounmpo. All he would say was things like, (paraphrasing) "he's not ready or capable of being a leader in the team yet, but we have to keep trying to develop him for years down the road in the future".



According to you disturbed psychotics here, he is some kind of 2nd coming or something.

Antetokounmpo stans are about at the same level of delusion as Derrick Rose stans.

[Euroleague]

I like those 3. Especially Alba, they have decent fanbase and arena, extra budget is the only thing theey need to perform bit better which would be enough imo.

Yes, and the extra money from the new format would help in that. Still, they would need either new ownership, or some big sponsors. They don't have enough money.

Their budget when they play in Eurocup is just 8 million euros, and it's just 10 million euros when they play in Euroleague, which they also can only maintain for one season at a time.

That's not enough money to compete in this kind of proposed league, even with the increased profits and revenue sharing.

I think the same problem comes with Malaga and Red Star, although I don't think it's quite as big an issue with them.

Red Star does not have much money, but their fans base is so enormous, and with that huge arena, they could generate a ton of revenues, especially in such a league format. It would still be cutting it very close on the money side, unless they got a really huge sponsor deal.

Malaga is close money wise. They have the money obviously, as the owners of the club are extremely rich. The problem is, that for many years now, they don't spend much money on the team. They could do it, but would they? I have my doubts.

It seems they cut their budget for like 3 years in a row, then increase it one year, then cut it 3 years in a row again, etc.

[outbreak]

I posted links already numerous times. I don't save every single link of ANYTHING he said positive, and then try to use it to make aganda based posts like you did.

Antetokounmpo was being seriously CLOWNED on by Greek media after EuroBasket. He got a pass after FIBA World Cup, because it was his first big tournament, and he came off his rookie NBA season.

He did NOT get a pass after EuroBasket. The general consensus in Greek media was he plays only well in friendlies, and had one good game against Spain, which also happened to be lost by Greece, due to him making about 4 colossal blunders at the end of the game, including two ridiculous travel violations that directly caused Greece to lose a game they had been in control of the whole way before that.

He then followed that up with an atrociously horrendous game against Latvia, in the most important game of the tournament, where the Olympic qualification was on the line. He played so awful in that game, that he got benched early, and did not even play in the 2nd half, I believe until after the game was over and on by Greece (due to Spanoulis having to win the game BTW).

After Spanoulis retired from the national team, the media response as it related to Antetokounmpo, was that he played too poorly during the tournament, missed too many open shots created for him by Spanoulis, and could not make teams pay at all for double and triple teaming Spanoulis, and that this, along with his blunders at the end of the game against Spain, cost Greece the gold medal of the tournament. Most commentaries said they think Spanoulis quit because of the insistence of the coach to play Nick Calathes and Antetokounmpo too many minutes on the court with him, which allowed teams to double and triple team the whole time, which cost Greece the gold medal.

In so much media discussion on this, the coach never once disagreed with it, nor denied it, nor backed up Antetokounmpo. All he would say was things like, (paraphrasing) "he's not ready or capable of being a leader in the team yet, but we have to keep trying to develop him for years down the road in the future".



According to you disturbed psychotics here, he is some kind of 2nd coming or something.

Antetokounmpo stans are about at the same level of delusion as Derrick Rose stans.

I'm not a Giannis stan, he's a good prospect but isn't there yet. I didn't save any links, I just took the google results I could find. I couldn't see a single negative comment. You've never posted link don't lie

[Euroleague]

I'm not a Giannis stan, he's a good prospect but isn't there yet. I didn't save any links, I just took the google results I could find. I couldn't see a single negative comment. You've never posted link don't lie

You can't write in Greek. You have no idea what you are talking about.

[outbreak]

You can't write in Greek. You have no idea what you are talking about.
There's this thing called google translate, then there's this thing called google. So I can look up their names and find all the articles that mention both of them.

[Euroleague]

There's this thing called google translate, then there's this thing called google. So I can look up their names and find all the articles that mention both of them.

No you can't. Google does not have the same amount of info in Greek, like it does in English.

[Euroleague]

Some more details of the new Euroleague.......

It looks like the big clubs of Euroleague have decided to go with Euroleague Basketball's plan over FIBA World and FIBA Europe's plan (for the FIBA Basketball Champions League, modeled after UEFA Champions League).

The reason being, that FIBA was guaranteeing €33 million euros ($35.4 million in current exchange rate) in profits to the teams, but the Euroleague, after signing a partnership agreement with the American sports management company, IMG, is now guaranteeing €49 million euros ($52.5 million in current exchange rate) in profits for the teams.

If this is true, this combined with the fact that the new American media company is supposed to help Euroleague break into the USA sports market........this is absolutely HUGE for European basketball in general.

Such a league will be an enormous success.

The only thing I'm not sure about is that the clubs apparently decided to go take FIBA's part of their proposal, that would keep the Euroleague Final Four, instead of the original Euroleague proposal, that would have culminated in a playoff series.

Still, the Euroleague Final Four is a huge event, and is terrific, and if they now get into the USA TV market, then actually the Final Four is probably the right format to keep. Although I did like the Euroleague's original concept of a true league model all the way through.

Still, this model the clubs supposedly have approved, will include a 30 game regular season (currently, Euroleague only has a 10 game regular season), and ALL of the teams will play 2 games (home and away) against each other.

Then the top 8 teams qualify to a 5 game playoff series round, with the winners going to the Euroleague Final Four.

A 30 game true regular season, of only the biggest and most elite clubs of Europe, with all teams playing each other twice (home and away).....that is a HUGE thing for Euroleague and European basketball.

European basketball fans have been dreaming about such a league forever.

