By Antonis Stroggylakis/ info@eurohoops.net
Even if you are not a fan of the teams they play for, you should probably give a follow to their Twitter accounts for various reasons. Some are open to a dialogue with fans about pretty much anything they fancy. Others provide a unique look at a team’s locker room. And some are candid about serious (or not-so-serious, but still fun) matters. Here are five EuroLeague players with must-follow Twitter accounts.
1. Mike James (AX Armani Exchange Olimpia Milan)
You’ll find no EuroLeague player indulging fans on Twitter more than Mike James. His down-to-earth approach to fans is reason alone to consider him a no. 1 follow option among his peers. James will often announce that he’s going to spend his evening watching EuroLeague action and then proceed to comment on the games, often engaging in a dialogue with other fans along the way.
Don’t expect any boring stuff. James will be pretty honest about his opinion, will praise opponents and call it as it is about a potentially harsh situation a team is in. He will provide an input on hot topics (such as why he didn’t stay with Panathinaikos) as long as you are playing nice as well, or if you also like his beloved Juventus.
2. Gigi Datome (Fenerbahce Istanbul)
Anything goes on the Twitter feed of the Fenerbahce forward and the president of the EuroLeague Players Association. Datome will express his opinion on serious basketball matters, talk about the beauty of Istanbul (and other cities), post various forms of street art and share his love for hard rock music. Expects lots of Fenerbahce and Italian national team material also in English, Italian and also Turkish.
3. Chris Singleton (FC Barcelona Lassa)
Like James, Singleton has had his fair share of Q&A sessions with fans about a wide array of topics from EuroLeague basketball to the NBA, football, video games and even his favorite burger house. The American big man is a good sport to everyone and on every topic and will not only openly comment on anything that attracts his attention, but also put his followers in the game. Like Mike James, he’s also a… commentator of sorts on the Champions League, but unlike his former Panathinaikos teammate, Singleton’s heart belongs to Manchester United.
4. Nikola Kalinic (Fenerbahce Istanbul)
You will often find something noteworthy on Nikola Kalinic‘s twitter feed, even when he just retweets stuff. From scientific data, all sorts of interesting sports moments, to politics, social and environmental awareness to.. NSFW humor. When the Serbian player decides to post a tweet, he’ll be vocal about things that involve him and his fellow basketball players and, like others on this list, will indulge fans who are calling for his attention.
5. Sergio Llull (Real Madrid)
Come for Llull, stay for the selfies, would probably be a fitting advertising motto for the Twitter account of Real Madrid‘s superstar. No other player in Europe captures on camera that post-game, winning atmosphere from the locker rooms and then delivers it on social media for your eyes, other than the 2017 EuroLeague MVP. Post-game selfies by Llull with the full Real Madrid squad in the background have become something of a tradition on the account of Los Blancos’ superstar, but his Twitter is more than that. Even if you don’t understand Spanish (because he only tweets in his native tongue), you can get what Llull is trying to say with his tweets about Madrid and the exploits of his teammates (or retweets on his former teammates). Also, when the times come for some humor, expect Llull to shine as much as he does on the floor and even have a laugh with his own injury woes.