Zarathustra

but he won't come over. He is considered the best player in Europe, has been for many years. Makes millions allready and is the star of his team. Seems to be just happy playing for Barcelona, who just won the Euro Baasket league final. Barcelona - Treviso 76-65. barcelona bodiroga 20/8 fucka 17/6 de la fuente 11/8 treviso edney 16/2/5 ast bulleri 11 marconato 10/7

I can’t see euro-players (here I mean argentinians, chinese, brazilians too) beeing just a fad. That 10 euro players could go in the top 25 is just a sign of the game getting more and more international. You see,basketball has always been a quite small sport in Europe, I think the only countries where you could call basketball a big sport were Lithuania and Jugoslavia. And I think even in Jugoslavia football (I don’t mean the padded version of rugby here, I’m talking about the thing you call soccer) was the sport to talk about. Anyway, now basketball is getting more and more popular. Yao has made China follow the NBA, Dirk is getting Germany to watch the game and so on… I think basketball meant two different things in Europe and America not too long ago. Influenced by american players and coaches the european game has become more like basketball in america, but still holding on to some european characteristics. Now it’s in a way time for Europe to give something back. It’s a bit like it was with icehockey some years ago. A canadian game ”went” abroad, evolved into a perhaps more skillfull (now only talking about hockey) variant compared to the more tough canadian game and then returned and has now made the NHL to a hybrid between these two styles. I hope the same will happen to the NBA in a way. Take the best parts of the both styles and make it an even better game in the end. It is true that european players have been less athletic until now, but I think that has been more because of the fact that the best athletes have gone to play football or some other more popular sport than a gene thing. Basketball has been a sport for tall guys who aren’t athletic enough to guard a football goal. The more popular basketball gets, the better overall athletes it will attract. I can see this euro-drafting calm down a bit though. For the last two years teams have been drafting from many age groups, soon it will be from just one. I mean, this years draftees are born 1982-1985, next year perhaps 84-86, then 86-87 and then just 88. The flood after the gates were opened will in time form a nice even flow, or something, I’m not so good with explaining these things in english. But hey, you try and write something in finnish if you don’t like my english Globalisation reaches the NBA too…

Well, Ginobili is actually from Argentina, but I think he could be up there, could end up with a lot of playing time, just like Tony Parker last year. Some foreign import will run away with the trophy, but I don't think it will be some young guy like Tsikitisvili, it will be a guy with a couple of years under him in a tough league like the Spanish or the Italian. I have never seen Ming, so can't say a thing about him... The guy i'm hoping for is Drew Gooden, he is almost from Finland. But will he get PT?

So, what do you think? Something by C. Barkley, the spending statement by Mr. Ewing? What is the best line a basketball player/coach/GM ever came up with? Brasilian Oscar Schmidt on why he took about 90 % of his teams shots: "Some people are made to play the piano, some people are made to move it."

Well thank you for your warm welcome and hello to all posters. This is my first post but by far not the first time at this board. You see, I'm from Finland and have been following this board ever since the Hawks drafted Hanno. Not overly smart to start posting now when he has signed with a Spanish team, but... well I just did didn't I. I have been enjoying a couple of historic battles on this board over the years, about trading Mutombo, Walter-Diesel, this euro/sissy/BHD thingy and so on. Wanted to join many times but just never did. We don't get to see much NBA here in Finland, not good business for TV-stations I guess, so my knowledge of the Hawks is not up there with you guys. So I will keep more to the "around the league" and "off topic" boards. But Homecourt will be the first one I open when wisiting. So, good luck to all you guys and to the Hawks too. And sorry if my English isn't always that good, but hey, you try and write something in Finnish...