Valencia Basket Club

When people think of European sports, they think of two things: Soccer, and European handball. Well, guess what? Europeans like other sports too- like Basketball!

Last Thursday, my dear friend Francesco who hails from Italy sent me a text message asking if I wanted to go to a "good basketball game". Sure, let's go!

So honestly, I had no idea what I was getting myself into. But Francesco and I hop in a cab, and arrive at a very crowded arena and before I know it I'm surrounded by a sea of orange. Orange shirts, orange hats, orange scarves, and even orange wigs!

Turns out, Basketball is kind of a big deal here. The arena was just about packed out with crazy fans. The game was Valencia vs. Athens.

Team Valencia is furthest away, Athens closest

Some notable differences between this game and a US basketball game is that the basketball court is much smaller, the fans eat bocadillos instead of hot dogs, you can stay inside the paint if you want.



Some similarities: they shoot t-shirts at the spirited fans, there are mascots doing silly dances, annoying noise makers, and the ref's still have no idea whats going on.

The team mascot-i think its a firecracker that they light on fallas?

Since Francesco is such a baller and knows so much about this great sport, he also pointed out many players who had once played for the NBA who now play for the Euroleague.

In the end, unfortunately Valencia lost, but the score was close and the game was intense (tie at half time!)

PS, a few nights later while out celebrating a birthday, the birthday boy Cody looks next to me and low and behold, it's Omar Cook one of the best players on the team! He's from Brooklyn (by way of France) and he bought us a shot! But he sure did let me down when I asked if I could start a Cheerleading team for them and he said no, the coach doesn't want cheerleaders!! (rather, the coaches WIFE doesn't want cheerleaders...) What a bad decision, Valencia! You don't know what you're missing!