EuroBasket 2013 – The Official Website/Blog of Mike Fratello

Ukraine and The Czar

September 14 by Mike Fratello Leave a Comment

I talked with ESPN correspondent Mark Woods about Ukraine’s performance at EuroBasket 2013 and the likelihood of seeing a European coach at the helm of an NBA team in the near future.

NEXT? EUROPEAN HEAD COACH IN NBA by Mark Woods

LJUBLJANA, Slovenia — Mike Fratello believes the time may have arrived to break down a barrier in the NBA and give a European a shot at becoming a head coach.

The former Atlanta, Memphis and Cleveland playcaller has spent the past two weeks pitting himself against some of the continent’s most accomplished tactical minds in his capacity in charge of Ukraine’s national team at EuroBasket.

Fratello, 66, prominent now during the NBA season as a broadcaster, has been traveling across the Atlantic in a basketball capacity for more than two decades, conducting clinics, sharing his knowledge and broadcasting games back to home.

But since his appointment with the Ukrainians in 2011, he’s gotten a firsthand insight into the abilities of his European counterparts. Read more…

Filed Under: Photos, Ukraine and The Czar Tagged With: EuroBasket 2013, Ukraine

Ukraine and The Czar

September 11 by Mike Fratello Leave a Comment

Ukraine played a complete game against Great Britain in Game 5 of the EuroBasket, executing on both ends of the court. We shot the ball extremely well throughout the game, and we defended well, holding Great Britain to 31 points in the first half and 37 points in the second half. Ukraine beat Great Britain 87-68 and finished with a 4-1 record in the First Round, good for second place in Group A behind France.

Now Ukraine will advance to the Second Round of the FIBA European Basketball Championship for the first time in the country’s history. The top three teams from Groups A and B will form Group E and compete against each other in three games over the course of six days. Ukraine opens up against Latvia in Round 2, followed by Serbia on Friday and Lithuania on Sunday. All three teams will be very tough opponents. I’m proud of our guys for earning the opportunity to move on, and the Ukraine Train will try to do it again in the Second Round. Latvia vs. Ukraine tips off at 2:30 PM local time (8:30 AM EST) on SportLemon.tv.

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Photos courtesy of FIBA Europe’s official EuroBasket 2013 website.

Filed Under: Photos, Ukraine and The Czar Tagged With: EuroBasket 2013, Great Britain, Latvia

Ukraine and The Czar

September 9 by Mike Fratello Leave a Comment

Tony Parker led Group A top seed France to a 77-71 victory over Ukraine in Game 4 of the Qualifying Round with 28 points. Ukraine must bounce back and beat Great Britain in Game 5 to guarantee that we advance to Round 2 of the EuroBasket. GBR vs. UKR tips off Monday at 8:30 AM ET.

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Photos courtesy of FIBA Europe’s official EuroBasket 2013 website.

Filed Under: Photos, Ukraine and The Czar Tagged With: EuroBasket 2013, France, Tony Parker, Ukraine

Ukraine and The Czar

September 7 by Mike Fratello Leave a Comment

Was a nailbiter, but Ukraine defeated Germany 88-83 in our third Round 1 match of the EuroBasket tournament. Who would have thought we’d start off with three straight wins – incredible! We’ll take them and move on! We’ve got one day off to rest before facing France in Game 4 on Sunday at 11:45 AM ET.

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Photos courtesy of FIBA Europe’s official EuroBasket 2013 website.

Filed Under: Photos, Ukraine and The Czar Tagged With: EuroBasket 2013, Germany, Ukraine