BallinEurope

Ireland at a crossroads Ireland’s shock loss to Azerbaijan in EuroBasket 2029 pre-qualifying raises hard questions about style, preparation, and the road ahead.

The loss to Azerbaijan has an impact far beyond this window.

Ireland's men's team has some complex issues to tackle in the days and months ahead.

My column #IrishBasketball

www.ballineurope.com/ireland-at-a...

Sam Alajiki needs to go by Commodore

It's an Ireland international day.

The other EuroBasket games Ireland must track Ireland’s EuroBasket 2029 qualifiers will be shaped by results elsewhere. Here’s how other groups affect their path forward.

What's up nerds?

I've written a breakdown of how the other groups in qualifying impact Ireland's chances in EuroBasket pre qualifying

Read it here
www.ballineurope.com/the-other-eu...

AS Monaco Basket Success, Money, Crisis YouTube video by BallinEurope

New video: The crisis of AS Monaco Basket didn't happen overnight.

From the rapid rise to a seeming collapse, we break it all down.

youtu.be/fqdXYYBe2yk

AS Monaco Basket Success, Money, Crisis YouTube video by BallinEurope

New video: The crisis of AS Monaco Basket didn't happen overnight.

From the rapid rise to a seeming collapse, we break it all down.

youtu.be/fqdXYYBe2yk

Not basketball but a nice thing about beer.

I've gotten back to mixing up my cooking to a level I really hadn't hit since the pandemic.

A pleasant side effect is that I am varying the beers I drink substantially for both pairing and pan sauce reasons.

Yes Zalgiris lost tonight but you, the neutral, was entertained.

That is league pass quality

Zalgiris may be the first proper playoff contender since the Efes team of the Covid season to be the league pass team of Euroleague.

Being "league pass" almost requires not being a playoff contender but prone to close belters most weeks.

Zalgiris break the mould

We need to talk about NBA Europe YouTube video by BallinEurope

It's all but impossible to truly understand the basketball implications of NBA Europe without addressing the business and economic elements.

So I put together a 48 minute video doing just that
youtu.be/wjRlIJKbRaE

We need to talk about NBA Europe YouTube video by BallinEurope

What better way to spend your Friday evening than watching an Irishman spend 48 minutes mostly talking about economics in what is ostensibly a basketball video?

Enjoy
youtu.be/wjRlIJKbRaE

We need to talk about NBA Europe YouTube video by BallinEurope

I have tried to, at length, explain the full NBA Europe situation.

It's 48 minutes long and mostly me talking into the camera with lots of economics so you may want to put the kettle on.

youtu.be/wjRlIJKbRaE?...

Episode 1 - Lev aka Lisco 2000 aka the Dario Saric superfan Barely Hoops · Episode

We've got a new podcast called Barely Hoops and the first episode is with the fantastic Lev aka Lisco 2000 aka the Dario Saric super fan.

Listen wherever you find your podcasts and please give us a review to help more people find it.

Check out the first episode now

Can NBA Europe Win on TV? Broadcast rights and fees could make or break NBA Europe. Can the NBA succeed where FIBA and Euroleague have previously struggled?

Part 4 of our series, NBA Europe: The Grand Experiment, addresses the important matter of broadcast revenue and managing a multilingual market

Read it now

There is no cheering on press row.

Internally I will be screaming.

Ireland's Claire Melia seeking to make history with Baxi Ferrol in 20 mins

Will Europe’s Top Clubs Join NBA Europe? If FIBA and the NBA want NBA Europe to succeed, then they need to convince the biggest names in European basketball to get on board early.

For NBA Europe to succeed, it needs to attract Europe's top clubs but will they like what is being offered?

Part 3 of my series is live now.

Read it here

Can NBA Europe Take Over? Make no mistake, the NBA and FIBA have declared war on Euroleague but can NBA Europe take over European basketball?

Part 2 of NBA Europe: The Grand Experiment is now online

I ask the simple question, can it take over?

Thanks

ICYMI Episode 16 was released yesterday.

The High Price of NBA Europe The early plans for NBA Europe have been announced. So now what? Emmet Ryan investigates the challenges for all involved.

Our new 5 part series, NBA Europe: The Grand Experiment, has kicked off.

In Part 1, I examine the costs involved plus the tax and legal issues it will have to negotiate.

Read it here:

From Underdogs to Icons The Ferrol Basketball Miracle YouTube video by BallinEurope

I went to Ferrol for a basketball game. I got so much more.

Join me on a trip to Galicia for the story of Baxi Ferrol, the Cinderella that brought a sledgehammer to the ball

Watch now

After a brief hiatus due to work commitments, the Euro Step Brit podcast is back next weekend.

And EP16 is a road trip* special as @niallmgray.bsky.social heads to Germany.

If you've listened to the podcast, you'll know exactly where he was heading!

*He took the train, actually.

Joe Ingles Didn’t Just Start. He Represented. Joe Ingles, Renae Ingles, and Jacob Ingles, plus the Minnesota Timberwolves deserve thanks from those of us on the autism spectrum

My name is Emmet Ryan.

I'm autistic.

I'm also a basketball journalist.

I'm very grateful to Joe Ingles, Renae Ingles, and the Minnesota Timberwolves.

I wrote about it.

Read it here

For the first time in 2025, I am in an airport to travel for a game.

Two, in fact.

Unicaja vs Real Madrid tomorrow.

Then Baxi Ferrol vs Villeneuve d'Ascw in EuroCup Women on Wednesday.

For the first time in 2025, I am in an airport to travel for a game.

Two, in fact.

Unicaja vs Real Madrid tomorrow.

Then Baxi Ferrol vs Villeneuve d'Ascw in EuroCup Women on Wednesday.

Thanks. Well unique given the territories it is reaching. There are obviously more established competitions out there but many of the nations in this didn't really have an outlet outside the primary Euro competitions

Why the ENBL Matters for Europe’s Basketball Future The ENBL may not be top of mind in European basketball but it's making an impact on the sport across the continent.

With Newcastle Eagles reaching the Final Four of the ENBL, I wrote about why the competition is playing an important role in the game's growth in Europe.

Read it now

Kenneth Faried: The Manimal Rises in Reggio Emilia Kenneth Faried never gave up on his basketball dream. He just needed the right shot. With Reggio Emilia, the Manimal has been reborn.

Reggio Emilia's signing of Kenneth Faried was treated as a novelty.

Nobody told The Manimal. The rebirth of this man has been a joy to watch.

Read my column now

The most dominant basketball team you've never heard of YouTube video by BallinEurope

Re-upload (fixed audio): What's the most dominant basketball team of all time? I promise, it's not who you think.

Join me on a journey into hoops history.

Watch now

Argh.

Sorry for the insane audio issues on the video. I'll check tomorrow and re-upload.