Brian Windhorst & The Hoop Collective - Biggest Stars To Watch In EuroBasket 2025

Episode Date: August 26, 2025

Brian Windhorst is joined by ESPN's Tim Bontemps and Tim MacMahon to preview everything you need to know about EuroBasket 2025 including the biggest stars to watch (like Luka, Jokic & Giannis), what teams may surprise you, some NBA players who have something to prove and much more! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hey, sports fans, the ESPN app has all of ESPN all in one place. The ESPN app is your home to thousands of live events, ESPN shows, and originals across every ESPN network and service. And now you can check if you already have ESPN Unlimited as part of your TV package for no additional calls. Visit activate.espn.com to learn how to access your account or sign up, then start streaming in the ESPN app. It's all of ESPN all in one place. Sign up or activate now. the HOOK collective podcast. We talk about the NBA, which we're on Sunday evening as we begin another glorious low-stress week in the NBA off season. We've been working all year for this, guys. So I know about anybody else, but I'm enjoying it. Joining us from New York City, where he's

just had his fantasy football draft. We'll see how well he did. It's Tim Bond-Teps. I did well in the fantasy draft, but K-Bond goes back to work on Monday, so I'm doing solo dad duty for a while. So it's not exactly low stress for me. It's going to be rough. Do you have, did you like the Cleveland Browns keep four quarterbacks? Someone tried to draft four of the top like seven quarterbacks in an auction draft and had a very large bid on Patrick Mahomes that people stupidly let him out of and he would have had no team. But I feel very good about my team. I think I'm going to win the league. So we'll see how else. Joining us from Dallas, Texas is band McMahon. And McMahon, could you stand even the concept of having Bontemps in your fantasy league?

I think it would be brutal. Howdy, partners. Yes, I could because I do like easy wins. Bond Tim's feels as good about his draft as he did about the 76th or summer a year ago. Oh, okay. Hey, if it ends up that bad, I'm going to be out some money. But I like my chances a little bit better than that. And now to present today's trivia question, the whiz of the quiz,

Brian Horst. Okay, here's a trivia question. In the last week, there has, since we last did a podcast, I don't know if it might have been more recently than a week.

There was an offer sheet given out and in the NBA, a restricted free agent signed an offer sheet and it was unmatched and the restricted free agent joined a new team.

Do you know who that player is? I do. I don't know if McMahon does. It is not Jonathan Comingo. You got to guess McMahon or no? No. He'll never guess it if he doesn't know. The Hawks, the Hawks signed Defali Dante, who was with the Rockets last year.

Oh, I didn't know that. And the Rockets, the Rockets couldn't match it without getting rid of somebody. So it essentially became a, essentially, not exactly, but it became sort of a trade of Quincapella for Folli Dante. It was a pretty interesting young center. I mean, I don't know how interesting he is. He's like 24 years old, but he is a center. I would say he's played four games.

Pretty big, pretty big G-League numbers at least. I mean, it's worth a swing. Okay, fine. I would just say that he's played four games in his career. I would just say there's a very fair chance that he has played the fewest games by a lot of anybody who's ever gotten an offer sheet in the NBA. Yeah, probably. There was a restricted free agent action.

For all the people that are asking me questions on social media about Jonathan Cominka and I get them all the time. And Josh Giddy and Cam Thomas, you never know. You might see an offer sheet in the NBA. There you go. We have restricted free agent action. And the Hawks continuing to take advantage of teams not being able to retain players. I know it's a bit of a stretch, but it's a bit of a stretch.

but it's just a reminder that they took advantage of the Celtics not being able to afford Chris Abbs-Borzingis and they took advantage of the Timberwolves not being able to afford Nikiel Alexander Walker. I know this is pretty far down. This is the edge player, but it's an interesting, it's an interesting strategy, but, you know, what do you want me to say? It's the end of August. Okay, so we've got finally some good basketball here, and we've reached the end of August, beginning on Wednesday, Eurobasket 2025 will begin. It is, you know, historically one of the

most intense basketball events on the planet. This year, it has as good of a collection of star players from the NBA as there's ever been a number of... Steady stream of executives going over to watch either the quarterfinals or the first part of it or both. Yes, we've already seen. I was talking to an executive who was at the Serbia played Slovenia Donchich versus Luca a couple of days ago the Serbians won the Serbians Yokic versus Luca

What did I say? Donchich versus Luca Yokic versus Donchich That's been quite a matchup over the years too But go on By the way I will say that the Serbians are one of three teams that were undefeated in the run-up games was of the quiz.

