Lovable Skyliner AJ Moye playing against his old club Tuebingen might not be as spectatcular as when Lebron James will face the Cavs for the
first time, Randy Moss facing the New England Patriots for the first time, or when Dominican Republic baseball hulk Manny Ramirez faced his old club Boston Red Sox for the first time and stroking out a home run in his second game back at Fenway park, but the zeal that AJ Moye has for the game of basketball is as great or even greater as Formula one racer Michael Schumacher has for that sport, singer Justin Timberlake has for not using facebook, but rathr staying in touch with his loved ones with his phone, or former tennis legend and three time Wimbeldon champion Boris Becker has for not hiding in the closet, but displaying his private life now as a retired tennis player at boris-becker.tv. Moye might not document his life yet daily with the camera, but Moye would have given an extra 180% when he faced his old club Walter Tigers Tuebingen after playing for them from 2006-2009, but as is so often the case, sometimes life threatening situations arise which can´t be stopped. Skyliner forward AJ Moye suffered a stroke and is currently in a Frankfurt hospital undergoing intensive tests. On Monday, Moye and another player collided with their heads, but the two players were able to continue to practice. On Monday night, the step
father of Moye spoke with his step son and noticed that he had problems speaking. On Tuesday at the morning shoot around before the Eurochallenge game against Maccabi Haifa, there was abnormal behavior detected with the Los Angeles native. As his behavior got more intense, Moye was brought to a Frankfurt hospital. At the hospital his condition worsened. The diagnosis that Moye had a stroke has been confirmed in the hospital. Further diagnosis about his recovery and therapy can not be determined at the present moment. Skyliner sports director Kamil Novak spent the whole day in the hospital with Moye yesterday. ‘The family of AJ arrived in Germany today. AJ is the most professional player that ever played in our organization. There are situations in life where basketball becomes a minor matter. Right now our concern is with AJ’, stressed Kamil Novak. ‘AJ is a strong person, he will pull out of this situation. God Bless him and his Family’, said Glen Mcgowan who is playing in South Korea now and played in the BEKO BBL with Cologne.’A.J. is a very good player in my eyes because he was very tough to score against. He played with his heart and left it all on the court. Get well soon because basketball not only needs you, life itself do. God Bless and you are in my prayers’, stressed Monta McGhee who played against Moye with Nordlingen and is currently playing for Zorg and Zekerheid Leiden (Holland-DBL). “On the court or off the court AJ Moye is great guy. I just want him to know that everybody out here is praying for his speedy recovery. Honestly Im at a lost for words right now”, strtessed 2009 BEKO BBL leading scorer Omari Westley.
BBL
Elvir Ovcina(Giessen 46ers) The War Was A Bad Experience, But We All Tried To Learn The Best We Could From This Experience
Elvir Ovcina is a 34 year old 211cm power forward/center that was born in Sarajevo.
He played for Syracuse from 1995-1999 reaching the NCAA final in 1996. After playing in Slovenia for two seasons, he came to Germany and
played for the EWE Baskets Oldenburg from 2001-2004. In the 2003-2004 season, he played 27 games: 14.9ppg, 9.3rpg, 2.7apg, 2.8bpg. In 2004-2005, he played for Olympiakos S.F.P. Pireus (Greece-A1): Euroleague: 8 games: 4.3ppg, 5.6rpg; Greek League: 9 games: 5.7ppg, 3.1rpg, 2FGP: 52.0%, in Dec.’04 moved to RheinEnergie Koln (Germany-1.Bundesliga): ULEB Cup: 5 games: 11,2ppg, 3.8rpg, 1.2apg, FGP: 51.3%, 3Pts: 33.3%; German Bundesliga: 21 games: 10.1ppg, 4.9rpg, 1.5apg, 1.6bpg, 2FGP: 49.7%, 3FGP: 20.0%. In 2005-2006, he played for Khimik-OPZ Yuzny (Ukraine-Superleague): EuroCup Challenge: 2 games: 10.5ppg, 3.0rpg, 0ast, FG: 63.6%, 3PT: 50%; Ukrainian League: 8 games: 7.6ppg, 3.8rpg, 2FGP: 51.0%, 3PT: 50.0%, FT: 66.7%, in Dec.’05 joined Telindus BC Oostende (Belgium-D1): 21 games: 10.7ppg, Reb-4(7.8rpg), 1.7apg, 1.2spg, 2FGP: 55.0%, 3PT: 20.0%, FT: 55.0%. He then played in Belgium from 2006-2008 for Telindus BC Oostende winning the cup in 2008. In 2008-2009, he played for Bosna ASA BH Telecom Sarajevo (D1): Adriatic League: 5 games: 9.8ppg, 9.2rpg, 3.6apg. Last season, he played for Polzela (Slovenia-Liga UPC): 5 games: 12.8ppg, 5.8rpg, 1.2apg, FGP: 55.3%, 3PT: 66.7%, FT: 85.7%, in Jan.’10 moved to LTi Giessen 46ers (Germany-1.Bundesliga, starting five): 14 games: 14.1ppg, 8.1rpg, 2.8apg, 1.0bpg, FGP: 57.7%, 3PT: 32.3%, FT: 69.4%. Some achievements in his career have been and Herzegovina National Team -97-05, European Championships -97, 99, 01, 03, German Bundesliga Cup Semifinals -02, German Bundesliga All-Star Game -03, German Bundesliga Cup Winner -05, European Championships in Belgrade -05: 3 games: 5.0ppg, 5.0rpg, 0.7apg, 1.3spg, Belgian League Regular Season Champion -06, Belgian League Champion -06, 07
and Bosnia and Herzegovina Cup Winner -09. He spoke to German Hoops about basketball.