And the other good thing about this is that they also supposedly decided to contract the Eurocup (2nd level of Europe - league below Euroleague), down to 24 teams (now it has 36), and that combined with Euroleague contracting down from 24 teams to 16 teams - that then means that now the Eurocup will also be a very serious basketball league, with really good competition.

Where up until now, it's just not good enough basketball. The new Eurocup would probably then be at the same level the Euroleague was at like 10 years ago.

16 teams in Euroleague and 24 teams in Eurocup (40 total, where now there are 60 teams total) is going to mean the level of basketball is really going to increase.

[outbreak]

No you can't. Google does not have the same amount of info in Greek, like it does in English.
Google can't find imaginary stories I'll give you that.

[Euroleague]

Google can't find imaginary stories I'll give you that.

I think it's time you go back on my ignore list. Milbuck is trolling and trying to derail the thread, but you are doing it non-stop.

Or maybe an abuse report to Jeff, for you two trying to ruin this good thread is in order...

[outbreak]

I think it's time you go back on my ignore list. Milbuck is trolling and trying to derail the thread, but you are doing it non-stop.

Or maybe an abuse report to Jeff, for you two trying to ruin this good thread is in order...
I've already reported you for making claims about comments made about players and not having any links or even a vague source to back it up anyway.

[Euroleague]

I've already reported you for making claims about comments made about players and not having any links or even a vague source to back it up anyway.

Good, I can report you then and have Jeff clean your posts and Milbuck's posts, that are solely intended to derail and crash the thread.

[Euroleague]

The latest news is that the new version of the Euroleague has already secured €630 million ($678 million under the current exchange rate) in guaranteed sponsorship money.

Revenues are also projected to be at €900 million euros ($969 million under the current exchange rate). The are projected to get get €56.25 million euros ($60.5 million under the current exchange rate) each.

This has to do with the league finally being injected into the American TV market.

[Milbuck]

Giannis almost single handedly carried Greece past Spain. Unfortunately he couldn't overcome Spanoulis' massive choking. Only so much you can do when a 5'11" balding has-been-nothing desperately tries to assert his dominance by bricklaying and letting guys walk past him on defense. Just a pitiful tournament by Spanoulis, no surprise he retired immediately after.

[outbreak]

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/81AGAI1D47L._SX522_.jpg

[Euroleague]

Giannis almost single handedly carried Greece past Spain. Unfortunately he couldn't overcome Spanoulis' massive choking. Only so much you can do when a 5'11" balding has-been-nothing desperately tries to assert his dominance by bricklaying and letting guys walk past him on defense. Just a pitiful tournament by Spanoulis, no surprise he retired immediately after.

Antetokounmpo was the reason Greece lost to Spain. He made several horrible plays in crunch time, making ridiculous turnovers and fouls that caused Greece to lose the lead and the game.

If he would have been on the bench in the 4th quarter, Spain would have lost. Every person that saw the game knows that.

[outbreak]

Antetokounmpo was the reason Greece lost to Spain. He made several horrible plays in crunch time, making ridiculous turnovers and fouls that caused Greece to lose the lead and the game.

If he would have been on the bench in the 4th quarter, Spain would have lost. Every person that saw the game knows that.
v-spans 4-14 shooting didn't hurt?

[DoctorP]

I think it's due time. Bring on the Euros.

[Euroleague]

v-spans 4-14 shooting didn't hurt?

Considering they double and triple teamed him the whole game, and left "Giannis" open every time to help double and triple, and "Giannis" the "superstar NBA player" still only managed to score 12 points......

If Spanoulis was not on the court, Greece's NBA players probably would have not managed to even get 60 points against Spain.

Of course, after all of Greece's NBA players basically did not do jack shit at EuroBasket, they are right back to the NBA, with Koufos and "Giannis" supposedly being "good players".

Oh, and I am reporting you and Milbuck top Jeff for your abuse in trying to purposely derail this good thread discussion.

[Euroleague]

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/81AGAI1D47L._SX522_.jpg

The latest news is that the new version of the Euroleague has already secured €630 million ($678 million under the current exchange rate) in guaranteed sponsorship money.

Revenues are also projected to be at €900 million euros ($969 million under the current exchange rate). The are projected to get get €56.25 million euros ($60.5 million under the current exchange rate) each.

This has to do with the league finally being injected into the American TV market.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

http://www.eurohoops.net/featured/145349/630-millions-guaranteed-by-img

630 MILLIONS GUARANTEED BY IMG


By Aris Barkas/ barkas@eurohoops.net

The announcement of the joint venture between Euroleague and IMG is the most ambitious project ever in European basketball, with IMG bringing 630 million euros on the table.

That’s the 10 year investment, which IMG is bound to pay, with the 16 teams of the new 2016-17 format sharing at least 36 million euros per season. Part of the 630 million, will be used for the improvement of the presentation of the basketball product, which includes the television coverage of the games, and also the club's infrastructure in marketing.

The projection for the total revenues of the joint venture, in its 10 year span, is even more ambitious, reaching almost 900 million, and brings the sum which goes to the clubs over the 50 million euros mark. It’s a number similar to FIBA’s plan projection, which is in total one billion euros, and it confirms that there’s money to be made from European basketball at club level.

However, contrary to FIBA’s plan, the joint venture doesn’t change the status quo of the Euroleague Commercial Assets (ECA) S.A. company, which belongs mainly to the Euroleague clubs. Still, it’s possible for Euroleague and FIBA to meet again in December – at least that was the wish of both sides – and Euroleague seems to be ready to include FIBA in some capacity in the venture.

With the A Licence clubs already signed to the agreement, it’s difficult to think that FIBA will proceed in its own Champions League project, since the biggest brands in European basketball are united under Euroleague’s banner.

