HoopsHype.com Rumors

Jeff Potter: Happy news for Oliver Lafayette today, but tough news for the Mad Ants. Oliver has signed on with Partizan Belgrade to play this season in the Euroleague. The past few weeks (actually longer), we have tried to like crazy to get him to come back to the Ants after being released from the Celtics. I understand him taking this offer, because Partizan is an outstanding club and playing in the Euroleague is as good as it gets in Europe. I am very happy for Oliver, and this is a well deserved job and opportunity for him and his family. With that said, I truly believe he jumped to Europe too soon. He has been in the NBA mix for about 5 months, and he would have been entering this season at the top of the call up list. pottersnewblog.blogspot.com

Serbia, Oliver Lafayette 

John Hollinger: Teodosic: Translated PER of 13.66 last year. Scouts tell me he's way slow, but #s say could probably cut it in NBA. Twitter

Serbia, Milos Teodosic 

Teodosic then stepped back as the other Serbian players spread out wide, dribbling the clock down as he stood 28 feet away from the basket. Garbajosa played off him, and with five seconds left, Teodosic let it fly. And when his straightaway 3-pointer went through the net with 3.1 seconds left, Serbia had a 92-89 victory that dethroned the defending world champions. "In the timeout, we decided we would only shoot a long 3-pointer. If we miss, it's overtime," said Serbian coach Dusan Ivkovic, whose team avenged a defeat against Spain in the gold medal-game of the 2009 EuroBasket tournament in Poland. ESPN.com

Spain, Serbia, Dusan Ivkovic, Milos Teodosic 

Alan Hahn: Serbia with a huge upset over Spain in QFinals. Milos Teodosic with a 30 foot three with 3.1 seconds left. Amazing finish. Rubio invisible. Twitter

Ricky Rubio, Spain, Serbia 

Tim Chisholm: That was an unbelievable game. Spain just wasn't strong enough without Calderon and Pau. Serbia never lost confidence all game long. Amazing Twitter

Spain, Serbia 

Bill Simmons: So long, my $400 Spain wager that lost because of a Serbian halfcourt buzzer beater. That's what I get for betting against USA. Twitter

Spain, Serbia 

Serbia coach Dusan Ivkovic says his team has been devastated by the suspensions of its two top players for the start of the world basketball championships. Ivkovic blasted FIBA for waiting until less than 48 hours before the start of the championship to suspend center Nenad Krstic and guard Milos Teodosic for their roles in a brawl in Greece. Krstic will miss the first three games and Teodosic the first two. Ivkovic says Serbia has lost "two key players'' for the games against Angola, Germany and Jordan. SI.com

Oklahoma City Thunder, Nenad Krstic, Serbia 

Nenad Krstic of the Oklahoma City Thunder has been suspended for Serbia's next three games for throwing a chair during last week's brawl with Greece. Basketball's governing body said Thursday that three other players will miss two games. FIBA also fined both national federations. Serbia's Milos Teodosic is banned two games. His fight with Greece's Antonis Fotsis started the melee. ESPN.com

Oklahoma City Thunder, Nenad Krstic, Serbia 

Brian Mahoney: Krstic gets 3 games for throwing chair in brawl; 2 games for Teodosic & Greece's Fotsis and Schortsanitis. Also fines for both federations. Twitter

Oklahoma City Thunder, Nenad Krstic, Serbia 

Jerome Jordan hasn't received an offer from the New York Knicks, the NBA franchise that selected him in the last draft, and will finally start his professional career in Serbia. Hemofarm will be the next team for the 23-year-old Jamaican center, who averaged 15.4 points and 9.1 rebounds per game during his senior year with the University of Tulsa. The Hoops Market

New York Knicks, Jerome Jordan, Serbia 

Oklahoma City Thunder forward Nenad Krstic fears a basketball world championship suspension following a bench-clearing brawl during a game between Serbia and Greece. Krstic, of Serbia, left Greek player Yannis Bouroussis with a bloodied head after hitting him with a chair in the fight that broke out during the Acropolis tournament on Thursday in Athens, leading to the game being abandoned. FIBA, the international basketball federation, will review the incident and announce possible sanctions by Wednesday. Krstic said Monday, "I can't say I'm not a bit nervous" about the possibility of suspension. SI.com

Oklahoma City Thunder, Nenad Krstic, Serbia 

Thunder general manager Sam Presti said he has spoken with Krstic, and "he recognizes this is an unfortunate situation. He's regretful." Presti said Krstic, who was detained for awhile by Athens police, has apologized to the Greek National Team and individual players. Presti said Krstic plans to play for Serbia in the World Championships, which begin next week. Krstic is a patriotic guy. He's captain and sole NBA veteran of a young Serbian national team which is building for the future. Oklahoman

Oklahoma City Thunder, Sam Presti, Nenad Krstic, Serbia 

FIBA unconditionally condemns the violence that occurred during the Final of the Acropolis tournament between Greece and Serbia that was played in Athens, Greece last night. Such scenes involving players on a basketball court are entirely unacceptable, especially as players are seen as important role models for young fans. They are also ambassadors for basketball on the global stage and they should always be seen to act as such. Patrick Baumann, the Secretary General of FIBA, said: "I was appalled to see the disgraceful scenes that occurred during the Greece v Serbia game. They were an awful stain on the good name of world basketball. FIBA.com

FIBA, Greece, Serbia 

FIBA will take whatever steps are necessary against any individual player found to have been involved in this shocking incident. FIBA will not let this stand. "FIBA, as the sport's world governing body, is now urgently reviewing last night's game and the circumstances leading to the violence. FIBA.com

FIBA, Greece, Serbia 

"This shouldn't have happened," said Serbian coach Dusan Ivkovic, who is due to take over Greek club Olympiakos next season. "Relations with the Greeks are now very bad." A stunned crowd of about 5,000 at the Athens Olympic Arena watched players from both teams exchange punches and kicks on the floor and in the tunnels leading to the dressing rooms. Two or three spectators entered the fray but were quickly shoved out of the arena. The fight began when Greece forward Antonis Fotsis had moved threateningly against Serbia guard Milos Teodosic, who had fouled him. Krstic grabbed Fotsis by the throat and threw a chair toward Sofoklis Schortsanitis, who was pursuing him. The chair hit Yannis Bouroussis, who had not played because of a hand injury, and left him with a bloody wound on the side of his head. ESPN.com

Sofoklis Schortsanitis, Nenad Krstic, Greece, Serbia 

Krstic returned to his hotel after being released and was due to leave Athens for Belgrade later on Friday. The rest of the Serbia team returned earlier. "I don't know the rules, but I hope I won't be punished," Krstic told Serbian media. "An [act of] stupidity was committed, and I hope they will not punish us. The Greeks started the brawl, there were no guards and the [Greek] fans entered the court ... If they punish me, they must do it to others as well." Ivkovic said that Krstic did not want to hurt Bouroussis with the chair. "I believe he acted in self-defense and grabbed a chair after some half-naked [Greek] fans rushed into the court," the coach said. "The chair fell from his hand and grazed Bouroussis." ESPN.com

Nenad Krstic, Greece, Serbia 

Serbia's Nenad Krstic has been released after he was held in custody overnight following a brawl during a game against Greece. Krstic, who played for the NBA's Oklahoma City Thunder last season, grabbed Greece forward Antonis Fotsis by the throat and threw a chair at Greece center Sofoklis Schortsanitis. The chair instead hit Yannis Bouroussis on the head, leaving him with blood trickling from a wound. SI.com

Oklahoma City Thunder, Sofoklis Schortsanitis, Nenad Krstic, Greece, Serbia 

John Hollinger: Brave work by Krstic: beats on the guy with his back turned, runs away once he turns around, and then throws a chair. http://bit.ly/9w9j3f Twitter

Nenad Krstic, Greece, Serbia 

Thunder center Nenad Krstic was at the center of a brutal brawl between Serbia and Greece at the Acropolis Tournament in Athens. Krstic didn’t appear to start it, but starts throwing punches at about the :40 mark. This seems crazy because Krstic has never shown a mean bone in his body during his NBA career. Will he play for Serbia in the FIBA World Championships? But, more importantly to Thunder fans, how does this affect his status with OKC? Is he likely to be reprimanded for this by the team or league, or can he be? Oklahoman

Oklahoma City Thunder, Nenad Krstic, Greece, Serbia