Posts by CJ Clarkson
Second Round groups confirmed for European 2023 World Cup Qualifiers
The field for the Second Round of the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 European Qualifiers has been finalized with some fascinating matchups to look forward to. Bosnia and Herzegovina were the last of the 24 teams to punch their tickets to the next phase with a victory over Bulgaria on Monday after the Czech Republic…
Read MoreOlympiacos bolsters frontcourt with Joel Bolomboy
Olympiacos Piraeus added size and athleticism to its paint, inking a one-year deal with center Joel Bolomboy, the club announced Wednesday morning. Bolomboy (2.04 meters, 28 years old) arrives from CSKA Moscow, where he played the last four seasons, ever since he came to play on the European continent. Bolomboy helped CSKA win the Turkish Airlines…
Read MoreSecond pick in 2022 NBA Draft, Chet Holmgren, sets summer league record
Oklahoma City Thunder rookie Chet Holmgren shined in his professional debut, scoring 23 points and setting an NBA summer league record for blocks and 3s in a game. The No. 2 pick in the draft also had seven rebounds, four assists, and six blocks in 24 minutes to help the Thunder rout the Utah Jazz 98-77 on Tuesday night. He…
Read MoreSpain, Serbia, and Lithuania lose in the 2023 FIBA World Cup qualifiers
In the last round of the 2023 FIBA World Cup qualifiers, we saw three basketball giants stumble and fall. Serbia lost at home to Belgium, and Lithuania also lost at home to the Czech Republic. Both Serbia and Lithuania are top-10 teams in the FIBA World ranking. Reigning world champion Spain also lost to Georgia.…
Read MoreNikola Jokic signs biggest contract in NBA history
The Denver Nuggets and reigning back-to-back NBA MVP Nikola Jokic have reportedly agreed to a five-year $264 million supermax contract extension, the richest agreement in the history of the NBA. Jokic will have a player option for the 2027-28 season worth $60 million. Jokic has averaged 26.7 points on 57.5 percent shooting, 12.3 rebounds, and…
Read MoreMaccabi Tel Aviv lands Lorenzo Brown
Maccabi Tel Aviv has a new weapon in its backcourt after signing point guard Lorenzo Brown to a two-year contract, the club announced on Wednesday. Brown (1.96 meters, 31 years old) spent last season in Russia with UNICS Kazan, with which he ranked second in the EuroLeague in assists with 6.1 per game in 24 appearances. He…
Read MoreValencia signs Chris Jones
Valencia Basket announced Monday that it had signed combo-guard Chris Jones, who comes off a breakout season with LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne. The contract is for one season. Jones (1.88 meters, 29 years old) averaged 13.1 points and 3.6 assists and was fifth in the EuroLeague with 1.5 steals per game last season with ASVEL. He also…
Read MoreThe growth of basketball in Europe
Basketball is immense in Europe, and certain countries, in particular, have pushed basketball to new levels. American sports have made a big impact around the world, and Asian countries are known to be passionate fans of baseball, for instance. Basketball leagues around Europe are competitive, and we’re even seeing some of the best players from…
Read MoreCrvena Zvezda champion of Serbia
Crvena Zvezda claimed the triple crown this season, adding the Serbian National Championship trophy to the Adriatic League and the Serbian National Cup. Crvena Zvezda Belgrade defeated FMP on the road 71:59 (15:9, 19:22, 25:14, 12:14) and won the final series (2-0). As a result, they claimed the seventh Serbian title in a row since…
Read MoreMilan wins the Italian championship
AX Armani Exchange Milan returned to the title-winner’s podium in the Italian League on Saturday by stopping defending champion Virtus Segafredo Bologna 81-64 at home to win their final series 4-2. It was the 29th national title for Milan and its first since 2017-18. Milan’s big early leads and 10-0 starts to both the third…
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