[outbreak]

Considering they double and triple teamed him the whole game, and left "Giannis" open every time to help double and triple, and "Giannis" the "superstar NBA player" still only managed to score 12 points......

If Spanoulis was not on the court, Greece's NBA players probably would have not managed to even get 60 points against Spain.

Of course, after all of Greece's NBA players basically did not do jack shit at EuroBasket, they are right back to the NBA, with Koufos and "Giannis" supposedly being "good players".

Oh, and I am reporting you and Milbuck top Jeff for your abuse in trying to purposely derail this good thread discussion.
Don't lie. I watched that game. Giannis was the focus of the defence.:facepalm

Replying to your comments is de railing a thread now? wtf? lol

[Euroleague]

Don't lie. I watched that game. Giannis was the focus of the defence.:facepalm

Replying to your comments is de railing a thread now? wtf? lol

You are trolling and thread derailing on purpose. So is Milbuck. I asked you more than once to stop it, or I would report you, and you just keep doing it.

So I reported you. End of discussion.

I also won't respond to any more troll/derail threads made by you and Milbuck in this thread. So stop wasting your precious trolling time.

[red1]

mods? this is the nba forum not the bush-league special olympics forum

[outbreak]

You are trolling and thread derailing on purpose. So is Milbuck. I asked you more than once to stop it, or I would report you, and you just keep doing it.

So I reported you. End of discussion.

I've already reported you for derailing this. The majority here want to talk about how much weaker the euroleague is compared to the NBA and how this new move could help improve the quality of play and you keep derailing things by going on about your Giannis/V'span agenda.

[Euroleague]

The champions of the Eurocup (the European league level that is below Euroleague), the champions of the Turkish Super League, the champions of the VTB United League, and the champions of the German League, plus the winners of the 8 team Euroleague Qualification Tournament, will also get places in the new Euroleague.

http://www.eurohoops.net/euroleague/145246/superleague-vtb-and-bbl-champs-in-euroleague

SUPERLEAGUE, VTB AND BBL CHAMPS IN EUROLEAGUE

-------------------------------------------------------------------

So the new 16 team Euroleague will look like this:


Guaranteed franchise places:

1. FC Barcelona (Spain)
2. Real Madrid (Spain)
3. Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz (Spain)

4. Fenerbahce Istanbul (Turkey)
5. Efes Istanbul (Turkey)

6. Olympiacos Piraeus (Greece)
7. Panathinaikos Athens (Greece)

8. CSKA Moscow (Russia - VTB United League)

9. Olimpia Milan (Italy)

10. Zalgiris Kaunas (Lithuania)

11. Maccabi Tel Aviv (Israel)


One year contracts:

12. 2nd-tier Eurocup champions

13. Turkish Super League champions

14. VTB United League champions

15. German League champions

16. Euroleague Qualification Tournament winners

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

So now, we basically have the basis of the 10 teams (I don't think Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz would be included), that will eventually be setup as the likely foundation of the NBA Europe Division.

[Euroleague]

Also, the 2nd-tier level European league, the Eurocup, will now basically become the new version of the previous Euroleague.

http://www.eurohoops.net/featured/145140/euroleague-and-img-announced-a-j

The Eurocup will have 24 teams

[Asukal]

Why the hell are these kinds of thread allowed? :confusedshrug:

This isn't NBA related, somebody ban this fcking euroclown already. :banghead:

[Milbuck]

Antetokounmpo was the reason Greece lost to Spain. He made several horrible plays in crunch time, making ridiculous turnovers and fouls that caused Greece to lose the lead and the game.

If he would have been on the bench in the 4th quarter, Spain would have lost. Every person that saw the game knows that.
Literally everyone who watched the game except for you acknowledged that Giannis was single handedly keeping Spain in the game. It was Spanoulis chucking and playing zero defense that cost them the game. Spanoulis was so dogshit he announced his retirement right after :oldlol: :oldlol:

[Euroleague]

Literally everyone who watched the game except for you acknowledged that Giannis was single handedly keeping Spain in the game. It was Spanoulis chucking and playing zero defense that cost them the game. Spanoulis was so dogshit he announced his retirement right after :oldlol: :oldlol:

Giannis lost the game, as is proven by the play by play, which will be posted here, if you don't stop trolling. I don't want to make "Giannis" look bad, but I will if you don't STFU.

Spanoulis did NOT retire after the game against Spain.

Greece had to play against Latvia, after that Spain - Greece game, with the winner being given the place in the 2016 Olympic Qualification Tournament.

"Giannis" played horrific basketball in the most important game (against Latvia), was DOMINATED in the game by Jannis Timma (who plays in the Eurocup - the level BELOW Euroleague), and was benched basically the whole 2nd half of the game by the coach. Because he played so horribly bad.

Greece was losing the game, and after "Giannis" the "NBA franchise player" got benched, the coach of Greece put the ball in Spanoulis' hands, and for like the 100th time, he led Greece to a win ("Giannis" has yet to ever lead Greece to a win in an official game). While "Giannis" was setting on the bench making faces and pouting and actually visibly crying....

Your comments here have proven 100% that you watched precisely ZERO minutes of the Greek national team in your entire life, and that you have NEVER seen "Giannis" play for Greece.

You didn't even know there was a game against Latvia to qualify for the Olympics. You did not even know when Spanoulis retired. You did not even know "Giannis" made huge mistake after huge mistake at the end of the game against Spain, and caused Greece to lose the game.

You clearly have no clue how Spanoulis basically single handed beat Croatia, Slovenia, and Latvia in the tournament. While Giannis had 3 good quarters of basketball against Spain, before choking the game away at the end by being a colossal moron.