Who were the three teams who were undefeated in the warm-up games? I'm giving this to McMahon, the guy who wrote the book on the European star. Well, certainly Slovenia is not one of them. They got beat by 30-some-odd by Serbia. And I think they won't win. Yeah, they lost a lot for you too, right? In the game, they got hurt. They did.

So it is Serbia. Yes. France. Yes. despite the fact that there is no Wembe or Gobert. That's right. Two of the three big names, I would say, aren't in the turn. Yes, those are the big names that are not in the...

Bonus being the other big name, you know, All-Star caliber player or All-Star player who's not in there. Janus is in the tournament. Correct. And so is one-time All-Star Lowry Markinen, whose finish team went undefeated during the... Oh, oh! Adel Boy, McMahon. You were all over the Eurobasket warm-up games. By the way, in a game against Belgium, Lowry Markinen had 48 points on 17 of 24 shooting a couple of weeks ago.

I actually think it's worth starting with marketing too, because if you go back a couple years ago, when Will Hardy got the jazz job, he went over and watched Markin and play with Finland in this tournament and came back and set up. up a lot of stuff for the jazz to run through marketing in the same way he did with the finished national team. And he had by far the best year of his career, made an all-star team to McMahon's point, and launched himself into a new stratosphere, including getting himself a very large contract extension. I'm very curious to see after the way last year went, which he did not play great. Obviously, the jazz had intentions of trying to be at the bottom of the standings. He didn't play but he didn't play great.

Well, yes, he didn't play a lot And he didn't play great when he did play. So he is not seen in the same light he was coming off of that first season under Will Hardy. And I'm very curious with him playing with the Finnish national team, they've got a chance to make a run potentially in this tournament. I'm curious to see if that becomes a springboard for him to come back with the jazz and look much more like the player he was a couple years ago. Because if he is, A, it's obviously good for the jazz just to have him playing like that.

again and B, he becomes an interesting guy, I think, to watch in the trade market over the next year to see if this is the time when Utah decides to move on from him if he is back to looking like an all-star and they're trying to continue to go in this youth direction. But I think he has to play like that to restore his value in the trade market for that, for trading him to become a conversation because of the contract that he got. I mean, he had every single penny that they could give him on what was a renegotiation and extension. And, you know, it is a big, big contract. That and, I mean, obviously, you're watching the young guys with the jazz or the only things to watch with the jazz aside from lottery standings this year. Just for just so people do know, just real quick. The numbers on his extension, 46 million this year, 46 million again next year. 49.8 and 27 and 53.5 million and 28.20.

All around 30% of the cap. Trivia. More trivia. And now to present today's trivia question, the whiz of the quiz, Brian Horst. What is the nickname of the Finnish national team? Not all national teams have nicknames, but, you know. I couldn't begin to have. Like, for example, the Australians are known as boomers.

It's the Salonis, the Tamus Salonis. No, it's the lines. They're the finished lines. The Wolfpack. You learn something new every day. That was a pretty good line, McMahon. I'll give you that. It was pretty good.

I enjoy it. More Hoop Collective Podcast after this. All right. Well, Finland, I believe, is hosting. There's a, it's being held in the... Hosting. They're hosting maybe one of the regionals. The medal round is in Latvia, in Riga.

In Riga, Latvia. Oh. By the way, so I was talking to a scout who was at the Slovenia-Serbia Serbia game last week. And his assessment was McMahon. Slovenia's got nothing. Nothing. Dude, honestly.

McBan went through that the other day with all the guys that have been lost on team. Right. Listen, I've talked about Lucas' loyalty. being evidenced by the fact he's playing for Slovenia, period. When he had a Spanish passport, he could have tried to do it, weasel his way into Serbia before he played for anybody. The fact he's playing for Slovenia this summer just tells you this guy, he will play no matter what.

He is the only player on that roster with a second of NBA experience. You know, Blacko Chanchar, who's with the Nuggets for Wai. while his European team would not let him play, they also have the rights to the naturalized lob threat, Josh Nebo. And let me tell you, a really important player on the Slovenian national team rosters, whoever their naturalized lob threat is, well, they don't have that guy. They don't grow lob threats in Slovenia, folks. So I meant to ask you, why isn't he playing, McMahon?

