2011 Eurobasket Semifinals & Finals

[j41181]

http://www.eurobasket2011.com/en/default.asp

It's the semi-final round now and these are the 4 teams remaining...

Spain - 11 whites, 1 black (Serge Ibaka)
vs.
Macedonia - 11 whites, 1 black (best player)

France - 11 blacks, 1 white :thumbdown:
vs.
Russia - 12 whites

Macedonia is the real shocker of the tournament, knocking host nation Lithuania in the quarterfinals. They are currently leading the defending champions Spain 45-44 at the half.

All-White teams Serbia, Greece, Lithuania, and Slovenia are battling for the "Wild Card" Olympic Qualifying Tournament next year. Germany fielded an astonishingly all-white team (including Nowitzki & Kaman), but will NOT make the Olympics.

 

[j41181]

The host nation for next year's Olympics, the UK fielded this team...

6 blacks (including Luol Deng), 5 whites, 1 mixed

 

[j41181]

Great win for Spain, 92-80 over the very surprising Macedonia. They reach the gold medal round, good chance to repeat as champs. Spanish sharpshooter Juan Carlos Navarro leads with 35 points, Pau Gasol follows with 22 points, 17 rebounds, brother Marc has 11 points, 10 rebounds, 5 assists. Ricky Rubio puts in a yeoman's effort, 5 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists. The black Macedonian player (actually a US citizen) Bo McCalebb, leads Macedonia with 25 points.

Russia and France battle next, winner faces Spain in the finals.

 

[Giles Daldanus]

A deserved win for Spain in the final, they looked unstoppable when it came to scoring! France also played well, but were simply outclassed.

I am also glad that Russia earned a bronze medal, as they were one of the few teams that didn't have a single naturalized player on their roster.

I am extremely disappointed in FIBA - I just can't understand why they would allow national teams to recruit sportsmen from other countries (usually from the United States). In some cases the Americans who are naturalized have absolutely no connection to the new country that they are invited to represent (i.e. haven't even made appearances in the European country's national basketball league), so it's ridiculous that passports are being handed out at the snap of a finger. Of course I am not even talking about criteria like being able to speak the local anguage or having ethnic ties to the state in question.

Permissive procedures like that are likely to ruin the reputation of European basketball and are unfair, as they defeat the purpose of the competition (e.g. hosts Lithuania had their experience ruined, as they were eliminated by a "Macedonian" team whose best player was actually an American).