YOU DID NOT WATCH EUROBASKET

You are single handed the biggest mother****ing retard and troll that ever posted on this basketball forum.

And you can stop celebrating Spanoulis' "retirement". Because the other players of Greece all asked him to not retire and please play next summer, and he already said he will play if he is not injured.

So, for the 4th straight summer, "Giannis" will not be leading Greece in scoring, even though you guaranteed he would every year for the rest of history 4 years ago.

[Euroleague]

More good news, the POS joke French League teams are saying the will drop out of Euroleague, because they know that they can't compete at all in the new league format.

This is great news, as the ridiculously bad French League has been ruining Euroleague for years now.

French teams are always the worst teams in the league every year, and the French League, based just on game results (wins and losses) has been the worst performing league in Euroleague since 2003.

The level of Euroleague will automatically jump another level, just by finally getting rid of the crap French League teams.

Also, the Spanish League is going to get better, because Baskonia, Barca, and Real Madrid are demanding that the ACB league contract 4 teams, and go down from 18 teams to 14 teams.

In the last few years, the Spanish League pretty much stopped being a good league, with having 6-8 complete joke teams every year, that any of them could be the worst team in Eurocup (level below Euroleague).

With 4 teams being contracted from the Spanish League, it will finally start to be a solid league again.

All around just great news for European basketball with each new development.......

Euroleague getting much much stronger
Eurocup getting much much stronger
Spanish League getting stronger

[Euroleague]

The former President of FIBA Europe, and the current Chairman of the FIBA governing council, confirmed that league executives from the NBA are working on creating this new version of the Euroleague.

He also said that he asked the NBA executives directly, if this is the new NBA Europe Division that is being formed, and he said that the NBA executives did not deny that is.

He also said that executives from NBC are involved in the plans as well (as I said already, the marketing company IMG is lining up deals to get the games broadcast live on USA television).

[Milbuck]

Here is the Eurobasket thread from the start of the Spain-Greece game. Unanimous agreement that Giannis was a beast and was carrying Greece while Spanoulis single handedly cost Greece the game :roll:

http://www.insidehoops.com/forum/showthread.php?t=383654&page=46


Giannis is doing work

Spain + 9 since Giannis went out:facepalm


NBA players reppin it:bowdown:

There are literally at least 6 spanish players who are better than Badpanoulis :roll:

he is so bad it is funny to see him play

giannis what a ****ing BLOCKKKKKKKKKk

Greek Freak is easily their best player

Giannis :bowdown:

Giannis is taking over defensively:applause:

Giannis is a freak


Gasol GOAT eurobasket player


Greek Freak killing it out there
yes, amazing

Spanoulis is a ball dominant chucker. Greece might have won if they benched him.


Why can't they just let the token brother play:rolleyes:

Giannis is carrying Greece:applause:

V-Span with that tunnel vision.

Nick is leading this team in crunch time.

spanoulis... lets just shoot a contested 3 over 2 defenders... why not ?? :facepalm

V-Span so unclutch

time to get rid of spanoulis, zisis, bourousis and the ****ing 30+ year olds...

build the team around Giannis and GET A FREAKIN COACH
spanoulis shitting the bed when it counts most once again. nothing compared to the great greek guards of past years.

pau stay dominating

I was appalled at Greece's insistence on playing through VSpan when he was so clearly bothered by the length on him while they put Giannis in the corner time and time again while a SG guarded him. Even the announcers spent half their time asking why Greece wasn't posting Giannis.

VSpan is short, slow, and a huge liability defensively. This is the first full game I have set out to watch him in and I laugh heartily in the general direction of EuroLeague. He is not within MILES of being able to play in the NBA. Hell, he made Greece far worse with his presence yesterday. If they would have just played between Calathes and Giannis they probably win that game.

:roll:

[LAZERUSS]

We already have a D-League now...why would we need another one?

[Euroleague]

Here is the Eurobasket thread from the start of the Spain-Greece game. Unanimous agreement that Giannis was a beast and was carrying Greece while Spanoulis single handedly cost Greece the game :roll:

http://www.insidehoops.com/forum/showthread.php?t=383654&page=46



















:roll:

Every single person there said the same exact things when Spanoulis was not even on the team at the 2014 World Cup - all of them blaming him the same way, when he was not even on the team.

They are all lying trolls and haters, just like you.

And none of them has even seen a Greek national team game.

The play by play of the end of the Spain Greece game will from now on be posted every single time you start this particular same trolling lie.

Congrats, thanks to you, now everyone will know what a colossal choker Giannis is.

[Euroleague]

We already have a D-League now...why would we need another one?


In every season of the NBA D-League, there are like 2-3 players in the entire league that could actually make the rotation of any decent Euroleague team.

The D-League is like HALF as good as the Belgian League.

[Euroleague]

There are reports that the Euroleague is very close to securing the TV deal with NBC Sports, and that Euroleague games will be broadcast live on TV in the USA.

There are also rumors that Kobe Bryant has had talks with Barcelona to play with them, and that he could get a big sponsorship deal from Nike for going to Barca to play next season.

[outbreak]

There are reports that the Euroleague is very close to securing the TV deal with NBC Sports, and that Euroleague games will be broadcast live on TV in the USA.

There are also rumors that Kobe Bryant has had talks with Barcelona to play with them, and that he could get a big sponsorship deal from Nike for going to Barca to play next season.

Did he speak with them again or was that still the talks he had in july (or was it june?) with them? He's always said he wants to play in europe so it'd be interesting. If I were a winning team though I'd avoid him, I don't think he'll gel well there. He'll put up points and the american media will say he's amazing but his team likely want get that far.

