By Antigoni Zachari / info@eurohoops.net
Barcelona’s unprecedented move to leave guard Thomas Heurtel behind upon its return from last week’s game against Anadolu Efes in Istanbul continues to send shock waves to the basketball world.
The news spread fast in the NBA world, with Orlando Magic‘s Evan Fournier taking a strong stance against the club, while Portland Trail Blazers‘ CJ McCollum also reacted through Eurohoops’ Instagram account.
“Sound like a lawsuit”, commented McCollum, whose brother Errick has joined fellow EuroLeague competitor Khimki Moscow this season and is a well-respected veteran in the old continent.
Bayern Munich forward and EuroLeague added James Gist added the comment “Million dollar slaves”, while former NBA players Gregg Monroe and Mike James who currently play in Khimki Moscow and CSKA Moscow respectively also reacted.
The Spanish club did not allow Heurtel to board the flight back to Barcelona, thus he had to catch a connecting flight in Lyon to make his way back to the city. Barcelona, later on, responded to the events, stating that the French guard “was not neglected“, though the player is expected to take legal action.
A chain of reactions followed since Thursday night, with the EuroLeague Players Association also condemning the club for this move, while Heurtel’s teammates in Barcelona were unanimously in favor of him staying in the team.