Rumors

When Russian billionaire Mikhail Prokhorov sold the Brooklyn Nets more than two years ago, he gave up ownership of the NBA franchise partly because of pressure from Vladimir Putin, The Post has learned. Events that led Prokhorov’s 2019 sale of the Nets and Barclays Center to Chinese billionaire Joe Tsai stretch back five years earlier, according to sources close to the situation. At the time, the US and European Union had begun to apply sanctions on Russia for taking over Crimea.

New York Post

The ninth European Parliament election was held on Sunday. With Lithuania a member of the European Union, the country’s voters took part in the procedures and elected retired player Sarunas Marciulionis as one of their eleven spokesmans in the European Parliament. The 54-year-old Lithuanian was a candidate with the European Green Party and gathered 32.591 votes to secure second place among the all representatives of his Party.

EuroHoops.net

The Thunder is working with the U.S. government to bring Kanter back to America, said Hadis Fetic, Kanter's executive assistant. “To be honest, we’re pretty optimistic, just because of the situation,” Fetic said. “He’s in a European Union country.”

Oklahoman

In a recent press release FIBA revealed that Euroleague filed a complaint to European Commission against FIBA and FIBA Europe regarding possible violation of EU competition law. Euroleague presented an explanation of its complaint on the official website. Below is the official explanation by Euroleague:

TalkBasket

Sources have indicated Philly ownership was gung-ho to take one of the Big 3 — Karl-Anthony Towns, Jahlil Okafor or D’Angelo Russell because taking another unknown European project may not have sat well with a disenchanted fan base.

New York Post

It would be nothing short of a nightmare if their super-skinny European project Kristaps Porzingis is too injured to participate in the Knicks summer league that opens July 11 in Las Vegas. And his brother alluded to the uncertainty in a radio interview Monday on ESPN Radio, citing the tightness in his hip that forced him to shut down his Knicks workout three days before the draft. But according to the team, Porzingis is on schedule to play in Vegas and is back working out after missing a few days.

New York Post

Childress, comparatively, signed a three-year, $20 million deal with Olympiacos, but that's when its owners were trying to make a splash and Childress had to agree to stay at least one full season. With Greece's economy in ruins, both Olympiacos and Panathanaikos are now up for sale, leaving the number of teams able and willing to offer a deal comparable to Williams' at "less than 10," according to multiple sources. Several teams from the Turkish League are spending lavishly because the country's economy is booming, but it is the exception thanks to, in part, not being a full member of the European Union. Not only are the days of the Greek government arranging tax-free concessions for its sports franchises over, but the cost of bailing out Greece has prompted other governments in the European Union to close tax loopholes for their country's teams as well.

ESPN.com