Basketball will take center stage across Europe from Limassol in the south to Tampere in the north in just under a month.

The latest edition of EuroBasket kicks off on August 27th, with Montenegro making its fifth appearance in this grand event. Our national team will face tough competitors, including hosts Finland, world champions Germany, Lithuania, Sweden, and Great Britain.

It has been confirmed that head coach Bosko Radovic will be without key players like Bojan Dubljević, Nikola Ivanovic, and some NCAA-bound athletes, though other teams face similar challenges.

Among the EuroBasket hosts, only one seems to have a full roster, featuring their biggest star, Lauri Markanen from Utah, along with other key players under coach Glass Fabric.

Basketball Turmoil in Lithuania

Unexpected chaos surrounds the national basketball team of Lithuania, the largest basketball nation in our group.

Out of five NBA players, only Jonas Valančunas, Denver’s new center, will lead the team at EuroBasket. The biggest star, Sacramento’s Domantas Sabonis, has opted out due to personal reasons, and the absence of Young Buzelisa has stirred up quite a storm.

Our teammate Nikola Vucevic has made a move to Chicago as part of the Lithuanian national team staff. Thomas Paces expressed criticism towards captain Valančunas regarding these developments.

Pacesas noted that some NBA players arrived at the Lithuanian national team camp in poor condition and require additional time to get back into form.

“I will definitely play for the Lithuanian national team, but I’m unsure when,” Buzelis stated.

Ultimately, Lithuania will head into EuroBasket under the leadership of the criticized Valančunas.

A World Champion Missing an NBA Champion

Germany, featuring NBA stars, will encounter fewer obstacles. Denis Schroeder and Franz Wagner, along with Tristan da Silva, are significant assets.

New coach Alex Mumbru is also supported by seasoned European players such as Daniel Taisa, Andreas Obst, Johannes Feujtmann, and Johannes Timana, although Isaiah Hartenstein will be absent due to an Achilles injury.

Hartenstein, who recently won an NBA title with Oklahoma City and became only the second German, after Dirk Nowitzki, to earn an NBA championship ring, will miss EuroBasket due to his injury concerns.

Sweden’s NBA Star Also Withdraws

Montenegro will be focused on securing a spot in the round of 16 with matches against Sweden and Great Britain.

Radović’s squad previously defeated Sweden in the qualifiers and is expected to face a manageable challenge in Tampere.

Sweden boasts two NBA players; however, while First Larson from Miami will participate, Bobi Klintman, the power forward from Detroit, has decided to withdraw.

Klintman, who debuted in the NBA last season and shone during the summer league, commented, “Playing for the national team is always a great honor, but after a season filled with injuries, it’s crucial for me to focus on a complete recovery and a strong preseason with my club.”

Regarding Montenegro, in addition to the previously mentioned Dubljević and Ivanović, none of the following will be part of the roster this summer: Nemanja Radović, Petar Popovic, Dino Radoncic, Luka Bogavac, Andrija Grbović, and David Mirkovic.

Montenegro kicks off EuroBasket on August 27th against Germany at the Nokia Arena.

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