Khalid El-Amin to join Lietuvos Rytas

One of the two Lithuanian biggest clubs Lietuvos Rytas has found a replacement for the injured point guard Jerry Johnson.


The Lithuanian champions agreed terms with the 31-year-old American guard Khalid El-Amin, who has been signed to a one-year deal.

“Lietuvos Rytas have acquired a good basketball player. I’ve coached him for nearly three years. He’s a very good individually – extremely strong and quick. He can break down almost anyone one-on-one, but he might have been a bit lazy on defense against weaker opponents, but he’s able to defend very well,” told Rimas Girskis, a Lithuanian coach, who worked with El-Amin during his time with Azovmash in Mariupol.

The seasoned veteran has spent the biggest part of his career playing in Ukraine and Turkey, playing for Budivelnik Kiev last season and scoring 20.5 points, dishing out 5.1 assists per game as well as adding 3.1 rebounds on an average.

“He is a willing passer and I sometimes even had to encourage him to take the game more on himself. He was our best player and it was better for the team if he played more on his own. I want to congratulate Lietuvos Rytas on a good acquisition,” the Lithuanian coach, who’s currently working with Nevezis Kedainiai. “You couldn’t tell that he’s a basketball player from first sight. I remember that I was surprised that a man of this build can play basketball all together. The truth is that his body is one big mountain of muscles.”

El-Amin saw a short-term stint with the Chicago Bulls, the team who drafted him with 34th pick in the 2000 NBA draft. The guard averaged 6.3 points and 2.9 assists per game in his only season amongst the basketball’s elite in 2000-2001.

source : lithuaniabasketball.com

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Lockdown in the Greek League, the players are on strike

Just when you thought things couldn't get any worse.


The Hellenic Professional Basketball Players Association, also known as PSAK in Greece (www.psak.gr) have declared that the are on strike. What follows is a loose translation of their announcement.

The General Assembly of the Hellenic Professional Basketball Players Association decided to go indefinitely on strike. The votes were 151 in favor and 24 against this decision and the strike affects the players of the A1 and A2 leagues. We Hellenic Basketball Players do not accept to be ridiculed by the Greek State as they have already agreed in writing to meet all of our demands. This was done 10 months ago.

The Association's decision is to go on strike until our demands are enforced as actual laws. We hope that this decision will be supported by the Teams Association(ESAKE) and also all the rationally thinking team owners, so that we can all together demand the changes that Greek Basketball needs. In any case, even if it's just by ourselves we will demand our rights.

Our list of demands.
1. Insurance cover for all professional players.
2. Full medical cover for all professional players.
3. The reopening of the mutual fund.
4. The right to be employed if our current teams do not pay us.
5. Immediate decisions from the Economic Dispute Committees.
6. Setting up the Collective Employment Agreement that was disbanded in 2008.

source : psak.gr



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New Orleans announced D.J. Mbenga

The New Orleans Hornets announced today that they have signed free agent forward D.J. Mbenga. Per team policy, terms of the contracts were not released.


The 7-0, 255 pound center played in 49 games for the Los Angeles Lakers last season, averaging 2.1 points and 1.8 rebounds per game. Mbenga registered his first career double-double on Nov. 8, 2009 against the Hornets with 10 points and 12 rebounds. He played in three games during the 2010 playoffs, averaging 1.7 points and 1.7 rebounds.

Mbenga holds career averages of 1.8 points and 1.4 rebounds in 193 games (four starts). He has spent time playing with the Mavericks (2004-07), Warriors (2007-08) and the Lakers (2008-10), as well as being a member of the Belgian national team.


source : nba.com


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Prokom signed Giddens and Videnov

2 more additions for Prokom and their ever-growing roster.


Prokom Gdynia announced 2 signings yesterday via their official website. The first one was ex-NBA swingman J.R. Giddens(1.96-SG/SF) who finished last season with the New York Knicks. He was traded there from Boston, that picked him as the 30th overall pick in the 2008 Draft. Giddens averaged 4.1 points and 2.8 rebounds in 11 games with the Knicks.

The other addition was Bulgarian veteran Filip Videnov(1.96-SG/SF). Videnov started the season in Red Star but finished the season in FMP Zeleznik and he has also been playing for the Bulgarian National Team. He has been looking for a team ever since. He averaged 19.5 points 5.1 rebounds and 2.5 assists in 8 games with the Bulgarian National Team and also 13.9 points 3.2 rebounds and 2.4 assists in 19 games with Red Star in the Adriatic League.

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Partizan added Oliver Lafayette

For the second season in a row, Partizan Mt:s has added a new point guard shortly before the Euroleague season begins.


Last season it was Bo McCalebb, who became an All-Euroleague selection as he led the team to the Final Four. The Serbian champion hopes to hit the jackpot again with Oliver Lafayette, who will make his European debut with the club. Lafayette (188, 26) arrives from Boston in the NBA, for whom he played in one regular season game last season and remained on the roster through the NBA finals.

Lafayette played college basketball for the University of Houston and then started his professional career in Mexico. He then played for Erie Bay in the NBDL and started last season with Fort Wayne for whom he averaged 17.1 points, 6.5 assists and 1.8 steals before moving on to Boston.

source : euroleague.net

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The resurrected Maroussi are on a signing spree

After they almost lynched the ambitious wannabe administrators they are now back on track.


And there was a miracle after all with Maroussi. In the last board meeting of the shareholders the wannabe administrators of Maroussi were almost lynched by a few dozens of angry fans who decided to take the situation in their hands. In this case it was probably the best option. The fans attacked using eggs and yoghurt pots among other things.

The major shareholder of Maroussi, Aris Vovos cancelled the contracts he had with them and they voted a new administration. Now the team are on a signing spree with Vaggelis Alexandris as the head coach. Their main targets are Ioannis Gagaloudis(1.87-PG), Nestoras Kommatos(2.03-SF), Dimitris Haritopoulos(2.07-PF/C), Feliks Kojadinovic(1.96-SG/SF), Ousmane Cisse(2.05) and probably others to follow.

In Maroussi they're hoping that the impending strike of the Greek players in the Greek league will take place and that will give them a few more days to prepare although they are seriously late in getting a team ready for the league. They have already lost their participation in the Euroleague Qualifiers and the Greek Cup.

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Aris interested in Martin Rancik

The Slovakian's contract with Bilbao is finished and Aris want in.


Martin Rancik(2.05-PF/C) was signed by Bilbao about 2 weeks ago to replace the injured Axel Hervelle(2.06-PF/C) in the roster of the team. Now that his contract is finished Aris want in to add one more player in their frontcourt and they will go after the player according to Athlitika Nea. Rancik is very experienced and can play both PF and C positions and he can also shoot the ball behind the arc.

He has played for Bilbao before, also for Estudiantes, for Fortitudo Bologna and Olimpia Milano. In these 2 games he averaged 11.5 points 4 rebounds and 3 assists.

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