[Euroleague]

Did he speak with them again or was that still the talks he had in july (or was it june?) with them? He's always said he wants to play in europe so it'd be interesting. If I were a winning team though I'd avoid him, I don't think he'll gel well there. He'll put up points and the american media will say he's amazing but his team likely want get that far.

I don't know what the level of the talks are. But there are rumors that he already verbally agreed to play with Barca next season, and that Pau Gasol might also play on the team, depending on how much money is involved with these new TV (NBC Sports) and sponsorship (Nike) deals.

As far as Kobe affecting Barca results wise on the court, it would not matter to them. He would obviously just be taking Juan Carlos Navarro's role, and Navarro would be retiring, if this is true.

Navarro is currently like Barca's 11th or 12th man. That's the role Kobe would be taking.

It would just be marketing and media attention (like when David Beckham went to the Galaxy) that they would be looking for, and it would have hardly any effect at all on the team's rotation (Navarro logs like 10-15 minutes when he plays, and he often gets games off for rest - that is the player Kobe would be replacing, and the role on the team that he would be filling).

[Euroleague]

Euroleague announced that in the new league that starts next season, there will be 2 Euroleague games a week (now there is just one), and that means that Euroleague teams will play 3 games a week total (2 Euroleague games, plus 1 national league game), where now they only play 2 games a week total (1 each in Euroleague and their national league).

This is part of the new TV deal that Euroleague is securing, which is said to be, according to FIBA executives, with NBC Sports, and will put the Euroleague games on live TV in the USA.

http://www.eurohoops.net/featured/148879/five-weeks-with-two-games

[Milbuck]

Giannis is better than Spanoulis ever was.

[Euroleague]

Giannis is better than Spanoulis ever was.

At shooting bricks, and missing wide open shots.

[Milbuck]

At shooting bricks, and missing wide open shots.
You mean like Spanoulis against Spain in Eurobasket, while Giannis was dominating on both ends single handedly keeping Greece in the game?

[outbreak]

You mean like Spanoulis against Spain in Eurobasket, while Giannis was dominating on both ends single handedly keeping Greece in the game?

Giannis's shooting 46.7% for his career in the NBA
V-Span's shooting 43.9% for his career in the Euroleague

Even in the lower competition V-span's put up more bricks.

[Milbuck]

Giannis's shooting 46.7% for his career in the NBA
V-Span's shooting 43.9% for his career in the Euroleague

Even in the lower competition V-span's put up more bricks.
Damn, that's pretty embarassing for Spanoulis. Do you by chance know what his shooting %s were in the NBA?

[outbreak]

Damn, that's pretty embarassing for Spanoulis. Do you by chance know what his shooting %s were in the NBA?
Didn't think it was fair to post them considering how much the racism he encountered effect his play when he got on the court but he shot 31% in the NBA.

[Euroleague]

Giannis's shooting 46.7% for his career in the NBA
V-Span's shooting 43.9% for his career in the Euroleague

Even in the lower competition V-span's put up more bricks.

Anyone that has ever seen a Euroleague game and also an NBA game in recent times, and has an IQ over 80, knows the NBA is a much worse league than the Euroleague.

Also, Antetokounmpo is still left open and unguarded for the most part, even now, and certainly was for the vast majority of his NBA career so far. And ALWAYS has been in his FIBA career.

Since 2013, Spanoulis has been double teamed, triple teamed, or even faced the 4 to 1 zone defense in every single game he has ever played in.

Something I have never seen any other player in world basketball history face, in terms of the defensive pressure from the opponents.

In the last couple of years, I can recall three times where an opponent coach experimented with single coverage against Spanoulis.

In one case, after being double and triple teamed all game long against Baskonia, Baskonia's coach tried to single cover him late in the game. He proceeded to score something like 20 out of 24 points in a row.

In another case, after CSKA double teamed, triple teamed, and used the 4-1 man to man zone against him the whole game, he proceeded to score something like 13 points in the last few minutes of the Euroleague semifinals, and he led his team to erase a double digit lead in just a few minutes, hitting numerous buzzer beating shots down the stretch of the game, including the game winner.

The other instance I can remember was last season in Euroleague, I can't remember which team it was against (I'd have to look it up)............

the opposing coach had Spanoulis triple teamed the whole game, then Spanoulis was on the bench for a long time - he came back in the game late in the 4th quarter, and for some odd reason, the opposing coach thought that with a lead, that they could single cover Spanoulis.

In something like the last 4 minutes of the game, being single covered, Olympiacos (Spanoulis' team) outscored their opponent by like 25 points, with Spanoulis running every single possession through his hands, and executing every single play (with with his own shot creation, or a shot created for someone else).

If Spanoulis is just single covered, he would average like 40 points a game in today's Euroleague, whereas someone like Steph Curry could probably only average 25 under the same situation.

And "Giannis" is still left unguarded and wide open the whole time he plays on Greece's national team................he has not even scored 20 points in an official FIBA game, despite being left wide open every damn game.

Freaking Nick Calathes had a better EuroBasket than "Giannis" did for Greece, and he's like the worst point guard, shooting wise, I have ever seen in my life.

Nikos Zisis, Vassilis Spanoulis, Nick Calathes, Kosta Koufos, Ioannis Bourousis - ALL OF THEM HAD A BETTER EUROBASKET FOR GREECE THAN "Giannis" DID.

If you are going to keep up with the same 2-3 pathetic ass trolls over and over, the least you clown idiot losers can do, is come up with something that is even remotely tactful or thought out, in terms of trolling attempts. Through the level of your trolling here so far in this site, neither of you (outbreak and Milbuck) has yet shown that you have an IQ over 65.

