Spain will have a chance at revenge Thursday when it faces France in the semifinals of Eurobasket 2015. Both won quarterfinal games Tuesday, setting up another meeting between Europe’s two most talented countries. In last year’s World Cup in Spain, France ended the host’s dreams of a gold medal with a 65-52 victory in Madrid. France lost to Serbia in the semifinals before edging Lithuania for the bronze medal. Now Spain has a chance to get even by toppling the hosts. It was
You can complain all you want about FIBA’s way of doing things, you’d probably be right more often than not. Only two teams from Europe can earn berths to the Rio Olympics this summer, while there will be four teams from FIBA-Americas (USA, Brazil, Venezuela, Argentina)? But if you are a fan of basketball, this EuroBasket Tournament is an overdose of fun after a long empty summer. The best national teams in Europe go at it day after day nonstop, with
One is gone for the season;one is barely making a peep as his career closes in Memphis. Kobe Bryant and Vince Carter. Shall we compare them? Of course, there is no comparing anyone to Bryant as an equal … because there is no in in the NBA who is his equal. But when we talk about superstars and what they are, and what they might have been, there is a place for comparing Vince and Kobe. [Read more…]
At this time of the NBA season, when all stimulating conversations must be cooled off with the buzz-killing “small-sample-size” argument, it might be a good idea to attack this issue from the other side. Which player is shooting the lights out at an unsustainable clip, who is playing out of his depth, and whose numbers will eventually straighten themselves out? Before it’s too late, fans, here are your “sample-size All-Stars.” [Read more…]
Every year, one of the more entertaining conversations around the NBA surrounds the race for the Sixth Man Award. While it’s never about the most shimmering and glamorous of superstars, the talk always turns to the most precious of commodities – a guy who can come off the bench and consistently inject life into his team. The award has gone to characters such as J.R Smith and Anthony Mason, stars such as James Harden and Kevin McHale, and champions such as Toni
Coming off the first playoff appearance since 2010 and turning the page on some miserable years, Charlotte now has new hope — and a new old nickname. The Charlotte Hornets have rediscovered their sting and are for real. Guided a year ago by first-year coach Steve Clifford, Charlotte restructured its entire defensive system, and along with star big man Al Jefferson saw its win total spike from 21 all the way to 43. According to analyst David Locke, the Hornets shaved off
Russell Westbrook personifies the story of his generation in the NBA. He is probably the most polarizing player in the league. Here we will try to layout the arguments of his loyal supporters, who believe he is one of the top 10 players in the NBA, as well as the reasoning of his naysayers, who believe he is far too out of control to play point guard. Once we do that, we will debunk both. Then, with a clean slate, we will
There he goes again, the ball miraculously still in his hands, blowing past a player that up until that very moment was a hero in his home country, and now has to settle for second place in the heart of his nation’s fans. Only the replay will tell just how in the world he found the angle to flick that layup in, with dizzy, confused defenders only finding the ball as it drops to them after falling through the net. Kyrie