By Aris Barkas/ barkas@eurohoops.net
It’s becoming a pattern to see more and more the same names on the most wanted list. Almost six months after the start of the criminal wave which is plaguing Europe, there’s no end in sight to it and no results from any investigations made until now.
The criminal elements of the old continent are running amok, nobody can protect the innocent and you have to be careful in order to not get caught in the crossfire. With that warning given, here are this week’s new additions to the most wanted list. As usual, the suspects were arrested, but released with no charges and it’s obvious that something nefarious is going on behind closed doors.
Victor Claver: He is a Spanish con man whose tracks were lost recently, but he emerged in Russia as part of the emerging Krasnodar gang. He proved that he can get the job done in Istanbul, doing his damage in the most unexpected ways. He is a jack of all trades. He had 14 points while making 2 of 4 three-pointers and also used his size to clean the boards, getting 9 rebounds. He may seem lean and harmless, but that’s not the case, as Anadolu Efes Istanbul learned. It was too late to do anything and Lokomotiv Kuban Krasnodar escaped to the Black Sea with one more road win.
Luigi Datome: You may remember this sniper, called “Jesus”. His notoriety is the reason for his hiring by Fenerbahce Istanbul, and he was deadly against Crvena Zvezda Telekom Belgrade. The numbers of his atrocious crimes speak for themselves. He had 27 points, 6 of 11 two-point shots, 4 of 6 threes, 5 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 blocks. This is the second time his name is mentioned in the most wanted list and certainly it will not be the last.
Marcus Slaughter: Nobody knows if this is his real name, or an alias he is using. In any case it’s fitting for a vicious guy in the paint. He axed Cedevita Zagreb with 17 points on 7 of 11 field goals and 5 rebounds, doing damage at every crucial moment. After some years of operating in Madrid, this American ex-pat is now making Dogus Darussafaka Instanbul his new home and the worst – or best depending on your angle – is yet to come.
Paulius Jankunas: Once again the “modern day Robin Hood” of the Baltic appeared and led Zalgiris Kaunas to the win. You may remember this criminal who has a very long record and he is part of Euroleague crime lore for the incident of the Zalgiris upset of Olympiacos in Kaunas. This time he did it against Brose Baskets Bamberg and he was even more determined. The end result was 17 points and 13 rebounds for him and, of course, no arrest. No eyewitness to his crimes was willing to turn him in.
Vitaly Fridzon: A new sniper has appeared this week, this time in Madrid. Trained in the Russian army, he missed only once on the way to 13 points, making 3 out of 4 three-point strikes. You may have guessed that CSKA Moscow was in town and Real Madrid was the victim, as Fridzon made every shot count. Can this be a sign for things to come, when the supreme dominance of the underworld will be on the line?
Art credit: JPsportart