The Case for Italian Basketball Venice in Week 1, Venice's Team Comes to in Last Year's Coppa, Milan Was One of Zach Messitte Your Arena in Week 16
EMILIANO T>..|i?i The Case for Italian Basketball Venice in Week 1, Venice's team comes to In last year's Coppa, Milan was one of Zach Messitte your arena in Week 16. And there's drama: three top seeds that lost in the first round, MILAN Turin, seeded fifth in last year's Coppa, much to the delight of fans from smaller- AS THE National Basketball Associa- won the trophy, even though it placed llth i\ tion plods its way to the 68th an- at the end of the season. i % nual Ali-Star Game in Charlotte, There's an intensity to the Italian regu Forget the Ali-Star Game. •*• ^N.C, on Sunday, American lar season that too often is missing from hoops fans should take note of how the the N.BA.'s long fall and winter games. The real hoops drama Italians generate hardwood dramain Feb- Not only are there fewer games, but also ruary. they are shorter and quicker (10-minute is in Europe. Since Thursday, the eight best teams in as opposed to 12-minute quarters, and Italy's Lega Basket Serie A from the first with fewer play stoppages mandated by market teams like Cantù, which plays in naif of the season have been competing for television). And even if the quality of play in Italy is interior, the interest in the Feb- the Milanese suburb of Desio. As one team the Coppa Italia, a no-holds-barred, single officiai told me, it doesn't hurt that elimination tournament whose outcome ruary Coppa Italia far outstrips whether Team LeBron will prevail over Team Gian- coaches have built-in salary incentives if actually matters to fans, players, team their team does well at the midseason owners and corporate sponsors.
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