[outbreak]

Anyone that has ever seen a Euroleague game and also an NBA game in recent times, and has an IQ over 80, knows the NBA is a much worse league than the Euroleague.

Also, Antetokounmpo is still left open and unguarded for the most part, even now, and certainly was for the vast majority of his NBA career so far. And ALWAYS has been in his FIBA career.

Since 2013, Spanoulis has been double teamed, triple teamed, or even faced the 4 to 1 zone defense in every single game he has ever played in.

Something I have never seen any other player in world basketball history face, in terms of the defensive pressure from the opponents.
http://www.reactiongifs.com/r/itrlf1.gif
can't take this seriously any more.

[FKAri]

http://www.reactiongifs.com/r/itrlf1.gif
can't take this seriously any more.

http://www.insidehoops.com/forum/showthread.php?t=389751

[Euroleague]

http://www.reactiongifs.com/r/itrlf1.gif
can't take this seriously any more.

The coaches of Spain and Italy even admitted they put more defensive team pressure on Spanoulis than they have against any other player in the world that they ever faced (the coaches in question have played against just about every NBA player that played in FIBA in the last 10 years).

Both coaches also said Spanoulis is unparalleled compared to any other player in the world they ever coached against.

Keep living in your dream world though, where players like Steph Curry (never once seen even a real double team in his life) can drop 30 points in a quarter in an NBA game like it's nothing, and where you actually believe anyone in the NBA is even half as good as Spanoulis is.

Players like Pau Gasol and Dirk saw not even 1/3 the defensive team pressure in EuroBasket that Spanoulis saw.

[LAZERUSS]

In every season of the NBA D-League, there are like 2-3 players in the entire league that could actually make the rotation of any decent Euroleague team.

The D-League is like HALF as good as the Belgian League.

:roll: :roll: :roll:

Teams can reach down to the D-League and pull up a Whiteside.

There isn't a center from Europe (including Europe's NBA centers) that can match him.

BTW, those Porzingis band-wagonners had better be prepared for the inevitable. Right now he is a 40% shooter (and only 27% from the arc...which is a complete joke.) I suspect that he will be an injury-prone scrub.

He certainly will never be another Dirk, nor Pau.

As for the rest...yep, we can thank Europe for a complete bust like Rubio, who is unquestionably, the most inefficient shooter in NBA history.

Here is REALITY my friend...

USA teams have just ANNIHILATED the BEST from Europe in the last 60+ years. Yes, occasionally there have been HUGE upsets...but overall, just an OBLITERATION of the CLOWNS that Europe has put forth. And even then, it has been NBA players from Europe that have carried those teams.

Hell, Michigan St, a COLLEGE team that lost 12 games to other COLLEGE teams, and has no NBA players, nor anyone even 6-10 on their roster...either beat, or gave the best of Europe all they could handle. Had the US sent last year's Kentucky team against them, I have no doubt that they would have beaten the best of Europe. Hell, if colleges still had the four-year rule, Kentucky's best from the last four years would just CRUSH the best of the rest of the world.

Now, move along back to your D-League equivalent Euros, and quit posting in the NBA Forum.

[LAZERUSS]

Kentucky players in the NBA just since their 09-10 season...

John Wall
Demarcus Cousins
Eric Bledsoe
Brandon Knight
Anthony Davis
Michael Kidd-Gilchrist
Nerlens Noel
Julius Randle
Willie Cauley-Stein
Karl-Anthony Towns

Now, how many European teams would have a chance against that group?

Of course, then you could add players like Lebron, Curry, Durant, Drummond, Westbrook, Paul, etc, etc., etc...

[GIF REACTION]

Demarcus Cousins

[Euroleague]

:roll: :roll: :roll:

Teams can reach down to the D-League and pull up a Whiteside.

There isn't a center from Europe (including Europe's NBA centers) that can match him.

BTW, those Porzingis band-wagonners had better be prepared for the inevitable. Right now he is a 40% shooter (and only 27% from the arc...which is a complete joke.) I suspect that he will be an injury-prone scrub.

He certainly will never be another Dirk, nor Pau.

As for the rest...yep, we can thank Europe for a complete bust like Rubio, who is unquestionably, the most inefficient shooter in NBA history.

Here is REALITY my friend...

USA teams have just ANNIHILATED the BEST from Europe in the last 60+ years. Yes, occasionally there have been HUGE upsets...but overall, just an OBLITERATION of the CLOWNS that Europe has put forth. And even then, it has been NBA players from Europe that have carried those teams.

Hell, Michigan St, a COLLEGE team that lost 12 games to other COLLEGE teams, and has no NBA players, nor anyone even 6-10 on their roster...either beat, or gave the best of Europe all they could handle. Had the US sent last year's Kentucky team against them, I have no doubt that they would have beaten the best of Europe. Hell, if colleges still had the four-year rule, Kentucky's best from the last four years would just CRUSH the best of the rest of the world.

Now, move along back to your D-League equivalent Euros, and quit posting in the NBA Forum.

Everything in that post is either a LIE or pure conjecture and speculation of your own warped mind, but the part in bold is beyond insane.

You are an absolute stark raving mad lunatic.

[Euroleague]

The latest news is that very soon the Euroleague may officially separate itself from allowing FIBA to control its rules and organizational system.

FIBA does not run Euroleague, but still dictates over it as the highest authority.

The Euroleague is supposedly considering changing to NBA status and no longer allowing FIBA to dictate anything to it, but even supposedly taking it further than the NBA, by not recognizing FIBA as the highest basketball controlling authority in the world (even the NBA recognizes that).

