While Jokubaitis’ star in Europe has been shining brighter and brighter (and right now it will be a shocker if he doesn’t win EuroLeague’s actual Rising Star award), the New York Knicks have been paying attention. And he has been watching them back as well. “Sometimes my Summer League coaches text me to see how I’m doing,” Jokubaitis said. “They reach out to my agent and my agents in the USA. I think few staff members from the Knicks are coming in February [to watch me]. I’ll be in better touch with them.” “[I’m watching their games] whenever I have a chance. The schedule doesn’t allow it all the time. I follow them and I know what’s happening. I keep in contact with a few players, rookies that I’ve played with in Summer League. I know what’s happening on the team.”
Euroleague Rumors
NBA commissioner Adam Silver spoke to the Italian newspaper ‘Il Corriere della Sera’ and gave some updates about the potential collaboration on a new European league with FIBA and EuroLeague. “We’re just at the beginning of the conversation,” Adam Silver said. “With FIBA, we already work together for the program ‘Basketball without borders’ and for the African league that we started, which will develop in the coming years”. Silver explained that the NBA’s plan is not to ‘take over’ European basketball but to work together to improve the situation. “With EuroLeague, we already played several preseason games with their teams. We gladly agreed to the invitation for a common table: the goal is not to take over Europe but to work together to improve the basketball environment of the continent. We can’t wait to resume the talks”, Silver said to the Italian newspaper.
Dante Exum Spain bound?
Chema de Lucas: Ex NBA Dante Exum, close to signing a three-month deal with Barça. Expected to be in Spain next week.
Calathes, 32, was recently sidelined after suffering a left fibula fracture. The Greek international is expected to remain out for approximately five more weeks prompting the search in the market for a suitable replacement. Besides the former Memphis Grizzlies point guard in 2013-14 and 2014-15, Cory Higgins (low back soreness) and Alex Abrines (knee) are also out for the team coached by Sarunas Jasikevicius. Barca is currently tied with archrival Real Madrid on top of both the EuroLeague and ACB standings. The two sides are scheduled to meet each other at Palau Blaugrana next Friday in EuroLeague Regular Season Round 14 action.
Not only did McAdoo find great success on the court, becoming one of the best Americans to play in the EuroLeague, he also regained his confidence. The bus rides, team dinners and being able to see all of Europe were life-changing experiences because if not for basketball, McAdoo likely would not have enjoyed life like that in the NBA while finishing his career. In Europe, he was having fun, playing well and winning. “S—, we ended up being the best team in Europe,” McAdoo said. “We won two Italian Championships, two EuroLeague Championships. The one year I led the league in scoring, I was MVP in … the EuroLeague Championship series (in 1988). It was fantastic. When I look back at my career, I like my six years in Italy better than I love any of my years in the NBA.”
NBA admit negotiations with FIBA and Euroleague
The National Basketball Association said Friday that it had begun negotiations with world basketball body FIBA and the EuroLeague about unifying the game in Europe. The organization of basketball in Europe fractured in 2000 amid arguments over TV rights. “As part of our ongoing collaboration with both stakeholders, we recently were invited to engage in discussions about how we can work together to grow basketball in Europe. We look forward to participating in subsequent conversations moving forward,” NBA spokesman Mike Bass said.
The EuroLeague, the competition which features the continent’s best clubs, however strenuously denied a report in Spanish sports newspaper Marca that the talks were intended to create an “NBA Europe”. “The subjects discussed in this meeting never included the creation of a division of the NBA in Europe,” EuroLeague said in a statement.