I'm pretty sure he's with the same club as Chanchar, and basically they blocked him from playing. And it was too late in the process for... Yeah, they both play for Milano. Yeah, it was too late in process for Slovenia to go out and get another guy recruited and, you know, through the passport process and all that. And then Zoron Draggich, Goron's little brother, or maybe even, yeah, a little brother,

who had just a cup of coffee in the NBA, but long time fixture on the Slovenia national team. Ace was told, hey, man, you really ain't cutting it. And his wife was blasting the coach on social media. Goran had some kind of cryptic things on social media. But it is, it's Luca. And I don't even know there might be one or two guys in the roster. I'd have to check who are Euroleague players.

But this is by far the least talented roster. since Luke has been playing for the Slovenia National Team. Yeah, so if you want to watch Luca play, if you're a Laker fan, you want to watch Luca play, and I'll tell you in a minute how you can watch these games, you may want to get to it sooner rather than later, because I'm not sure he's going to be around past the group stage. And you can't watch these games if you want to stream them.

You can go to Fiba's website, and they have a streaming service. Listen, I'm not advocating that you want to get up in the morning and watch these games. We'll keep an eye on it for you, tell you about what's going on. But they do have a service called Courtside, 1891. Why is it called 1891 trivia? Oh, I don't know, but they get my money.

Why is it? Is that what Feeble was launched? No, that's when basketball was invented by James Neesmith, Beach Basketts. I should have known that. I believe it was something like December 21st, 1891 or something like that was when basketball was invented supposedly. Anyway, but so if you want to watch Luca, you can do it there.

You guys know about the best plus minus number in that Serbia, Slovenia game, a 106 to 72 win for Serbia? I don't know off the top of my head, but you're asking it in a very like, I'm smart and I want to talk about somebody fashion. Nikoliyovych is what I'm going to guess. It is Nikoliyovic, who I just happened to look at the boxers. I was trying to see who was on the Slovenian team.

And he has had a couple nice games early on for Serbia, and he's another guy who this is to be going to be a pretty interesting and important tournament for him because he's got a chance to potentially start for the heat this year. He's, I believe, up for an extension. Brian is on top of that stuff. And that negotiation could potentially be interesting. He's still very young. He's showing some flashes.

The heat have liked him. And again, like the way their roster set up, I think there's a real good chance for him to be the starting four. And, you know, he's going to be probably the starting four in this tournament next to, next to Yokic, or he's playing a lot for them. So it'll be interested to see how he does. So the name players for Serbia are Bogdan Bogdanovich, who is going into the final year of his contract with the clippers. He is extension eligible. But certainly a player who will be potentially a factor in the trade market. He was obviously a factor in the trade market last year.

I assume the clippers are intending to start the season with him. But, you know, he's a guy that we're probably here about in the trade market, depending on how the clipper's season goes. Nikola Yovich, who last year, remember, there was a couple of times where the heat were seen more as buyers, you know, with the Jimmy Butler stuff, they weren't, you know, they, you know, they were linked to Kevin Durant. And there were times where, you know, the heat may have been, you know, buying and putting draft picks and stuff into deals or rumored at least.

and the player, the young player that a lot of people want out of there, the two young players are, you know, Jaime Hockes, who had a setback season last year, and people thought might be a little more valued. And Nicola Yovic, who we've talked about in the pod before, is still very young. He's probably two or three years younger than Hockes, frankly. By the way, the game before Slovenia,

I forgot who they were playing, but Yovic had a huge game. Huge game. Crazy game. Spolster was sitting court side for that one. Yeah, Spolstra has been over in Europe. He went over to see the Swedish national team, the guy that they just drafted out of Illinois,

who I'm not going to botch his name. And to your point, Brian, Yovic just turned 22, Hawkes is 24 and a half. Yeah, so I'll just say that, and obviously Nikoliyokic, So Bogdanovich, Yokic and Yovic. Yovych is pretty good. By the way, Nikola Topich did not make the cut for this. the lottery pick who will be entering his red shirt rookie season for the Thunder.

They've got a lot of guards including Meechich. I'm not sure. Is Mietz still on an NBA roster? I think he might be back in fan. Anyway, they've got a lot of guards. He's back in Europe. Okay, they've got a lot of guards who have a lot of experience for the national team. So Topich is going to have to wait his turn, which is too bad.

I was actually looking forward to seeing to watching him play in this tournament. Yeah, Topich tore his ACL, you know, God, a year and a half ago now. And the teams knew he was going to miss pretty much the whole season at the 2024 draft. The Thunder picked him up at the end of the lottery, sat him out all last year. He was doing some workouts before some playoffs, some conference finals and finals games. But, you know, I'm not here to, you know, take a guess on what I see in a workout. out, but he's a guy that, you know. He played Summer League.

