Iverson European debut

Former NBA superstar Allen Iverson scored 15 point, but Hemofarm Stada spoiled his European debut with a 94-91 victory over Besiktas Istanbul. Iverson added three rebounds and two assists in 24 minutes. He went 4-for-10 from the floor and also committed two turnovers.

However, Iverson’s first and second game was like day and night. Iverson scored only two points (1/6 FG) and grabbed four rebounds in 19 minutes against Fenerbahce Ulker Istanbul in a game seen on NBATV.

Because of Iverson’s subpar performance, Besiktas head coach Burak Biyiktay revealed he doesn’t believe in former superstar anymore.

“Allen is not ready,” said Biyiktay. “And even if he gets his wind back, he will never be the Allen Iverson we have watched in the NBA.”

Jasikevicius is back home

Lietuvos Rytas Vilnius is trying to rebound from a difficult start with a new signing. The Lithuanian team surprised Europe by signing one of the best playmakers over the last decade, Sarunas Jasikevicius. Lietuvos Rytas and Jasikevicius reached agreement on a one-year deal.

Jasikevicius, the 34-years-old guard, started his professional career with Lietuvos Rytas back in 1998, after spending four years at the University of Maryland. Jasikevicius played for Panathinaikos Athens last season, where he averaged 4.4 points and 2.1 assists per game.

Sean May signs with Fenerbahce Ulker

Sean May, drafted 13th overall in the 2005 NBA Draft after leading North Carolina to a National Championship, has decided to leave what was left of his NBA career and sign in Europe. After getting cut by the New Jersey Nets in September, May signed a contract with Fenerbahce Ulker Istanbul. The club is 4-1 and among the leaders of group C in the Euroleague.

May played for the Charlotte Bobcats and Sacramento Kings during his four-year NBA career, where he averaged 6.9 points and 4 rebounds.

Spirou blast off for first win of the season

Demond Mallet scored 11 points and dished out 8 assists to help Spirou Basket get their first victory, 67-49, over Real Madrid. Despite this win, the Belgians are still far from making the Top 16 (1-4), while the Spanish powerhouse is in second place in group B with a 3-2 record.

It was a bad night for two former NBA players, who were trying to get a win for Real. Sergio Rodriguez scored six points (1/5 FG), grabbed four rebounds and dished out three assists, while former Raptor Jose Garbajosa didn’t score a single point during his six minutes.

Nevertheless, the heads of Real showed support for head coach Ettore Messina and assured that his job remains safe.

French sensation

Sammy Meijia scored 29 points as Cholet Basket topped Fenerbahce Ulker Istanbul 82-78, handing then their first loss of the 10-11 Euroleague season. It was the third win for Cholet Basket, which has become a true contender to make it to the Top 16.

A great performance by Meihia got some attention from the NBA. Detroit Pistons forward Charlie Villanueva tweeted that he would love to see Mejia playing with him and the Dominican Republic national team this summer at the FIBA Americas Championship in Argentina.

“Sammy Mejia is a very talented guard. Tell Sammy he needs to come play for us this summer in Argentina,“ Villanueva said.

Rubio, Barcelona in trouble

The only unbeatable Euroleague team during the 09-10 regular season, Regal Barcelona lost their second game this year. Bo McCalebb scored 21 points to help Montepaschi Siena grab a 76-67 victory over the defending champions.

Ricky Rubio has struggled to find ways to score. Rubio scored all of his points from the free throw line and finished the game with only four (0/5 FG), three boards, two assists and two steals.

Mejia - Euroleague MVP of the week

Meijia won this week’s Euroleague MVP award, as he scored 29 points (10/15 FG), grabbed 5 boards and dished out 3 assists (35 index rating).

Lietuvos Rytas center Jonas Valanciunas, a projected Top-5 pick in the 2011 NBA Draft, was second in this week’s ranking, as he scored 15 points, grabbed nine rebounds and blocked two shots in only 23 minutes (26 index rating).

While Rubio can’t find his game, Valanciunas is proving that he is ready to transition to the NBA. The 18-years-old center is averaging 10 points and 6.4 rebounds, and he’s second in the Euroleague in field goal percentage (77 percent).

No EuroBasket in Slovenia?

The Slovenian government still hasn’t decided if they are going support the country's bid to host EuroBasket 2013. The government has to pay 6.5 million euros to FIBA for the hosting rights.

Slovenia remained to be the only candidate to host EuroBasket 2013 after the announcement that Italy has withdrawn its interest in hosting the championship.

Zoubek to Greece?

Former Duke center Brian Zoubek may start his professional basketball career in Europe very soon. According to the Greek media, Zoubek is close to signing a contract with Panelinios Athens.

Zoubek, who went undrafted in the 2010 NBA Draft, signed a deal with New Jersey Nets back in July, but didn’t make their regular season roster.

Financial problems for Cibona

Legendary Croatian club Cibona Zagreb is facing significant financial problems and there is a chance that they will be bankrupt in the next few weeks.

According to the Croatian media, an electric company turned off the power in Cibona’s gym because of unpaid bills.

The same sources reported back in September that Cibona’s debt is about 8.5 million euros. FIBA also decided that the Croatian team has to pay $280,000 to former player Antonio Graves for 13 games he played last season.

Cibona started this Euroleague season by losing all five games.