Interbasket

It’s hard to keep up with basketball news when your niche is to cover the world.  I know we could do more in covering the world’s basketball news, but sometimes time doesn’t permit.  In response to that, we have started the Global Run-On Sentence which will serve to give quick hits and shotd of global news that has happened in the last 7-10 days…

The Boston Celtics defeated the Los Angeles Lakers in game one of the NBA Finals 98-88.  Kevin Garnett leads the Cs statistically with 24 points and 13 rebounds, but Paul Pierce was the x-factor.

Fiba - Spanish Superstar Rudy Fernandez coming to the NBA next season, and will join fellow Spanaird Sergio Rodriguez on a promising Portland Trailblazers squad.“They (Portland) have shown a lot of interest in getting me and have assured me that I will be an important part in the team.” Fernandez said.

He’ll join as Greg Oden, last years number one overall pick, returns from injury.  The Blazers hope the two promising players will get Portland into the playoffs next season.

Fernandez was picked 24th overall by the Phoenix Suns in the 2007 NBA Draft and was acquired by the Blazers for cash on draft day.  The  6-6 guard/forward led the ACB in scoring with 21.2 points and in steals (2.2).  The 23-year old also averaged 4.1 assists and 3.1 rebounds last season for DKV Joventut Badalona of the Spanish league.

Rudy will also be joining four of his national team mates in the NBA; Pau Gasol, Jose Calderon, Jorge Garbajosa, and Juan Carlos Navarro.

Had Pau Gasol remained in Memphis, we could have had a pair of Spanish players on Memphis (Gasol and JCN), Portland (Rudy and Sergio), and Toronto (Calderon and Garbajosa).  Ricky Rubio, you’re next.

(With his hair, pose and all-the-same-color outfit, doesn’t Rudy look like an anime/street fighter character in the above photo?)

Fiba - Anderson Varejao will not represent Brazil for the Olympic Qualifiers with a quadricep and ankle injury suffered during Cleveland’s playoff run. Euroleague.com - New Men’s Health Magazine features ULEB stars.  In the magazine are Tiago Splitter, Theo Papaloukas, Will Bynum and Terrell McIntyre as well as their trainers speaking about the exercises that keep do well for them. Yao Ming determined to help people in China’s earthquake tragedy “Every day the number is going up. This morning it was over 62,000 people killed,” Yao said. “We are very sad for the people we have lost in the earthquake.”

Los Angeles Times -  Sasha Vujacic’s is not only pissing off opposing players and fans, now he is angering gamblers and made Las Vegas happy with his game five three-pointer at buzzer versus San Antonio Spurs.  A game that had already been determined “Players are shaking hands and Sasha decides to shoot a three at the buzzer to cover the spread…” said one gambler.

Interbasket - Have you ever wondered why are basketballs orange in color? Find out in our international basketball message board. Andrea Bargnani available to play for the Italian National Team? We’re trying to figure if that’s a good or bad thing?

National Post - Veteran of the Canadian National Team Rowan Barrett has returned to the team after almost 5 years away. The 36-year old guard/forward said the depth of the team is what convinced him to return.  “We never had (depth),” Barrett said referring to his past National Team’s experience. “We had Steve or Todd [MacCulloch]. We had Michael [Meeks] out there in Italy or one of those countries. But we didn’t have this many (experienced players) at one time on the team, as well as some guys at the NCAA level.” The team is still awaiting Steve Nash to respond to their open invitation, but even without Nash, the National Team is likely to feature Joel Anthony (NBA), Denham Brown (Italy), Samuel Dalembert (NBA), Carl English (ACB),  Levon Kendall (Greece), Andy Rautins of Syracuse (head coach Leo Rautin’s son), and Jesse Young of Estudiantes (ACB).