He did play Summer League. Yeah, that's true. Okay, so Serbia is obviously going to be a team to watch. They're very strong favorites. They have essentially their whole team. They've got just a tremendous size on their roster. And they will have pretty much the exact same roster that they had last year in Paris for the Olympics. And so that's why when they won the bronze, and that's why they are,

regard as the favorite. Some other teams to watch out for the Germans who are the reigning Feebo World Cup champions. They won the World Cup two summers ago, beat the Americans in the semifinals. Reigning World Cup MVP and brand new Sacramento King, Dennis Schroeder, is their leader. And Franz Wagner is on the roster as well. Obviously, Mo Wagner recovering. from an AC Altair will not be playing. So the Germans will be very strong.

As far as the French go, so no Victor Wenbanyama, even though he's been cleared for basketball activities coming off of the blood clot that he had in the spring, I am looking forward to Victor having a media session when he gets, when the season starts, so that he can, you know, if he chooses to answer, because I do, I think, I'm pretty sure he had some surgery to get rid of that clot, which is concerning to hear, but on the other hand, actually is a good thing because it means they were correcting something to cause the clot

as opposed to it being systemic, which would threaten his career. So. I was the same, I think we talked about the time. That was the same thing that happened with Ingram, right? Same shoulder, same procedure, at least what we think. Yes. Without trying to be into a doctor. doctor, sometimes players who are a little bit more slightly built like a player, you know, Ingram

and Wembeyanama, there's something that with their ribs that potentially with repetitive motion with shooting can cause a clot in their shoulder area. And so obviously Brandon Ingram has had a very successful career on a brand new contract. And so that's, the outlook is very good, but he wasn't ready to go for the French. I'm sure he would have wanted to play in this. He has said in the past that, you know, playing, if he wants to play for the national team as much as he possibly can. And so, but obviously he's just, you know,

coming off the issue is not ready to go. The, there are four NBA players, current NBA players playing for the French national team, and they are France and Serbia are at the top of the list in terms of favorites for this tournament. So you have Balalcula, from the Wizards, who is going to,

this is a guy who I would like to see have a great tournament, Kula Bali. And then his teammate, Alex Tsar, who had a good finish to his rookie year last year, brand new New York,

Nick, Gershin Yabaselli, who was awesome in the Olympics for the French last year, pretty much got him a job back in the NBA after he played great. He signed with the Sixers in September. Then he had a good year for the Sixers. and the Knicks got him.

And then last year's number one overall pick, Zachary Rishishay, who we heard Larry Nance talk on the pod last week, you know, talk up, talk him up about what he has seen with him on the Hawks. He's happy about, he's very bullish on Risha Shay's future. It's an interesting team because so many of these European teams typically are dominated by veteran players, right?

Just like the culture in Europe typically, is the young guys wait their turn and veterans play, both with the club teams and nationally. And this French team is very interesting because, as you just laid out, the three probably primary players on the team are going to wind up being in a lot of ways, Alex Tsar, Akrishish and Blah Kulal. And for all three of those guys, obviously, you know, the number one and two picks in last year's drafted Kulibali was the seventh pick coming out as a super young guy who would play with Victor with Metropolitan's 92 the year before, this is a huge opportunity for those guys to be playing in super high leverage games, getting a ton of experience, having the ball in their hands,

doing a lot of stuff. Like, for all three of those guys, I think it could be a real opportunity to see them doing stuff in a pretty big stage and could give us another indication of what they could look like this season in the league. I would say, Yveseli, it will still be probably their primary score. but look French has been a power for a while

and the mainstays from their decade plus as a power are not playing I'm talking about Rudy Gobert Nicolaus Petun and

Ivan Fornier Yeah We just retired didn't he He and Marco Bellanelli Both just retired Yes Timothy Luwalo Cabarot

though will be back on the team after not playing in the Olympics with them last year. Oh, you know who else isn't playing? And help me with the name, Wendy. I know you'll be able to get it.

But the really good Euroleague kind of undersized big, who they were pairing with Wembe a lot while Gobert was watching. Matias is it LaSort? Yes. Oh, yeah, he tore his ACL last year. Yeah.

He was a very rugged player. One of their leading scores in their run-up games is former NBA player, Teo Maladon. So, but a guy who was great in the in the Olympics last year and has said that he would love to play in the NBA and he's a combo guard. And I don't know if he's great in this tournament. Maybe he'll get a chance. Isaiah Cordney, who was sort of a breakout star in the Olympics last year.

