We talk Euroleague Final Four and have an interview with Ricky Rubio about missing European hoops.

Taking The Charge Podcast Episode 35: Os Davis of BallinEurope and Dave of heinnews talk about the Euroleague Final Four and also have an interview with Ricky Rubio of the Minnesota Timberwolves.

For our Movie of the Week, we watched “The Wrestler”

Emails to takingthecharge@hotmail.com

To subscribe to the show, insert this feed into your podcast aggregator (such as iTunes):

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Here is the link to the trailer for “The Wrestler”

Episode 35: Breakdown of show

News: Os and Dave talk about the Euroleague Final Four: 01:25

Spain point guard Ricky Rubio: 1:08:10

This week’s music: Olympiacos fans: 1:19:30 and “I feel basketball” (EuroBasket 2013 anthem): 1:437:10

Movie of the week “The Wrestler”: 1:23:00

John Hobbs of Talkbasket.net talks about London’s preparations for the 2013 Euroleague Final Four

Taking The Charge Podcast Episode 34: Os Davis of BallinEurope and Dave of heinnews talk to John Hobbs of Talkbasket.net about London’s preparations for the Euroleague Final Four, CSKA Moscow v Olympiacos and British hoops.

For our Movie of the Week, we watched “Michael Jordan: An American Hero”

Emails to takingthecharge@hotmail.com

To subscribe to the show, insert this feed into your podcast aggregator (such as iTunes):

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Here is the link to the movie “Michael Jordan: An American Hero”

Episode 34: Breakdown of show

News: Os rants about changing the names of sports teams and we talk a bit about the Euroleague: 00:52

John Hobbs of Talkbasket.net: 11:45

This week’s music: “Sax on Drugs” 1:42:15 and “California ’71” 2:07:55 by Pk jazz Collective

Movie of the week “Michael Jordan: An American Hero”: 1:47:10

heinnews provides a live blog from Bamberg for Game One of the Beko BBL Playoff series between Brose Baskets Bamberg vs Phoenix Hagen. Follow the fun and excitement of the three-time reigning champions and top seed against the surprise and most up-tempo team of the league.

Click below to receive an email reminder for the start of the Live Blog

Jeff Taylor of Basketball World News gives Taking The Charge some insight into basketball in Spain.

Taking The Charge Podcast Episode 33: Os Davis of BallinEurope and Dave of heinnews talk to Jeff Taylor of Basketball World News who also writes for fiba.com about the Euroleague Final Four, the Spanish Liga Endesa and a bit of 2013 EuroBasket.

For our Movie of the Week, we watched “Elway to Marino” from the ESPN 30 for 30 series.

Emails to takingthecharge@hotmail.com

To subscribe to the show, insert this feed into your podcast aggregator (such as iTunes):

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Here is the trailer for the film “Elway to Marino”.

Episode 33: Breakdown of show

News: The elimination and future of the Los Angeles Lakers, the NBA playoffs, the Euroleague’s decision to leavy a hefty fine and a four closed door game ban on Panathinaikos: 06:35

Jeff Taylor of Basketball World News: 45:15

This week’s music: “Working Boy Blues” 1:23:15 and “Blue Berry” 1:49:40 by Bombay Laughing Club

Movie of the week “Elway to Marino”: 1:27:00

Ben Golliver, who writes for SI.com as well as blazersedge.com, talks about the 2013 Nike Hoop Summit, the NBA playoffs and the Portland Trailblazers.

Taking The Charge Podcast Episode 32: Os Davis of BallinEurope and Dave of heinnews talk to Ben Golliver of SI.com and Blazersedge.com about the 2013 Nike Hoop Summit, the F-word, the NBA playoffs and the Portland Trailblazers.

For our Movie of the Week, we watched “They Live”.

Emails to takingthecharge@hotmail.com

To subscribe to the show, insert this feed into your podcast aggregator (such as iTunes):

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Here is the trailer for the film “They Live”.

Episode 32: Breakdown of show

News: The difference between Budapest and Bucharest and Czech Republic and Chechyna, the latest hirings and firings in the NBA, Euroleague’s quarterfinal playoffs and the 2013 Nike Hoop Summit: 00:40

Ben Golliver of SI.com and Blazersedge.com: 15:40

This week’s music: “Dalia” by Pietnastka 1:40:00 and “Not in Portland” by Nonima: 2:02:35

Movie of the week “They Live”: 1:42:50

Things are anything but rosy at the moment at Alba Berlin where one issue after the next hits the media in the German capital.

Player-coach issues, team-management bickering, coach-contract questions: With less than two weeks until the end of the regular season and the team still fighting for home court advantage in the first round of the playoffs, things are anything but quiet and calm for Alba Berlin.

Head coach Sasa Obradovic went after his team following Berlin’s loss at Braunschweig – Berlin’s ninth defeat in the last 10 road games which left them in fifth place, two games behind Bayern Munich in the race for home court advantage in the first round of the playoffs with two games more than Bayern to play.

“We are missing the determination in the decisive moments. The key players have to take the ball and say, I will do it. I am missing that,” said Obradovic in the Berlin BZ daily.

Obradovic’s comments came a week after he berated playmaker DaShaun Wood within the sight of the Bild daily in an incident in which Wood even had to be restrained by his teammates from attacking the coach.

The next issue came as veteran Yassin Idbihi and club management went back and forth during contractual negotiations with CEO Marco Baldi and sports director Mithat Demirel both sort of questioning Idbihi’s delay in signing an extension after swapping agents and asking for more time to consider.

“We cannot force anybody into doing anything. He can say five times that he wants to stay, then he should do it,” Baldi was quoted in the Berlin Morgenpost.

And Demirel added: “We don’t need anybody who don’t want to be here.”

Idbihi told the Morgenpost that he apologized to Demirel and his plan is to remain with Alba as long as possible.

But the comments by Baldi and Demirel did not sit well with the Berlin players, who really respect Idbihi and his work ethic and commitment to the club.

“Especially the foreign players are wondering and uncertain about how they treat a player,” said Berlin’s German playmaker Heiko Schaffartzik in the Morgenpost on April 12.

“The players are thinking: If they lambast someone like Yassin, who everybody respects and always gives their all for the team, what will they do with me.”

Schaffartzik added: “If Mr. Demirel and Mr. Baldi want to lead the club like that, then they have to do it that way.”

Schaffartzik’s comments were not welcomed by Obradovic, who said in the Morgenpost: “It’s not his job to comment on that. Everyone should concentrate on basketball.”

Baldi’s response last Friday (April 12) was: “What Heiko Schaffartzik says it not important. What’s important is what he does on the court. Everything else will be cleared up internally.”

Things heated up in the Berlin media on Tuesday (April 16) when Obradovic tried to calm things down, telling the BZ: “I cannot see that the mood is bad. The players are also practicing with full energy.”

He added: “Contracts shouldn’t be a topic right now. Besides Heiko Schaffartzik, nobody on the team has a guaranteed contract for next season. Not even me.”

The news was surprising since initial reports last off-season said Obradovic had signed on a two-year contract. The deal apparently has an option for the second season though it would be extended automatically if Berlin reach the Beko BBL playoff finals.

When asked about the Obradovic contract, Baldi told the Morgenpost:  “No comment.”

It’s no surprise that Baldi did not comment – the main thing is to calm things down in Berlin.

One good piece of news for Berlin is that Nihad Djedovic and Zach Morley both were able to return to practice on Tuesday.

Could Dennis Schröder be on his way to Bayern Munich soon?

Bayern Munich may go after young German point guard Dennis Schröder if he doesn’t make it to the NBA, according to a report in a Munich newspaper.

“If he doesn’t make it to the NBA, he will play at FC Bayern,” the Munich daily TZ quoted an insider as saying about Schröder.

