Evan Fournier: 'This is why players like Luka Doncic say it is easier to score in the NBA than in the Euroleague' (2024)

Jorge Sierra @hoopshype
French players in our international GOAT list 🇫🇷
7. Tony Parker
14. Rudy Gobert
25. Joakim Noah
46. Nicolas Batum
58. Boris Diaw
64. Evan Fournier
I’m not going to troll French readers with Joel Embiid’s ranking.
hoopshype.com/lists/78-great… – 4:29 PM

Tommy Beer @TommyBeer
Per @bball_ref,
Most games with 20+ points, 5+ rebounds and 5+ assists by an NBA player
As a teenager:
1. LeBron James: 33 games
2. Luka Doncic: 17 games
In their 20s:
1. LeBron James: 570 games
2. Oscar Robertson: 526
In their 30s:
1. LeBron James: 513 games
2. Karl Malone: – 2:04 PM

Eurohoops @Eurohoopsnet
Evan Fournier spoke to the media upon joining Olympiacos, touching on various topics including the Greek derbies against Panathinaikos, Nikola Vucevic possibly coming to watch him, and the long-standing bond he has with the Piraeus team.
#Euroleague
eurohoops.net/en/euroleague/… – 11:38 AM

Eurohoops: 💪🔴Evan Fournier is already putting in the work at Olympiacos! (via @Olympiacos_BC) pic.x.com/vcb43bob0f -via Twitter @Eurohoopsnet / September 5, 2024

Olympiacos Piraeus superstar Evan Fournier explained his decision to join the Reds and return to Europe after 12 years in the NBA. “I had already thought about going back to Europe,” Fournier said in an interview with L’Equipe. “If it was to experience something strong, emotions, in a place where it was on fire, it was 100 percent yes. I would have liked to experience more things in the NBA, I only made the playoffs five times. But you don’t control everything about your destiny there. After the Olympic Games, I told my agent that I was keen to [return to Europe]. Olympiakos was my priority.” -via EuroHoops.net / September 4, 2024

Maxime Aubin: Evan Fournier said he was offered a 2 years contract with the Wizards in NBA, but he wasn’t interested in a “mentoring role” with the youngsters, “in a losing team”. Added he wants to “compete” in Europe and “enjoy playing basketball again”. Reported by @lequipe & @FirstTeam101. -via Twitter / September 4, 2024

Shaquille O’Neal: “I use jealousy to motivate me. For example, Luka’s about to get $100 million, right? If I was him, I would say, ‘Okay, just pay me $20 million this year and defer the other $80 million until I’m done playing.’ Because you know, that $80 million is not really going to be $80 million after taxes. So, I would say, ‘Pay me $20 million, and the rest, put it away. I don’t want to see it until I’m 35.’ Those are the kinds of things that I would do if I were making the kind of money that players are making now. But no one’s ever reached out to me. Everybody has their own way of making and losing money, but everyone knows that I’m always an open door.” -via YouTube / September 7, 2024

Lineups with Murray were right around the median defensively (and in the 68th percentile when he shared the court with Keon Ellis, the other major defensive presence in the rotation), but he shone statistically in one particular area: isolation defense. According to Synergy, Murray allowed the fewest points per possession (0.681) of anybody in the league (min. 60 possessions) despite entering the one-on-one arena the fifth-most times (113). And he wasn’t playing on easy mode. His top defensive matchups were a murderer’s row: Devin Booker, Luka Doncic, Jalen Williams, Stephen Curry, Donovan Mitchell, Anthony Edwards. Murray held his own. -via Basketball Poetry / September 6, 2024

Slovenia’s recruiting efforts in Dallas involved Luka’s father, Saša, who serves as director of basketball operations, and were focused on the coaching staff. The federation ultimately landed the commitment of Mavericks assistant Sean Sweeney to serve on the coaching staff. However, while the federation was in town, Saša was eager to also recruit Gafford, who was the first choice for the team’s naturalized player slot of both Saša and Slovenia’s head coach, Aleksander Sekulić. “I can tell you that at the time, Gafford was absolutely the first choice of both Saša Dončić and coach Aleksandar Sekulić,” Erjavec said. “We were at the game in Dallas and after it we had a meeting with the leaders of Dallas, where we primarily talked about the coaching staff. Even they didn’t know at the time that the Mavericks would go to the Finals, and we talked about Sean Sweeney being with our national team for the entire preparation. We agreed on everything…” -via Dallas Hoops Journal / September 6, 2024