I would actually expect him to have a big tournament. But anyway, so, yeah, I mean, if you get a situation where France plays Serbia and you got nothing going on in the morning, I feel like that could be like a semi-final on like a Friday or Saturday morning, that's something if you got nothing better to do, you know, after Labor Day. Yeah, hey, that would be worth it. Have a croissant with a coffee and check that out. Yeah. More Hoop Collective Podcast after this. Okay, some of the other players that are playing over there, I would keep an honest.

on team Turkey. Turkey is how they are. Jackson just sent us the ESPN bet odds and Turkey is not top seven of those. That's interesting. Yes. Well, Turkey A did not qualify for the World Cup or the Olympics. And so they are, you know, but they've been a team that is in the past had a lot of success. So they have some NBA players now.

Now, I'm just going to say, obviously, they're headliner. is a Houston Rocket, L-Star, Al-Paron-Shingoon. And one of the greatest players in the history of the Turkish League, Shane Larkin. Yes, former Maverick and another NBA team or two. By the way, Shane Larkin, the guy who the Mavericks ended up with in the draft when they traded down from 13, despite Donnie Nelson's advice to take that Roth Greek kid to 16 to 18. and they ended up with Shane Larkin in that draft. He's become a heck of a EuroLeague player over there in Turkey,

is a naturalized citizen and has been a mainstay on their national league for a while. And has made a ton of money. There's money to be made in the Turkish league. Seriously, Shane Larkin is a Turkish legend. Yeah. I mean, he's become, I mean, that's the thing. We don't obviously pay attention to the EuroLeague, but extensively on the pod. But like if you're playing for one of these top Euroleague teams like Ephis,

Undleu Ephes, which is in his Sun Bowl, the team Shane Larkin plays for it. You're making several million dollars a year after taxes playing for teams like that as one of the star players. So, I mean, and he's had a great, I mean, he was with the Celtics, I think, the year before he went over as their 15th guy. And he's gone over there and had an awesome career. It's like you said, become a naturalized citizen. You look through this roster. There's a whole bunch of guys who have had either are in the NBA or have had NBA experience that are on this team.

So the Larkin thing, sort of the funny Larkin story, well, it's probably not funny to him or his dad, who was a baseball Hall of Fame or Barry Larkin, was when he came into the league that Phil Jackson, who was running the Knicks at the time, purportedly didn't want to draft him because he said he had, his hands were too small. And, you know, and, you know, whatever the measurements were at the combine, there's a reason why they measure players' hands. and his measurements did come in, you know, you know, on the smaller end or whatever. And I remember Larkin was quoted on it, and he said, I've never heard one man, I've never met a man so concerned with the size of another man's hands, which, you know, whatever.

He must not have a bit, hey, he doesn't follow the NFL combine with quarterbacks then, because let me tell you, you get a quarterback with small hands, you got some issues. That's a Texan talking right there. But anyway, so Turkey's team also has Adem Bona from the 76ers. Longtime former NBA players now playing overseas Jetty Osman. NBA big man, he's been a bit of a journeyman, Omar Yurtsevon. Another NBA journeyman, Furkan Korkman's.

I'm not advising anybody to go put a bet down on Turkey A, just to be clear. But for them to be plus 2,000, the same as Slovenia, I don't know. They've got some probably just call it turkey. We probably don't need to say turkey. Hold on. I'm a man of the world, sir. I am a man of the world. We're getting international Wendy.

If you do that, then you've got to go Slovenia. Yeah. Well, there's a J when they say it. That's fine. But now it says it. Why? Yeah. They specifically want to be known as Turkey A.

So what do you want me to say? Turkey A. So Spain has. has for decades been... Respondia. If you're going to do that, you know what? Listen, I respect that. Like, this is one of the things that I say.

Like, this is... I'm not going to get into that, but that is a fair point. That is a fair point. We don't call them Italia. So for decades, Spain has been neck and neck with the Americans, the top of the world. They've won several World Cups. You know, famously, when nose-to-nose-to-nose.

with the Americans in the 2008 final in Beijing. Put out some great players, obviously the Gasol twins and a line of other great international players. Ricky Rubio. Those are the mainstays for those great teams. Yeah. Well, this team, they've been sort of trending

a little bit away from the elite for a while. And the only current NBA player that they have on their roster, cutting into this is the newly paid from the Memphis Grizzlies, Santi Aldama. Some former NBA players on there, namely the Hernan Gomez brothers, Wancho and Willie.

