Ukraine and The Czar

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

Jure Makovec/AFP/Getty ImagesLJUBLJANA, 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…

Ukraine and The Czar

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.

Ukraine and The Czar

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.

Ukraine and The Czar

 

On the Road with Mike

Our starting five came out strong against Israel in Game 2 and turned up the pressure with an 11-0 run in the first quarter. Israel’s defense responded and got more active. It became a tight game in the third and fourth quarters, but our guys found ways to get stops and make shots when they had to in order to capture the 74-67 win. Here are some photos of the action courtesy of FIBA’s official EuroBasket 2013 website.

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