http://sports.espn.go.com/oly/olybb/column...page=Eurowrapup</p> By all accounts, an unbelievable week in European basketball. An incredible, last second win for Russia over HEAVY favorite Spain, and this coming on the heels of upsetting Lithuania in the semis. A miracle comeback by Greece over Slovenia. The other semifinal game was apparently a hard-fought battle between heavyweights Greece and Spain that was back and forth all the way to the wire. Lithuania barely surviving their matchup with Croatia. Lots of stars stepping up big (Saras Jasikevikus, Papalukos, Andrei Kirlenko, Tony Parker) and choking in big situations (Pau Gasol, who nearly won tourney MVP, missing his last 5 free throws in the Final, Boris Diaw never really stepping up). Plus, the stakes were high all tourament, because only the top 3 got automatic berths to the Olympics, and the next 4 enter a play in tournament. That means that last night the 1-2, 3-4 and 7-8 games all had important consequences.</p> All the passion of college basketball, but with tons of NBA-level talent. How is this not on TV?</p>
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (ly_yng)</div><div class='quotemain'> All the passion of college basketball, but with tons of NBA-level talent. How is this not on TV?</p></div> Good question. I wish it was, but for some reason international competition in basketball isn't taken nearly as seriously as other sports take their international competition. The potential is there though, basketball is a global game and there's no one dominant team internationally. </p>
I'd have to imagine it was on tv. The Deng vs. Thabo, Division B championship was on TV. So I think the Division A championship would get on TV.</p> Lithuania beat Greece to nab the last automatic bid. It wasn't top 3 that made the olympics fwiw, its 2, just like FIBA Americas, just discounting the team that already qualified, Spain, and since Spain got 2nd, thats why the #3 place got in.</p>
I'm actually not that surprised at all. Sure we would all like to watch the games, but the average sports viewer (or even your average NBA fan) is barely interested in USA ball. I mean lets say a channel would pick up the game; who would? Not nbc or abc, but I don't even see espn2 picking it up. Theres more interest in WNBA, and baseball, then there would be in international ball.</p> The only channel I could see playing the games are NBA tv, but there just isn't enough interest to warrant taking programming time, especially since the relative lack of NBA players would barely draw interest. What do the best NBA players get you? ESPN Classic. Plus this was only an olympic qualifier. If I'm a tv exec I make the same decision.</p>
Greece comes back against Slovenia:</p><object classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" width="425" height="350"><param name="width" value="425" /><param name="height" value="350" /><param name="wmode" value="transparent" /><param name="src" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/vhlSipeAx4E" /><embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" height="350" wmode="transparent" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/vhlSipeAx4E"></embed></object> </p> Spain vs. Greece in the semis: </p><object classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" width="425" height="350"><param name="width" value="425" /><param name="height" value="350" /><param name="wmode" value="transparent" /><param name="src" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/IvvDy3ffmws" /><embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" height="350" wmode="transparent" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/IvvDy3ffmws"></embed></object> </p> And J.R. Holden's (an American from Pittsburgh!) channels MJ vs. Utah for his last second shot to beat Spain: </p> <object classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" width="425" height="350"><param name="width" value="425" /><param name="height" value="350" /><param name="wmode" value="transparent" /><param name="src" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/VG_3ys3_jwI" /><embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" height="350" wmode="transparent" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/VG_3ys3_jwI"></embed></object> </p>
Haha....I can't believe my Russian bros, managed to get an American ringer to play for them. I bet you they wouldn't get as far as they did without him.
wow, that JR Holden shot was crazy...i wonder how the rest of his game is, and if there's any chance for him to get in the NBA.
