By Aris Barkas/ barkas@eurohoops.net
They are home to a criminally good spectacle, a delight if you are not the victim of the perpetrators, and every fan should be ready to be amazed at any time.
The EuroLeague trophy is still missing and still nobody is taking any responsibility for that. Five more arrests were made with no results as new faces emerge on the most-wanted list. Can some of these new faces be behind the casino heist? Or was it someone more familiar?
Dogus Balbay: Another sniper working in Istanbul for the well-respected Anadolu Efes Istanbul crew. Despite his clean record of arrests, he is a long-time member of the Turkish crime ring and he finally got caught after turning the tables in a showdown with EA7 Emporio Armani Milan. He made almost every one of his five shots count and registered a 18 index rating in just 13 minutes thanks to 5 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 steals. He was swift and he was deadly.
Alex Tyus: Since his days in Tel Aviv this bouncer’s name has been known far and wide. He is currently part of the infamous Galatasaray Odeabank Istanbul gang and it seems that he likes to do his best work in warm climates. That’s why in Spain last week, against FC Barcelona Lassa, he exploded for 19 points and 9 rebounds, leaving mayhem behind him as the Turks unexpectedly dominated their more-famous hosts. Tyus was last seen flying back to Istanbul with the loot.
Giorgos Printezis: He always smiles, but the author of “the shot” the last time a Final Four was held in Istanbul is almost never kidding. He proved it again against Zalgiris Kaunas. Maybe it was an outburst long overdue. The fact remains that he was unstoppable for Olympiacos Piraeus, with 17 points and 10 rebounds. He was asking to be arrested, perhaps knowing that it wouldn’t last for long. After all, this was his second arrest in two years.
Nikita Kurbanov: Underestimate him at your peril, but this is his fourth arrest already. One of the long-time members of the CSKA Moscow syndicate went wild against Crvena Zvezda mts Belgrade once again, as he did last year, as well. And as time goes by, he gets more lethal. He just didn’t miss, making 11 shots from every range and finishing with 18 points. And even this deed was not enough to keep him behind bars.
Andrew Goudelock: He is considered one of the most dangerous marksmen alive, always ready to make shots and ask questions later. With Maccabi FOX Tel Aviv, his current employers, having their backs against the wall, he delivered big-time with 21 points against Baskonia Vitoria Gasteiz. A hired gun will always get work and he proved once again that is ready to do anything when needed in order to get the job done.
Photo Credit: JPsportart