A great effort!
Can't wait to see Ando back in a Boomers singlet at Beijing, alongside Bogut in the starting 5.
Would be good to see Atlanta pick up his salary as he would add some serious value to their roster for a tilt at the playoffs in 2009.

Forum poster Ben Fitz noticed the NBA site promoting the Euroleague final which I hadn't seen before, and it's getting coverage on ESPN's NBA front page too.

Ben's theory is that a Euro division for the NBA is not far away.

Thoughts?

I am a big believer that this will happen.

Sponsors get more bang for their bucks as they can now get direct exposure into Europe therefore the TV rights go up in value.

Gives NBA players that Euro style play experience they need for Olympics and World Champs.

Gives more players more opportunity for global exposure and those stuck on some benches the opportunity to be stars on Euro teams.

Gives the Euro teams the opportunity to bring home some favourite sons for marketing purposes.

Also FIBA have just announced the reshaping of key ways to the NBA shape as well as the extension of the three point line.

and above all makes the NBA still the best competition in the world.

There have been rumblings about this on here before, but I'm not sure if anything got publicly announced by Stern?

I believe that the president of CSKA and Mr Stern are pretty close. There was an article recently published stating that CSKA and the NBA are in some sort of business discussion and that CSKA turned down the NBA but stated 'the business will get done'.

Good read titled "Russian Revolution"

http://linky.com.au/jv061

Some interesting snippets from the article:

"Two decades ago Soviet stars such as Arvydas Sabonis and Sarunas Marciulionis earned disposable income by selling athletic gear and black-market caviar out of their hotel rooms during international road trips"

"Basketball is important to Russia because, in the beginning, it was important to the U.S. The Soviets embraced basketball after World War II for no other reason than to try to prove they could beat the U.S. at its own game, to demonstrate that their collective approach could overcome superior talent".

Sabonis and Marciulionis are Lithuanian, as is Siskauskas (Euroleague MVP 2008) and Lavrinovic who topscored in the 3rd/4th playoff.
Now all we need is for Cleveland to release Zydrunas Ilgauskas to play in the Olympics for LIETUVA!!!
*fingers crossed*

We're still waiting for your NBA recap Dana!

I didn't catch the final but watched the semi where David Anderson was enormously impressive down the stretch. He has an awesome turn-around jumper on the post that looks very smooth. Would be great to see him in Adelaide in the Boomers lead up game in June.

With some debate about whether Maher should come off the bench this season it is also interesting to note that CSKA's best guard,Papaloukas comes off the bench and has done so for some time now. He is regarded as the best point guard in all of Europe at 6-7 and I remember how good he was in Greece's defeat of the USA in Japan in 2006. Starting on the bench doesn't necessarily mean that you are any less of a player than the 5 that start.

I just got back from the USA last Monday Isaac and I'm still adjusting to being back at work since Wednesday. I have some videos I'd like to post. I think I got some good shots of how huge the Bobcats arena is. Can you please email me about how to post videos? (Or would it be better if I email them to you so that you cqan edit/post bits of them?)
I'm a bit tech-challenged when it comes to that stuff.
I'd love to post some stuff about the game I went to. One thing that they did do well was provide heaps of entertainment, before, during and even after the game. I got several good closeup of the Big Z as well as Le Bron icing his back after he fouled out.
One complaint I do have is that I haven't been able to get a coopy of the game broadcast despite several unanswered messages to the bobcats arena when I was still in NC. So if anyone knows how I can get a copy of the game (2nd April 2008, Bobcats V Cavaliers) I'd be really grateful. heck, I'll even pay for a legal copy if I could get it. I'm sure I'de be able to find a scene with me and the players in the same shot. ;)

Oops. Sorry about the typos...blame jetlag.

Dana,

Have a look at Pontel

http://linky.com.au/jz8sp

Cheers TR. Thanks for that. Have you ever bought from them?

Dana, try to get videos up on YouTube or just have them hosted somewhere and then post the link.

Yeah, they are pretty good with their products.

I believe Bizzy has also purchased a whole season of Pistons ball and some Dream Team stuff from them as well as was pretty happy with the service.

Pretty well priced with good delivery time.

This thread has morphed into something other than the Euroleague Grand Final. Pontel is great. I ordered the Bull-Knicks playoff series from 1992 and other various games as birthday presents for my brothers and am very happy with the service.