But yeah, they're the only two on the roster outside of Santi. By the way, Willie is a Euro beast. You put him in fever. You know, some of these guys, like their games, don't necessarily translate.

one of the NBA, but he's a stud. Yeah, he won the MVP award two years ago in the last tournament when Spain won. Okay, some of the other Americans, shouldn't say the Americans, some of the other players to watch. Okay, so the Greeks have the, the Tena Kumpo brothers. Although, the Nostas is apparently the 12th man. The cut came down to him or a kid who's about to start his college career. And I had a feeling that the Osis would win out on that. You were correct.

And more importantly, Janice Tena Kumpo is on the roster. They took some losses in their run-up games. The international game, I think they might have been like, they think they played six or seven games. Yannis didn't play in all of them. I think they were four and three. He didn't play most of them. Yeah.

They got smoked by France with them playing. Yeah. He played the other day and scored 20 points. The thing about it is, I'm not going to imply that he won't have a great tournament. The international game is tough on Janus because they can just beat the hell out of them and they just flop incessantly in front of him. Well, and because the spacing is completely different with that lane and that style of play.

And, you know, this is something Luca's rookie year, he said something about like how much easier it is to score in the NBA than Europe. Europe and people try to make it a thing like he was taking a shot at NBA defense or whatever. All he was saying is the spacing is completely different and much more wide open in the NBA than it is in Europe. And that obviously makes it a lot tougher on Janus, who is the best downhill attacker in the world. Yeah, you can play zone. You can do all sorts of stuff to take away the rim in a way that in the NBA, you can't. Yeah.

And the Greeks have a couple guys. There's no defense of three seconds there. No, no. So, you know, the Greeks have a couple guys. They have Costa's Papa Nicolao who had a brief cup of coffee in the league. Tyler Dorsey. You just wanted to pronounce the name. No, I'm just looking at the roster to see.

I've not been studying the EuroLeaks rosters. But Tyler Dorsey played at Oregon. I think he was with Dallas for a second, right? Very briefly, yeah. I believe the Greeks refer to their country as Hellas. They do. But, yeah, I mean, the Greeks shouldn't be. If you're in a neighboring country, you can get on the highway to hellas.

Did you mention Tyler Dorsey, former NBA player? I just, I literally just got to talking about him. I thought you just said that. By the way, when I mentioned German, I didn't mention Tristan De Silva from The Magic, who had a pretty good rookie season. He is also on the German roster. So I forgot to mention him. when I mentioned the other guys.

And former, is Daniel Tice still in the NBA? I think he went overseas. He's not still in the NBA, but obviously had a long run in the NBA. Yeah. Yeah. Also, Isak Banga, who's been in and out of the NBA on the Deutsche der Deutschland's roster. Okay, so a team that is not, you know, again, I'm not advising anybody to bet any money

on this whatsoever. I'm just going to state a couple of facts. I'm just going to stay that, as we said to be, beginning that I'm not going to make a prediction, but I'm going to kind of lean toward a prediction, then I'm going to back away at the last second. Jackson,

where is Latvia on ESPN bet's odds? Because Latvia... Careful. What? They've struggled in the little friendlies. They are ninth in the odds, according to Jackson, plus 2,200.

They reached the round of eight and almost beat the German. in the World Cup in 23. With no KB. With Porzingis sitting on the bench. Chris Havs Pozengas is playing. And, you know, they are the hosts. They are hosting.

If they can get to the metal round, it's a big year. It's going to be, I'm not, I'm just saying, it's going to the World Cup. If they can get to the metal round, it's going to be awfully interesting, have it home court advantage.

They've got Davos Bertans and his brother. Yeah, Darius and Davis Bertons. You know, the thing about it is, so many of these European teams have bigs. Like, Porzingis is actually a guy that we're going to keep in keeping a close eye on

because of the issues that he had at the end of the season with the Celtics. Bonn Thompson and I were there at the end of the season when the Celtics were eliminated. And I think you were with me when we talked to Chris Saps, sitting in the locker room in Mass Square Garden.

and he was like, I'm just going to go to the beach for a while and hope I feel better. And I'm sure it was more than that. I'm sure there was more medical than that. But, you know, he, but a former Brooklyn net product, Rodi Kurox.

