Like most European sensations, Juan Carlos Navarro wanted to try his luck in the NBA. He played one season with the Memphis Grizzlies in 2007-08, teaming with fellow Spaniard Pau Gasol. The Grizzlies acquired Navarro’s draft rights from the Washington Wizards – which selected the Spanish guard with the 40th overall pick in 2002 – … [Read more…]
Two years ago, Brandon Jennings put his basketball career on the line when he signed with Italian club Lottomatica Virtus Roma of the Euroleague. At the time, the decision was considered both risky and a huge gamble financially. If Jennings’ European experiment fails and he falls flat on his face in the Italian ruins, his … [Read more…]
Mikhail Prokhorov, Russia’s richest man, is on the verge of becoming the first European majority owner in the NBA as he recently put a bid to buy 80% of the New Jersey Nets, according to published reports. Prokhorov, 43, said he will also fund nearly half of a project to build a new arena in … [Read more…]
There is no doubt that Pau Gasol and Dirk Nowitzki are the two best players in Europe. But who is better? After leading Spain to a gold medal in the 2009 European Championships, you can make a strong case for Gasol as the best non-American player in the world. Led by Gasol, named the “best … [Read more…]
After posting a perfect record during pool competition, the French national team were far from perfect in its 86-66 loss to Spain in the quarterfinals of the 2009 European Championships. The devastating one-sided defeat is just the latest in a long line of disappointments for France on the international stage since 2000 when it captured … [Read more…]
Make no mistake about, the Minnesota Timberwolves got the best player in the NBA Draft. Though Blake Griffin was the clear choice as the No. 1 player in the draft, Ricky Rubio – Minnesota’s pick at No. 5 – could potentially be the guy who will define the ’09 draft. Rubio, the much-hyped European sensation … [Read more…]
Vlade Divac’s No. 21 jersey was recently retired by the Sacramento Kings in honor of the groundbreaking Serbian center’s six successful seasons with the club. Divac was the emotional leader and most popular player on the best teams in the franchise’s history, including the Kings’ back-to-back Pacific Division champions and the 2002 Western Conference finalists. … [Read more…]
If college and professional basketball were caught in a Matrix, Brandon Jennings would be an anomaly. He is the glitch in the system. He’s the worm virus that everyone needs to pay attention to because the impact could cause a complete overhaul of the system. A year ago, Jennings was considered the best high school … [Read more…]