The Cross Over Movement Blog

Since Mike D’Antoni took over the Phoenix Suns, the media has force-fed us the notion that the Suns were a European team, as if nobody in the NBA ever runs a pick-and-roll. How many people identify the Orlando Magic as a “European” team, even though the Magic led the NBA in three-point attempts (supposedly a sign of one’s Europeanness) and the Magic used the pick-and-roll extensively, like the Suns or the 90’s Jazz.

In fact, the San Antonio Spurs and Utah Jazz have played most like the European teams with which I am most familiar. However, J.A. Adande makes a convincing argument that the Los Angeles Lakers are now the most “Euro” team in the Association (remember when that had a negative connotation?).

His article also makes someinteresting points about European development versus U.S. development:

“I don’t want to stereotype European players versus American players, because there’s always the exception,” Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak said. “But European players have typically always been well coached and drilled and good shooters. They’re in the gym. The guidelines that regulate what we can do at the NCAA level in terms of practice and hours on the court, they don’t exist in Europe. They end up with players that have a lot more coaching, a lot more practice time. For some people, I think, the skill level is better. Is that more fitting for the triangle offense? Maybe.”

Then there’s the futbol influence. Most foreign players played the world’s sport before or at the same time they started playing basketball, and Bryant says you still can find elements of that in his game.

“Playing soccer, you have to visualize sequences, sometimes three, four, five passes ahead,” Bryant said. “I think that helped me in terms of seeing a basketball game in a different way. Just spacing, understanding movement, back cuts, quick touches, things of that nature.”