Advertisement - scroll for more content
Once more it was proven that the level of basketball played outside the NBA is not that different than the top league in the world and while the NBA has its own agenda, EuroLeague has also its own options of extending outside the European borders. The talks had started in last season’s Final Four not only with Dubai as potential investors but also with the Australian NBL for some kind of collaboration, starting with pre-season games. Former EuroLeague Champions David Andersen was among the representatives from Australia that came for talks in Serbia, while Dubai also had its own presence.
NBL: Talk about a possible storybook ending to one of Australian basketball's most storied careers... 20 years after he began his pro career with the @illawarrahawks, David Andersen is returning to the club for #NBL19. Joe Ingles: Congrats GQ! The gong won’t know what hit them with all your designer clothing! @David Andersen
“We got the bronze, but they deserve it, too, because they had a great tournament,” said Spain’s Victor Claver. And Australia certainly did, in fact it was their best Olympic finish in 14 appearances, and it was a shame that they missed out by a fraction. “Just heartbroken, it’s tough,” Australia’s David Andersen said, not mincing his words.
NBA clubs are circling veteran Boomer David Andersen as his brilliant cameos for Australia jeopardise his imminent move to NBL club Melbourne United. David Andersen admitted yesterday he would be forced to consider potential offers back in America after a remarkable 18-season career.
Asked by News Corp about NBA interest after four exceptional games playing as a back-up to Andrew Bogut, the power forward admitted it wasn’t news to him. “I mean obviously I have signed with (Melbourne) but you never know what happens in basketball, I have seen crazy things, I have been traded two months after the season and seen crazy things in Europe, so I don’t know what will happen,’’ he said.
Advertisement
He left the NBA in 2011 after the lockout over pay claims and his European career has been so lucrative he has at times rebuffed chances to return to the big time. “I have played both NBA and Europe and when I chose to come back to Europe it was after the lockout and things had changed, and luckily I am still (keeping) my legs,’’ he said.
The other thing Barlow made abundantly clear was that Andersen made a conscious choice to play in Europe rather than pursue an NBA career earlier, despite being drafted by Atlanta back in 2002. “To put that comment about him being the best player in Europe into perspective. That was at a time when guys were choosing to be in Europe rather than the NBA because they were getting paid way more. It was around the time [Josh] Childress gave up huge money in the States to sign in Greece.”
Australia have drawn first blood in a physical opener to the FIBA Oceania Championship, weathering a Corey Webster storm to prevail 71-59 in front of a 16,000 strong crowd at Melbourne's Rod Laver Arena on Saturday. A Matthew Dellavedova (15 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists) burst in the second term put the Boomers in front for good, while the late play of Patty Mills (17 points, 4 assists) and David Andersen (17 points) helped the hosts secure an important 12-point edge.
Emiliano Carchia: David Andersen to @ASVEL_Basket is official.
David Andersen has a master plan for the coming year and it involves a FIBA World Cup medal and a return to the NBA. The 34-year-old centre will enter his fifth major tournament when the Boomers tip-off their World Cup campaign against Slovenia in Spain in the early hours of Sunday morning. After a hiatus in the second half of last year to rest his body, Andersen played the end of the European season with SIG Strasbourg in the French league and is primed to play a key role for the Boomers where he will start at power forward and be a major cog in the team's offence where his shooting and poise will be needed.
Advertisement
Andersen, who came through the Frankston Blues junior program before embarking on a professional career which is entering a 16th year, said he keenly wanted to see the Boomers claim their first senior medal this year. So he decided to put his focus squarely on the national team and put all decisions about his playing future off until after the World Cup.
Emiliano Carchia: OFFICIAL: David Andersen is a new player of @sigbasket
SIG Strasbourg is in advanced talks with David Andersen and hopes to finalize the deal in the coming hours, according to DNA.
Andersen has continued to field calls from major clubs and in early February the 211-centimetre centre expects to sign with an NBA or Euroleague side and play out the current season. He last played with Turkish giant Fenerbahce in the 2012-2013 season, winning the most valuable player award in its Turkish Cup win. After spending too much time on the bench in his last NBA stint with New Orleans and Toronto, Andersen said his best offers would probably come from Europe.
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement