By Aris Barkas/ barkas@eurohoops.net
The nefarious activity around European basketball courts knows no rest, as shocking new incidents made headlines again last week. No one is safe in the streets or on the hardwood, and despite the police efforts, there’s no end in sight to the unlawful behavior. According to many law enforcement reports, the suspects of all those crimes are wanted more than ever, their moves can’t be predicted and the general public must always be alert.
Five more arrest warrants were issued, but still no progress is made by the authorities. Please remain calm and report any suspicious activities. It may happen in a gym near you.
Mike Zirbes: A German thug who is already mistaken for a Serb by many, since during more than a year now he has made Belgrade his home. He is unstoppable near the paint and that was more evident than ever in the resounding win of Crvena Zvezda Telekom Belgrade over Real Madrid. He is good, but no one expected him to score 26 points on 10 of 12 two-point shooting and to become the “killer” of the reigning champions in the last crucial minutes. His look is menacing and in this case you can judge a book by its cover…
Jamel McLean: He stayed under the radar for quite some time. As it turned out, he was just preparing his next onslaught, precisely when everyone had taken their eyes off him. Last year he operated in Berlin and now he appeared in Milan. The end result was a crucial win for EA7 Emporio Armani Milan over Anadolu Efes Istanbul in which he collected 26 points on 9 -for-10 two-point and 8-for-11 free-throw shooting, plus 5 rebounds, 2 assists and 1 steal. He was one of the most wanted men in Europe last summer and now he is back for more…
John Bryant: Also goes by the nickname “Big Country”, he is an American heavyweight who has made Germany new home base. According to many eye-witness reports, since 2010 he has become one of the most notorious big men in the central European region. He proved it last week in Moscow with 17 points, 7-for-10 shooting, 6 rebounds and 2 blocks in FC Bayern Munich’s road-kill exhibition against Khimki Moscow Region. Despite his size, his calling card is not brute force but finesse and that makes him even more effective…
Aleksandar Vezenkov: Born in Cyprus, he is of Bulgarian origin and also holds a Greek passport. Despite his young age and multiple identities, his criminal talent is already well known around Europe and led him this season to Barcelona, Spain. He is a new entry in the most wanted list of the police and he is expected to stay there. He was spotted in Poland, scoring 15 points in the win of FC Barcelona Lassa against Stelmet Zielona Gora. It was his first major hit, however intelligence sources believe this is only the start of his damage-making…
Richard Hendrix: An American brute who is well known to European authorities. Starting from 2010 in Israel, he is always ready to explode in the paint. It’s almost ironic, but against his old team, Maccabi FOX Tel Aviv, he had one of his best hits yet as Unicaja Malaga got the win and he registered a double-double with 11 points and 12 rebounds. He built a reputation as something of a showman on and off the court through a previous stop in Russia, too, but even though he may keep smiling no matter what, if he turns up on your team’s court, remember: this suspect is not to be taken lightly – ever!
Art credit: JPsportart