Basket Ball

As the game got underway, I could not help but notice a few differences as well as some surprising similarities between American and European basketball. Something that struck me as very “European” occurred with 8 minutes to go in the second quarter. The Efes guard, Serkan Erdogan, received a breakaway outlet pass and bolted towards the basket for what seemed to be a score, or at least an attempt. As three Timberwolves bore down on him from behind, he decided to not shot it but pass it out to an open Drew Nicholas behind the arc instead. You would never see this in America. Maybe if you are watching Nash conduct his orchestra in Phoenix, but elsewhere this kind of pass is a cardinal sin for basketball coaches. “Always, always take it to the rack! Make them foul you!” they preach from the time you are a child in basketball camp. But in Europe, where there is a closer three-point line and more prolific outside shooters, it sometimes pays off to “kick it out” instead. Nicholas missed the shot though. Something that struck me as ironic was that a majority of the time the Turkish host team did not look Turkish so much as American. A few times in the second half, when the game was tight, I saw four Americans and one Turk out there playing for Efes Pilsen. None of fans seemed to mind, however, as long as their team was doing well….