Spain's Mundo Deportivo recently posted an online poll asking which NBA player Spaniards want to see play in the ACB League. Kobe Bryant won with 28 percent, followed by his teammate and Spaniard Pau Gasol, with 17 percent. Spain exports many of its finest players such as Ricky Rubio, who has gone to the Minnesota Timberwolves, and in any other year, Bryant’s arrival and Gasol’s homecoming would be a fantasy for Spanish basketball fans. But this year there is a glimmer of hope. On July 1, NBA owners locked out their players over lengthy contract disputes, which have lasted years. All contracts are suspended and any form of communication is prohibited, including social media, between … [Read more...] about Will Spain’s basketball league benefit from NBA lockout?
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From Spain to the US for child basketball prodigy
Ricky Rubio officially announced he will play in the NBA next season with the Minnesota Timberwolves, ending all speculation about when he would make the leap to the NBA. Rubio will be the tenth Spanish-born player to play in the NBA since Fernando Martín joined the Portland Trail Blazers in 1986. On June 17 Rubio explained in the Camp Nou press room that the time for a change had come and that the decision was even easier after having won the ACB playoffs. “Even though I was sure about going, it’s been a difficult decision. After winning the ACB title, the one I still didn’t have, the time has come,” he said. Rubio has won all a player could hope to win in Europe: the Under-16 … [Read more...] about From Spain to the US for child basketball prodigy