Former NBA forward Evan Fournier isn’t sure if he’ll play in EuroBasket for France this summer, he told Antonis Stroggylakis of Eurohoops.net. Fournier has earned numerous silver and bronze medals with the French national team in international competitions over the past dozen years.
“First of all, I’m not thinking about it if I’m being honest because the (Greek League) season is not over,” he said. “Sometimes I do think about it but I never come up with a straight answer. Because the truth is I’m mentally here. Physically, I’m fighting some things. If I feel better and 100 percent and mentally I’m good, yes I’ll go to the EuroBasket. If I’m not feeling good, then I won’t.”
Here’s more from around the international basketball world:
- Having led Fenerbahce to its second EuroLeague championship in team history, Nigel Hayes-Davis was named Most Valuable Player of the Final Four, according to Stroggylakis. He averaged 15.0 points, 6.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 1.5 blocks, and 1.0 steals per game in the tournament, including a game-high 23 points in the Final against AS Monaco. Hayes-Davis had a nine-game stint with three NBA teams during the 2017/18 season and has reportedly drawn some NBA interest in recent years.
- Former NBA big man Nikola Mirotic is close to signing a two-year deal with AS Monaco, Donatas Urbonas of BasketNews.com reports. Mirotic currently has one year remaining on his contract with Olimpia Milano but he intends to exercise an exit clause included in that agreement. The 34-year-old logged 319 NBA games from 2014-19.
- Spotrac contributor Keith Smith divides the potential NBA free agent point guards into tiers, with Kyrie Irving and James Harden — who each hold player options — rated in the All-Star tier. Fred VanVleet (team option), Josh Giddey (restricted) and Dennis Schröder (unrestricted) round out his top five.
Mirotic was a pretty good player. I’m assuming he left the NBA because he was homesick?
Yup. Turned down good mid-level money to play in Europe for less, but don’t blame him. Still earning solid $ and playing way closer to home, gotta be nicer for him and his fam
I believe he was the highest paid European at the time when he signed that contract after leaving the NBA.
No teammate having your back after crazy eyes punches you, knowing people don’t like you here and nobody has your back. Maybe he felt like Rick Barry after the Barry n Sobers fight
Nigel Hayes is the MVP of the EuroLeague Final 4 & he honed his game in the American AAU system with All Ohio Red. Kendrick Nunn is the MVP of the EuroLeague regular season MVP & he’s also a product of AAU basketball in Chicago. TJ Shorts is the MVP of the French League & another American AAU guy. Black American, former AAU basketball players dominate the game worldwide (all the best players left in the NBA playoffs are AAU products as well), yet AAU & American basketball system constantly gets criticized by the Elmer Fudd types. As if USA didn’t just go to Europe & beat the best European squads (at least twice each) at the Olympics. Is it possible that the American AAU system isn’t broken, is continually producing the best basketball players in the world & maybe y’all are just inherently prejudiced against the types of humans that largely play AAU basketball? Because it seems extremely obvious that’s really what it is… link to m.youtube.com
I think Hayes-Davis deserves a chance
Where do you see as a good fit for him?
Isn’t everyone in the USA AAU really
huh?
I thought closing down that horrible g league elite team taught everyone why Derrick Coleman and Allan Iverson were never dream team material. In the 80s, teams emphasized teamwork and personal accountability. Those words will get you a warning from your union rep today.
Not liking the changes in modern basketball does not make me racist. I pray for Willis Reed to come save the NBA every day. I miss the game when it was played by men.