Am I saying that right, Bontemps, that's your era. Yes, Rodion's Kourx. He had an injury and is out for this. That was a blow to the Latvians. When I met Rodi, when he was a rookie, he said, call me Rody. That was like a decade ago. I'm just sticking with that.

I'm just sticking with that. But Latvia is a team that, I don't know, they're probably plus 2,200 for a reason. I'm just saying. Well, they're in a group. They're in a group with Slovenia and Turkey. So, you know, it's going to be, Slovenia, Serbia and Turkey.

Oh, he. I was like Slovenia. I would feel good about them against. No, yes, it's Serbia. Serbia and Turkey. They're the three best teams in that group. By the way, Rodi Kurox is for those who play the Immaculate Grid on Basketball Reference,

when you get Rockets Nets, he's the one you can put in there who's going to get your really low percentage. He was one of the guys who's, he's the forgotten piece from the Harden Tree. If the NBA off-season was a couple weeks longer, we could do an Immaculate Grid podcast. Listen.

I do think there's game show potential that thing. I love that thing. I play it like a golf score. I always try to go low. I did not remember that Roddy Kurox, Roddy Kurox played for the Rockets. So I would have been in trouble. Very briefly. Ended his career with the bucks. Even more briefly.

Yeah, well, that's another one you could put on there. All right. So a couple other players. So there's all these whenever you're playing an Eastern European team, you can pretty much be assured that they are giant. And that is the fact with the, you know, this is one of the things that the Americans have run into problems with in the World Cups over the last couple of years.

They barely beat Turkey. They barely beat Montenegro, who has some big guys, including Nikola Vucevich, who is playing with the, you know, with the Montenegrins. Another player who could see himself traded, maybe not before the season, but I think there's a reasonable chance

that he could be traded during this season, you know, going into last year that, is it last year of the contract? Does he have two left, Bontems? Tomp. He's going into the last year of his due. Both golf guys going into last year of their deal. Yeah, so among the bigs playing in the Eastern European bigs,

Jonas Fallon Shunis playing with Lithuania traded to the Nuggets this offseason and we had a little drama with that, but we'll be a nugget going into the last year of his contract. He's non-guaranteed for next year. So that's a factor. So you've got Jonas Fallon Chus, Lithuania, who beat the Americans in 2023, Nikola Vucevich and Montenegro, who almost beat the Americans in 2023. the Americans slipped past them in the round of eight at the World Cup, and that's what clinched them the Olympic birth otherwise.

Had they had one more stub of their toe before they lost two more times to Germany and in Canada, they would have had to have a last-minute qualifier, which wouldn't have been good. But they did beat the Montenegrin's, but they're formidable. And then you mentioned Yusuf Nurkich, the Bosnian beast, playing with Bosnia and Herzegovina. I don't think any of them are strong medal contenders. By the way, Luca Garz also plays for Bosnia. Oh, there's another beast from Bosnia too.

So, yeah, so I mean, you know, you're looking at, you know, Nurkich, Garza, Porzingis, Vucevich, Valenschunis, Yokic. And then there's a bunch of other, you know, Serbians who didn't play. Like, you go watch these events and you're just like, And Germany's just got some lumberjacks on their roster, guys who, you know, the American people won't know, but they're, they're, they're, they're, they're, they're, they're, they'll out punishment, grab rebounds and set.

And real talk, we ain't got these guys. Yeah. Like, we ain't got these guys, you know, like, it's, uh, it's an issue. And it's going to continue to be an issue, um, in big events going forward. By the way, one guy I love watching for Bosnia, an American dude named John Roberson, who, He's like Shane Larkin, that he's been over there for a long time, got his passport, has been a big part of Bosnia's national team.

The reason I love watching this guy is because he's from around here. He won a state championship at Plano High School, which is probably like 10 minutes from my house, on a team that you'll appreciate this, Wendy. The freshman sixth man on that team was Rex Burkhead. long time NFL running back and former cornhusker. Yeah, very famous in my neck of the wood.

For sure. They're celebrating, they're celebrating around here this weekend, the Nebraska Huskers volleyball, number one ranked starting the season off with victories over two top six teams. There you go. And Stanford on,

by the way, on games that were both nationally televised. So, FYI. The only other player that I think, I think I want to mention here, unless you guys think I miss somebody. The Israelis are playing in this event. And Portland Trailblazers, Stallwart, is that fair to say? For Denny Avia is on the team for Israel.

