By Aris Barkas/ barkas@eurohoops.net
Criminal minds are devious and complex. You can never expect them to act according to rules and the element of surprise is their main weapon. Still, in some cases, you can be sure that their habits will resurface, and that was the case this week. Well known criminals have resurfaced and no one could stop them. The ongoing investigation proved fruitless once again and the five new warrants issued by the authorities are bringing back memories of past atrocities.
Kyle Hines: Here is one of the unusual cases of a perpetrator who also could have been a good cop, but he made his choice long ago. Relentless and methodical, he returned to “Freak City”, where he was once the local criminal mastermind, and didn’t show any mercy. After his 17 points on 5-for-6 two-point and 7-for-8 free throw shooting, things were easy for CSKA Moscow against Brose Baskets Bamberg. He has a talent of remaining below the radar, but he is always there in the right place at the right time.
Reggie Redding: An American marauder who made his reputation in Germany, but moved this summer to warmer climates in Turkey and Istanbul. How dangerous is he? With the help of a Montenegrin middleman, he led Dogus Darussafaka Istanbul to the crucial win over Unicaja Malaga, scoring 19 points and closing the game the right way. He started as a small-time operator, but those days are far behind him. He is here to stay.
Dimitris Diamantidis: The silent Greek kingpin, a legendary criminal and a regular member of the most-wanted list for more than a decade. Everyone knows what he can do; they just can’t stop him from doing it. Against FC Barcelona Lassa, he repeated one of his vintage capers by leading Panathinaikos Athens to the win with 20 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists and a lethal three-pointer. He doesn’t seem like much when you encounter him face to face, but looks have proven to be deceiving.
Sergio Llull: A Spanish hustler, known for his light touch and his speedy getaways. That’s why he is nicknamed “The Blur”. Once again, his quickness was on display as he scored his 17 points during the last 16 minutes to lead Real Madrid to a crucial win over Fenerbahce Istanbul. He needed to act and he did so, popping up and doing damage in every corner of the court. But, of course, he vanished before the authorities had the time to make a solid case against him.
Dario Saric: The prodigy from Croatia is wanted by the law enforcement agencies around the world since he was a juvenile criminal-in-the-making. He made Istanbul his base after leaving the borders of his homeland, but his latest strike was made in the capital of his old stomping grounds, Zagreb. To be exact, he led Anadolu Efes Istanbul to the win over Cedevita Zagreb with a double-double of 16 points and 10 rebounds. And we haven’t seen the last of him, for sure.
Art credit: JPsportart