The 19-year-old athletic playmaker shot up talent observers’ charts this season as he went from 2.3 points and 0.7 assists over 8 minutes per game last season to 12.0 points and 3.2 assists in 25 minutes this season for New Yorker Phantoms Braunschweig.

Schröder’s performance this season led him to win the Beko BBL Most Improved Player award and the Best German Youth Player honor. It also earned him a spot on the World Select Team at this weekend’s Nike Hoop Summit.

The TZ newspaper reports that Bayern are extremely interested in acquiring Schröder, whose team Braunschweig is in serious danger of relegation. With six Germans necessary for 12-man rosters, young German players are worth more than ever.

“We value greatly the development of German talents and players,” TZ quoted Bayern personnel boss and general manager Marko Pesic, who in January added 19-year-old top German talent Paul Zipser on a four-year contract.

Pesic’s father and Bayern head coach Svetislav Pesic is well-known for his ability of developing young talent – which would make Schröder a good fit for Bayern.

Schröder would also help Munich long term in the point guard position.

To subscribe to the new feed, insert this feed into your podcast aggregator (such as iTunes): http://heinnews.com/feed/taking-the-charge/ and you are good to go!

We are new in iTunes so we have a new podcast feed, meaning this feed will no longer be current. We will run the next three episodes with his feed but then move to the new feed exclusively.

To subscribe to the new feed, insert this feed into your podcast aggregator (such as iTunes): http://heinnews.com/feed/taking-the-charge/ and you are good to go!

Taking The Charge Podcast Episode 31: Os Davis of BallinEurope and Dave of heinnews talk to Casey Jacobsen of Brose Baskets Bamberg about getting back in the right frame of mind for the Beko BBL playoffs and Esteban Apraez of ESPN International Marketing Solutions about the Basketball Capitals documentary series.

For our Movie of the Week, we watched took a look at three of those four series documentaries.

Emails to takingthecharge@hotmail.com

To subscribe to the show, insert this feed into your podcast aggregator (such as iTunes):

http://heinnews.com/feed/taking-the-charge/

Here is the trailer for the documentary series Basketball Capitals.

Episode 31: Breakdown of show

News: Euroleague quarterfinal playoffs, Lokomotiv Kuban winning Eurocup title, NBA playoffs picture, Nike Hoop Summit, Dario Saric, Alex Abrines: 3:10

Casey Jacobsen of Brose Baskets Bamberg: 1:02:30

This week’s music: “darix togni” 1:12:40 and “malva (instrumental)” 2:20:55 by Digi G’Alessio 

Esteban Apraez, senior director, ESPN International Marketing Solutions: 1:21:25

“Film” of the week “Basketball Capitals”: 1:56:25

Casey Jacobsen of Brose Baskets Bamberg talks build-up to Beko BBL playoffs and Esteban Apraez of ESPN International Marketing Solutions fills us in on the Basketball Capitals documentary series.

Taking The Charge Podcast Episode 31: Os Davis of BallinEurope and Dave of heinnews talk to Casey Jacobsen of Brose Baskets Bamberg about getting back in the right frame of mind for the Beko BBL playoffs and Esteban Apraez of ESPN International Marketing Solutions about the Basketball Capitals documentary series.

For our Movie of the Week, we watched took a look at three of those four series documentaries.

Emails to takingthecharge@hotmail.com

To subscribe to the show, insert this feed into your podcast aggregator (such as iTunes):

http://heinnews.com/feed/taking-the-charge/

Here is the trailer for the documentary series Basketball Capitals.

Episode 31: Breakdown of show

News: Euroleague quarterfinal playoffs, Lokomotiv Kuban winning Eurocup title, NBA playoffs picture, Nike Hoop Summit, Dario Saric, Alex Abrines: 3:10

Casey Jacobsen of Brose Baskets Bamberg: 1:02:30

This week’s music: “darix togni” 1:12:40 and “malva (instrumental)” 2:20:55 by Digi G’Alessio 

Esteban Apraez, senior director, ESPN International Marketing Solutions: 1:21:25

“Film” of the week “Basketball Capitals”: 1:56:25