I'm going to look up the definition of stalwart. It's a good word, though. Thank you. I think he's the only guy with. So loyal, reliable, and hard work. I think he fits that. I forgot to mention for the Italians, Italia,

Danilo Gallinari, fresh off winning the Puerto Rican League. First off, Danilo Galanari, also on the team, by the way, Simone Fontechio, newest member of the Miami Heat. He was in the sign of trade

for Duncan Robinson with his pistons. Danilo Galanari goes to play in Puerto Rico. in the spring. The Puerto Rican League has a, their finals run sort of concurrent to the NBA finals. Actually, maybe even a little later. It's later. Yeah, later. It goes into July. Yeah, it's a late spring summer league. And players go to play in it who are sometimes looking to showcase themselves to NBA teams. It's like, yeah, they're like other overseas leagues where they can have two Americans. And those spots pay six figures, but if you don't perform,

ain't there long. Danilo's wife was swimming off the coast of Puerto Rico during the season and was bitten by a shark and I'm fairly, I got to check this, I think she might have been pregnant. Oh, no. She's fine. She's okay. I believe that is correct, though I don't remember for sure either. And then he won his first ever championship in the Puerto Rican league.

It was on the court when DeMarcus got thrown out of that. game and thrown out of the league. He's standing next to him when the fights start. By the way, Gallo's teammate on this Puerto Rican championship team, Javelle McGee, you want to ring a ringer? Javel McGee. Team up with Javel. And playing for Puerto Rican legend Carlos Arroyo's team in the league.

Yes. I've been to Puerto Rican national team game. When I was down there working on a story on JJ Berea, we stopped by, I'll tell you, man, those games are rowdy and fun. That was the game. I forgot who the Americans that were playing. Oh, no, I do remember. Ricky Lido, a Maverick second round pick, didn't last long here.

He was playing there. And actually, I remember this very clearly. Anyways, he was on the visiting team, which was up big. The home team went on a big run in the fourth quarter. And I do remember this distinctly. The ball boy, who has also got the mop underneath the basket during a timeout, turned a mop around like it was a machine gun. act like he was spraying down.

Heading back to the bench, while the public address announcer, grabbed the microphone, stood up on the scores table, faced the crowd. I mean, that place was wild. Anyways, oh, Ricky Lito. Remember Paul George's corner three in the bubble?

That was Ricky Lito with a chance to. I forgot if it was to win or to send in an overtime, but it hit side of the glass, clank. And JJ's best friend, one of his best friends, He's a guy named Christian Santonella is like the big agent down there. Puerto Rico gets most of the Americans.

Well, Lido was his client. We were all sitting down there watching the game. Right when that ball clanked out the backboard, he just goes, ah, boy, this could be a long night. Ricky Lido was heading home the next morning. They cut the next point. Galinari's wife, she was bitten the thigh. By the way, she was six months pregnant, and she had two other kids who were out swimming

with her. She's okay. She had surgery and she was okay. The baby is okay. That is a scary story. So anyway, Gellinari, who is near the end of his career. I'm not sure he, I saw he gave an interview. I think this might be it.

I think Eurobasket might be a swan song. Well, I saw he gave an interview where he said that he would love to go play for Milano, his hometown team, but Milano doesn't appear to be interested in him. So I don't know. Maybe he'll have a run with the Italian. in this league, in this event. But yeah, but his wife is okay. She was six months pregnant at the time.

By the way, Clippers Thunder on Immaculate Grid, put in Gallinari. Everybody's going to get Chris Paul. Everyone's going to get Shea, Paul George, Gallinari. This is beginning of an incredible feature. I'm just telling you. You always put in the guys who... I feel like there's got to be a better secret answer than Gallo. I mean, but that's a good one.

That's just, you know, sure. You're doing this thing where you're getting other stuff done there in the morning. Oh, my God. It's time. It's time to go, everybody. Some people play wordal.

It's time. You know, I'm saying, you know, it's like, it's time to go. You want something quick. On the next hoop collective, McMahon reveals his top,

low, whatever you want, low score. Is that what you want? Low percentage? Yeah, The other thing, study, you got to study guys like Jimmy Jackson, you know, who's a good one to study, Rick Brunson, guys who played for a whole bunch of different teams.

But like the Jeff Greens, everyone knows Jeff Green and there Smith and those guys. Got to study the ones for the previous generations. Amazing. When do you study those, McMahon? All right. Thank you for sticking with us through another August podcast. Thank you to Jackson for putting it together. Thank you to Bon Tempton, McMahon, for always delivering the goods.

Thank you for watching us in The Hook Collective. We'll talk to you later this week. Adios amigos.