As you obviously know, this season the NBA is celebrating its 75th anniversary! A long and beautiful story of the orange ball, immense performances, legendary players… and unforgettable moments have marked the great life of our favorite League. And precisely, to celebrate this anniversary, the NBA has decided to you to vote. So the question is simple, the answer is going to be complicated: what is the greatest European moment in the history of the NBA?
The great moments… in Europe.
But, what could that possibly mean?
In the rich history of the NBA, there are bound to be great moments that have been offered and experienced with an American touch, but there are also great moments that have been contributed by players who have trained on the other side. of the Atlantic Ocean. And yes, when we celebrate the 75th anniversary of the League, we cannot put aside the fact that the internationalization of the game has marked the course of the orange ball. As a result, over the past twenty years, many things have changed and the stars do not necessarily come from New York or Los Angeles. They sometimes come from Paris, Athens, Würzburg or Barcelona, to name just these cities… The place is therefore today given to Europe, and to these giants who have thrilled entire countries via the NBA.
The first criterion that allows you to enter this VIP club? To be European, and to have written a huge page in the NBA.
No Asia or Africa for once, there is total concentration on Europe and its superstars. Obviously, the higher you climbed on the roof of the League, the more likely you are to show up in this ranking. But there are tricksters who have been more or less dominant…and behemoths who have broken down barriers to allow others to step into the breach.
To celebrate its 75th anniversary, the NBA has therefore decided to give the floor to the fans! #NBA75EuroVote
From now on, it’s up to you.
Click here to voteyou will participate in the virtual European ballot and thus determine what is the greatest European moment in NBA history.
The vote is already open and will end on March 9, with a big winning moment to be announced on March 11.
What are the European moments presented in the vote?
To determine the moments participating in the vote, it was necessary to carry out a first sorting. And in this first sorting, it was already necessary to transfer the moments which would have no chance of finishing at the top of the charts. It is therefore with pride and no less hype that your favorite media took part in the panel of European experts determining this finalist quintet. And yeah, now we’re asking TrashTalk to help write NBA history, so we’re letting you have your best cup of coffee in your kitchen and you can toast the screen with the mif.
# The 5 great European moments to vote among:
- Toni Kukoc achieves the hat-trick with the Bulls : first tested by Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen before his arrival in the NBA, Kukoc will quickly show his immense talent and become one of the pillars of the Bulls who make the threepeat of the late 90s. Sixth man of the year in 1996, fundamental in 1997 and almost second best scorer in Chicago in the 1998 NBA Finals, Toni definitely puts Europe on the map of respectable regions in the League. Not the pioneer, but the one who pocketed the most rings first by having a decisive role.
- Tony Parker 2007 Finals MVP : cock-a-doodle Doo ! Well then, as much to tell you that we have chills just talking about it. Tony Parker, French flag around his waist, lifting his 2007 NBA Finals MVP trophy in Cleveland? The image is unforgettable, Parker’s series just as much. The first European to lift this trophy, Tony is at the top of his game and the Cavs defense can do nothing against the Frenchman. While he is surrounded by more decorated European players like Gasol and Nowitzki, Parker is the very first to be MVP of the most important series.
- Giannis Antetokounmpo MVP of the Final 2021 : he arrived in the rankings and he said push yourself! How can you not shake your head thinking back to Giannis Antetokounmpo’s incredible 2021 NBA Finals? The Greek god who finally climbs the highest mountain, bulging chest, 50 points over the head of the Suns, an incredible performance that punctuates 6 exceptional matches. While he had a loose knee and had the disillusion of 2020 in mind, Giannis defeated Phoenix and offered himself the supreme crown: a first league title, a first title for the Bucks in almost 50 years, and a Finals MVP trophy. Legendary.
- Dirk Nowitzki, MVP of the 2011 finals : he was All-Star. He was regular season MVP. He systematically stumbled on the Spurs and we did not know if he would be NBA champion one day. You speak ! Dirk takes the basketball world into his galaxy during the 2011 Playoffs, with a sensational level of play and beautiful NBA Finals. While LeBron thinks of unlocking his counter in Miami, Nowitzki is untouchable and beats the Heat with shots on one leg and extraordinary leadership. One of the most beautiful titles of all time, and a breathtaking finish.
- Pau Gasol, back-to-back champion : strong but so lonely in Memphis, immense and so complementary to Kobe in Los Angeles. Pau Gasol arrives at the end of the 2000s with the Lakers, and everything will change, for him as for his franchise. In Bryant’s perfect side-kick, friend Gasol receives his bonus by taking his revenge against the Celtics in 2010 a year after having boxed Dwight Howard and the Magic in 2009. Pau is not only a double-champion two years straight away, it’s all that but in the shoes of a real perfect lieutenant in the history of the NBA.
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So of course, we could have talked about Luka Doncic’s stepback against the Clippers at the buzzer, Joakim Noah’s Defender of the Year trophy, Peja Stojakovic’s three-point contests or Andrei Kirilenko’s 5×5, but the finalists are here! Five great European all-time moments, five legendary memories, and just one to be determined number 1 of all time. So which one? It’s your time to vote !