It's interesting, because now the NBA has the controlling vote in FIBA, and this would be like Euroleague saying they no longer recognize the NBA's authority over international basketball either.

The rumor is that the Euroleague, once they stopped recognizing FIBA, would also immediately change to NBA playing rules.

While the rumor is also that FIBA would respond by banning all the clubs in Euroleague from their national leagues, and by banning all Euroleague players and coaches from all national team competitions, which is probably the absolute wet dream of the NBA, and probably a hidden agenda that they have had for a long time.

Get a closed new Euroleague, of only the biggest European teams, get it out from worrying about what FIBA thinks, ruin most of the national leagues in Europe, AND get all Euroleague players and coaches banned from all national team competitions...........

Then get the big clubs from Euroleague to join into a European NBA division, run jointly by Euroleague and NBA.

Sounds like the absolute wet dream of Stern's, Silver's, Colangelo's and USA Basketball's greatest ever imaginations.

[LAZERUSS]

The latest news is that very soon the Euroleague may officially separate itself from allowing FIBA to control its rules and organizational system.

FIBA does not run Euroleague, but still dictates over it as the highest authority.

The Euroleague is supposedly considering changing to NBA status and no longer allowing FIBA to dictate anything to it, but even supposedly taking it further than the NBA, by not recognizing FIBA as the highest basketball controlling authority in the world (even the NBA recognizes that).

It's interesting, because now the NBA has the controlling vote in FIBA, and this would be like Euroleague saying they no longer recognize the NBA's authority over international basketball either.

The rumor is that the Euroleague, once they stopped recognizing FIBA, would also immediately change to NBA playing rules.

While the rumor is also that FIBA would respond by banning all the clubs in Euroleague from their national leagues, and by banning all Euroleague players and coaches from all national team competitions, which is probably the absolute wet dream of the NBA, and probably a hidden agenda that they have had for a long time.

Get a closed new Euroleague, of only the biggest European teams, get it out from worrying about what FIBA thinks, ruin most of the national leagues in Europe, AND get all Euroleague players and coaches banned from all national team competitions...........

Then get the big clubs from Euroleague to join into a European NBA division, run jointly by Euroleague and NBA.

Sounds like the absolute wet dream of Stern's, Silver's, Colangelo's and USA Basketball's greatest ever imaginations.

Yep...Stern and Silver wanted to see a European version of the current D-League.

A bunch of minor league scrubs, which will provide the NBA with a yearly handful of bench players, while the rest of the non-NBA players from the US will run off to Europe and eventually "Americanize" the continent.

[Euroleague]

Yep...Stern and Silver wanted to see a European version of the current D-League.

A bunch of minor league scrubs, which will provide the NBA with a yearly handful of bench players, while the rest of the non-NBA players from the US will run off to Europe and eventually "Americanize" the continent.

The USA only produces a few good players for the NBA in 3-5 years of time.

I looked at the current rosters of the D-League. I don't honestly think there is currently a single player in the entire D-League that could make the rotation of any good Euroleague team. Meaning, the D-League currently has zero players that could make the rotation in next season's Euroleague.

There has not been more than 5-10 good American players in Euroleague, at any given time, in the last 10-15 years. In recent years, America has typically had something like 3 good Euroleague players in a season. The "European continent is obviously Americanized"..........

If you ever have an actual pertinent point to make, feel free to make it. Otherwise, STFU and know your damn role.

[LAZERUSS]

The USA only produces a few good players for the NBA in 3-5 years of time.

I looked at the current rosters of the D-League. I don't there is a single player in the entire D-League that could make the rotation of any good Euroleague team. Meaning, the D-League currently has zero players that could make the rotation in next season's Euroleague.

If you ever have an actual pertinent point to make, feel free to make it. Otherwise, STFU and know your damn role.

And yet the US send complete busts like Parker, Blair, and an old washed up McAdoo to Europe, where they dominate, and have statues built in their honor.

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-GaxYT56Bpb8/T1R4dERJYRI/AAAAAAAADMQ/4dBb6RDj6Jc/s800/AP%2520statue.jpg

Now, get the hell out of the NBA forum, and go to whatever bush league forum that Euro's populate.

[Euroleague]

And yet the US send complete busts like Parker, Blair, and an old washed up McAdoo to Europe, where they dominate, and have statues built in their honor.

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-GaxYT56Bpb8/T1R4dERJYRI/AAAAAAAADMQ/4dBb6RDj6Jc/s800/AP%2520statue.jpg

Now, get the hell out of the NBA forum, and go to whatever bush league forum that Euro's populate.

https://media3.giphy.com/media/BPZenX37AtXyw/200.gif

https://media2.giphy.com/media/14p9aLGZMbo2Z2/200.gif

[outbreak]

Yep...Stern and Silver wanted to see a European version of the current D-League.

A bunch of minor league scrubs, which will provide the NBA with a yearly handful of bench players, while the rest of the non-NBA players from the US will run off to Europe and eventually "Americanize" the continent.
:biggums:
Bad troll choice, Stern and Silver have made it 100% clear in the last few years that they have a HUGE hard on for expanding to europe. It's been said publicly multiple times but they didn't think the infrastructure was there yet in terms of travel, league\team structure and the like. They also want to hit the big tourist cities and screw over the successful euro clubs that don't fit in that mould.

[LAZERUSS]

:biggums:
Bad troll choice, Stern and Silver have made it 100% clear in the last few years that they have a HUGE hard on for expanding to europe. It's been said publicly multiple times but they didn't think the infrastructure was there yet in terms of travel, league\team structure and the like. They also want to hit the big tourist cities and screw over the successful euro clubs that don't fit in that mould.

Then let the "Americanization" of the Euroleague begin in full force.

While Europe will continue to give the NBA a handful of crappy players, the US will send hundreds of their players to the Euro rosters.

Euroleague NBA will mirror the current NBA.

[outbreak]

Then let the "Americanization" of the Euroleague begin in full force.

While Europe will continue to give the NBA a handful of crappy players, the US will send hundreds of their players to the Euro rosters.

Euroleague NBA will mirror the current NBA.
Silver and stern wanted to make it just another division which would leave the big elephant in the room being what happens when an 19 year old kid is drafted to go play in europe but doesn't want to leave his home country, we've already seen how it can be tough at times to get kids to want to move to toronto let alone europe. Not that there's anything wrong with europe (hey most of it's nicer than america by a huge margin) but some people like to stay in their own culture.

[Euroleague]

Then let the "Americanization" of the Euroleague begin in full force.

While Europe will continue to give the NBA a handful of crappy players, the US will send hundreds of their players to the Euro rosters.

Euroleague NBA will mirror the current NBA.

1. Current Euroleague is much better than current NBA.

2. Adding guys not good enough to play in the D-League, and thus not good enough to play in leagues like the Belgain League and Israeli League would make the Euroleague many times worse than it currently is.

And the average 9-15 man on an NBA roster can't even make the rotation of the best Euroleague teams.

3. ----------------------------------------------------------->

https://media1.giphy.com/media/10lId6uhSLiGqI/200.gif

[Milbuck]

Giannis at 20 years old is better than Spanoulis ever was and it's not even close.

Here's the Eurobasket thread from the start of the Spain-Greece game. Unanimous agreement that Giannis was a beast and was carrying Greece while Spanoulis single handedly cost Greece the game like the balding choke artist he is and always has been :roll:

http://www.insidehoops.com/forum/showthread.php?t=383654&page=46


Giannis is doing work

I was appalled at Greece's insistence on playing through VSpan when he was so clearly bothered by the length on him while they put Giannis in the corner time and time again while a SG guarded him. Even the announcers spent half their time asking why Greece wasn't posting Giannis.

VSpan is short, slow, and a huge liability defensively. This is the first full game I have set out to watch him in and I laugh heartily in the general direction of EuroLeague. He is not within MILES of being able to play in the NBA. Hell, he made Greece far worse with his presence yesterday. If they would have just played between Calathes and Giannis they probably win that game.

Spain + 9 since Giannis went out:facepalm


NBA players reppin it:bowdown:

There are literally at least 6 spanish players who are better than Badpanoulis :roll:

he is so bad it is funny to see him play

giannis what a ****ing BLOCKKKKKKKKKk

Greek Freak is easily their best player

Giannis :bowdown:

Giannis is taking over defensively:applause:

Giannis is a freak


Gasol GOAT eurobasket player


Greek Freak killing it out there
yes, amazing

Spanoulis is a ball dominant chucker. Greece might have won if they benched him.


Why can't they just let the token brother play:rolleyes:

Giannis is carrying Greece:applause:

V-Span with that tunnel vision.

Nick is leading this team in crunch time.

spanoulis... lets just shoot a contested 3 over 2 defenders... why not ?? :facepalm

V-Span so unclutch

time to get rid of spanoulis, zisis, bourousis and the ****ing 30+ year olds...

build the team around Giannis and GET A FREAKIN COACH
spanoulis shitting the bed when it counts most once again. nothing compared to the great greek guards of past years.

pau stay dominating


:roll:

[Euroleague]

Giannis at 20 years old is better than Spanoulis ever was and it's not even close.

Here's the Eurobasket thread from the start of the Spain-Greece game. Unanimous agreement that Giannis was a beast and was carrying Greece while Spanoulis single handedly cost Greece the game like the balding choke artist he is and always has been :roll:

http://www.insidehoops.com/forum/showthread.php?t=383654&page=46




















:roll:

Spain's NBA players on dope needed the refs help to beat Spanoulis.....

Greece's NBA players on dope all played worse than Spanoulis and were all outscored by him.........

Never mind he was the only one of any of those players that got double teamed.....

And somehow in your "logic" that means Spanoulis is not anything but the best player there (even without doping), and you actually use that to make such a ludicrous "argument", and quote people that never have seen a EuroBasket game once in their lives as part of your "evidence"......

And only someone with an IQ under 60 would not realize immediately that you have never seen a EuroBasket or Euroleague game, within seconds after reading any post you have ever made here.

https://media1.giphy.com/media/tLKM6pUo1h040/200.gif

[Milbuck]

Spain's NBA players on dope needed the refs help to beat Spanoulis.....

Greece's NBA players on dope all played worse than Spanoulis and were all outscored by him.........

Never mind he was the only one of any of those players that got double teamed.....

And somehow in your "logic" that means Spanoulis is not anything but the best player there (even without doping), and you actually use that to make such a ludicrous "argument", and quote people that never have seen a EuroBasket game once in their lives (and only someone with an IQ under 60 would not realize immediately that you have never seen a EuroBasket or Euroleague game, within seconds after reading any post you have ever made here) as part of your "evidence"......

Giannis vs Spain: 12 & 17 on 50% FG with incredible defense

Spanoulis vs Spain: 10 & 5 on 33% FG with GARBAGE defense (0-4 FG in the 4th quarter :roll: )

Giannis completely took over the game with his defense and rebounding, and could have scoring wise as well if Spanoulis wasn't too busy dominating the ball and missing literally every shot he took in the 4th :roll: :roll: :roll: :roll:

Spanoulis is a ball dominant, low efficiency, shit defense balding has been who single handedly lost the game against Spain. Kendrick Perkins at point guard would've been a better option :oldlol: