HoopsHype.com Rumors

Emiliano Carchia: As per @David 'Dubi' Pick KC Rivers plans to participate in upcoming NBA Summer League & receiving interest from Madrid, despite contract with Khimki Twitter @SportandoBasket

Summer League, Real Madrid, Spain, Khimki Moscow, KC Rivers 

Ricky Rubio is convinced he will have no problem playing with the Spanish National Team at the Eurobasket this summer. "If the knee is OK and there is nothing else, I think it will be a good thing and it's always an honor to play with the National Team." Marca.com

Minnesota Timberwolves, Ricky Rubio, Spain, Eurobasket 

"Gotta say that I think LeBron's job is probably a little harder," Nowitzki said. "Messi can hide sometimes and only needs one genius touch to look good. LeBron can never hide. Eyes are always on him. But he's just such a better athlete than anyone we've ever seen. He just makes the game look easy." ESPN.com

Dallas Mavericks, Miami Heat, LeBron James, Dirk Nowitzki, FC Barcelona, Spain, Lionel Messi 

There are natural goal-scoring strikers and Stockton-esque midfield setup men all over the world soccer map, but no one has ever combined those two talents like Messi. Not even Maradona. Which is why a certain Mr. Bryant, self-avowed Barcelona fanatic, chimed in to say that Messi actually has more in common with The Great One than basketball's Chosen One. "Messi," Kobe told ESPN.com this week, "is more (Wayne) Gretzky." ESPN.com

Los Angeles Lakers, Miami Heat, LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, FC Barcelona, Spain, NHL, Lionel Messi, Wayne Gretzky 

For Luol Deng, All-Star swingman from the Chicago Bulls and a lifelong Arsenal supporter who knows precisely how it feels to chase James around a 94-by-50 hunk of wood, it's Messi. Deng introduces an interesting fresh variable by bringing up Messi's ceiling, which is indeed higher than LeBron's because his whole legacy changes in a dramatic way if Argentina wins just one World Cup in his time. "As good as LeBron is," Deng says, "I have to go with Messi. Because what he's doing, he's about to, he's on pace to (become) the best ever." Whoever Barcelona's playing, you're just interested to watch because Messi's playing." ESPN.com

Chicago Bulls, Miami Heat, LeBron James, Luol Deng, FC Barcelona, Spain, Lionel Messi 

Said Simone Sandri, NBA correspondent for Italy's famed La Gazzetta dello Sport and a former professional soccer player in his country's Serie B and Serie C divisions with, among others, his hometown club Novara: "If I have to cast my vote, I have to say LeBron. Leo is obviously having another fantastic season, but LeBron, in my opinion, is having a bigger impact. Barca is such a machine that I really believe, for the sake of argument, that they could afford a Messi injury and still reach some of their goals at the end of the season. "It's hard to imagine the same thing for the LeBron-less Heat. I would have to say that, right now, LeBron is bigger threat to his opponents. Not to put Messi down, but shutting Messi down does not mean shutting Barca down. That's a team that can hurt you in many ways. Shutting down LeBron doesn't guarantee you a win over the Heat, either, but it's a bigger step in that direction." ESPN.com

Miami Heat, LeBron James, Media, FC Barcelona, Spain, Italy, Lionel Messi, Simone Sandri 

Ethan J. Skolnick: ... I asked LeBron pregame for 5 athletes in other sports he most likes to watch. His off-cuff answer: AP, Messi, Djokovic, Brady, Tiger.... Twitter @EthanJSkolnick

Miami Heat, LeBron James, FC Barcelona, Spain, Tiger Woods, Lionel Messi, Novak Djokovic, Tom Brady 

Jon de la Presa: While player´s association were asking for a 100.000 € fine to Zalgiris Kaunas, Euroleague fined the lithuanian team with just 25.000 €. Twitter @jondelapresa

Rudy Fernandez, Real Madrid, Euroleague, Spain, Zalgiris Kaunas 

Tony Gaffney is leaving Joventut Badalona and could head to the NBA next. Gigantes del Basket

Free Agency, Spain, Tony Gaffney, Joventut Badalona 

Calderon hopes to play for Spain in this summer's European Championships but has been unable to commit to his national team without the security of an NBA contract. That tournament begins Sept. 4, so assuming Calderon's free agency isn't protracted, he should have a deal done in plenty of time to participate. Whether that's with the Pistons remains to be seen. "When July arrives, we'll see what happens," he said. "But at the end of the day, it (wasn't) like, 'I trade you, Jose Calderon, in a trade, to make it work (financially).' It was some interest. They (Pistons) went into the trade to get me and they're trying to get me for the (long term), so it's really nice." Booth Newspapers

Detroit Pistons, Free Agency, Trade, Jose Manuel Calderon, Spain, Eurobasket 

Upon returning to Madrid on Friday, Rudy Fernandez made the following statements: “I am fine. Thank God things did not go further. I have to say thanks for the support of everyone that has contacted me through social networks and private messages. I am not enjoying this; people have to know that basketball cannot get dirty this way. Things like this don’t have to happen again. I think that people should not think that all Lithuanian fans are like that just because of these two people. Not at all. In the game, as always in all games, there was some tension, but I was respected at all times, which is the most important thing. This happened because of these two and that’s the image I keep. Something worse could have happened; I hope it never happens again. I hope [the media] respect me a bit because I am struggling, but I would like to thank those who have supported me and will carry on supporting me.” TrendBasket

Rudy Fernandez, Real Madrid, Euroleague, Spain, Zalgiris Kaunas 

Niki Bakouli: Rudy: "This should never happen again" realmadrid.com/cs/Satellite/e… Twitter @Eurohoopsnet

Rudy Fernandez, Real Madrid, Euroleague, Spain, Zalgiris Kaunas 

Jeff Taylor: Weak Spain team this summer? Think again. Pistons guard Jose Calderon: "The logical thing is I´ll go to EuroBasket' http://t.co/PzNntLCe1n Twitter

Detroit Pistons, Jose Manuel Calderon, Spain, Eurobasket 

International basketball source says we should anticipate the stream of NBA-caliber talent coming from overseas to dip in coming years because the economy has shrunk the pool of talent foreign clubs are capable of supporting. The biggest clubs -- the Real Madrids and Barcelonas and CSKA Moscows -- will continue to find and work with the best of the best, but the price of training and developing young players and the dwindling number of companies with discretionary funds to serve as sponsors is thinning the herd. Sulia

Draft, Real Madrid, FC Barcelona, Spain, Russia, CSKA Moscow 

Knicks point guard Pablo Prigioni said he is unsure he will seek another NBA contract this summer when he becomes a free agent. Prigioni added it’s still possible he will return to the Spanish League to finish up his distinguished career. New York Post

New York Knicks, Free Agency, Spain, Pablo Prigioni 

Asked if he wanted to return to the Knicks next season, Prigioni, the oldest rookie in the modern NBA at 35, said he can’t tell and needs a full season to evaluate. But Prigioni told The Post he is not retiring. “I will play for some team next year — where, I don’t know,’’ Prigioni told The Post. “It could be in the NBA. It could be the Spanish League.’’ “I need to go to the summer, take it by day-by-day and think about it. But I [will] listen to the Knicks.’’ New York Post

New York Knicks, Free Agency, Spain, Pablo Prigioni 

Spanish club CajaSol has signed Pops Mensah-Bonsu. Gigantes del Basket

Pops Mensah-Bonsu, Spain 

Gustavo Ayon thinks he will end the season with the Bucks. However, FC Barcelona has the chance to convince the Bucks to buy out Ayon's contract. El Contraataque

Milwaukee Bucks, FC Barcelona, Spain, Gustavo Ayon 

Everything's set up: a contract for the rest of the season and two more, earning 1.5 million euros ($2 million) per year. El Contraataque

Milwaukee Bucks, FC Barcelona, Spain, Gustavo Ayon 

The 76ers may be headed to Europe in the fall. The Web site solobasket.com is reporting (in Spanish) that the Sixers are scheduled to participate in the 2013 NBA Europe Live Tour next October. Solobasket said there will be at least one game in Bilboa (northern Spain). phillyburbs.com

Philadelphia 76ers, Spain, Schedule, Bilbao, Solobasket.com