The Giessen 46ers are the huge surprise of the season so far. Why is the team so strong this season?
We are a young talented team. I think we have had an advantage with the schedule in the early going. We didn´t play any team that was higher than 13th place. We haven´t had a win against atop team like Oldenburg or Bamberg yet. I think that the team did a good chance preparing for the season. Last season, the team started 0-6 and after six games this season had 4 wins already. Management did a good job bringing in new players. Only me and Jannik Freese remained. We might not have good results in preseason, but we always knew that if we continued to work hard, we would have success.
Gruebler talks: Check out the Euroleague Adventures Podcast!
As I mentioned in the about section a must-read for all basketball fans in germany is the blog gruebelei.de. Unfortunatly the texts are written in german. So
if you cannot read any german or your not totally comfortable with the translators you can find on the internet you will not get too much out of it.
But if you’re sick and tired of reading anyway (whatever language it is) there is a nice way to hear a real expert talk about the german basketball scene. Henner Schlaefke aka Gruebler joined forces with Euroleague Advantures and talks for more than half an hour about german basketball in english!
Gruebler mainly talks about the early Beko BBL season. He calls Bamberg ‘the team to beat this season’ and especially reflects on Alba Berlin’s chances. Later he talks about Bayern Munich’s huge basketball project and what Germany’s league must do to elevate to the status of elite.
Explaining the difference between ProA and ProB
One of the most frequently asked questions I get from people who contact me via mail is: ‘What exactly is the difference between the ProA and
ProB league?’
It is indeed confusing that both leagues share the same logo and are part of the 2. Bundesliga (second highest division in Germany). Furthermore it was not a good idea to name the leagues Pro since their are (especially in ProB) not only pro players. The mess is perfect when you remember that the french leagues are also named ProA and ProB. But while in France the first division is called ProA and the second ProB, in Germany the BBL is the highest level league in Germany.
To make it short:
ProA = second division
ProB = third division
To explain some of the differences I (finally) wrote a small piece that can also be found in the section League Facts.
Maccabi Haifa Had Enough Tail Wind From The Carmel Mountain Squeezing Out A Win In The Opening Eurochallenge Game Against The Deutsche Bank Skyliners 83-78
Maccabi Haifa may not have the name, tradition or player personal of neighbor Maccabi Tel Aviv, but the club has proved this season that they can beat any team on any day and have made a fine transition to the Premier league similar to how Phoenix Hagen is slowly making a name in the BEKO BBL in the early going, BBC Bayreuth American Jaivon Harrs making a solid jump from the German PRO A to the BEKO BBL and showing his potent basketball skill or Formula one German racer Nico Hulkenberg making his mark as a rookie this season as he was the first German racer getting a pole position in his first season. Maccabi Haifa displayed a calm and cool head down the stretch in the fourth quarter that they can beat teams in Israel, France or Germany as they defeated The Deutsche Bank Skyliners 83-78 in the first Eurochallenge game in Frankfurt. “The Israel league is tough. Maccabi tel Aviv has a lot of tradition and history and are always in the final game. I think that we can give them a good game this season. I would put us in the top half of the league in israel. We hope to keep moving up ladder and getting as good as Maccabi Tel Aviv”, warned 22 year old Maccabi Haifa American Derrick Low. Skyliner forward Roger Powell who played in Israel a few years ago and was lauded in the best merits from Maccabi Haifa management didn´t have to think much about what a Maccabi Haifa can do in Israel. “In Israel any team can beat anyone. Maccabi Tel Aviv is a great team while Maccabi Haifa is a decent team.You can´t take any team for granted in the Israel league”, warned ex NBA player Roger Powell.
Marcus Ginyard(BBC Bayreuth) I Think I Am A Better Offensive Player Than What I Get Credit For.
Marcus Ginyard is a 23 year old 196cm shooting guard/small forward from Alexandria, Virginia that is playing his first season with BBC 
Bayreuth. He played at the University of North Carolina from 2005-2010. In his senior year, he played 33 games: 7.7ppg, 4.9rpg, 2.8apg, 1.2spg, FGP: 40.6%, 3PT: 30.9%, FT: 67.1%. Some of his achievements at North Carolina were , ACC Tournament Semifinals -06, 09, ACC Regular Season Champion 08, 09, ACC Tournament Winner -07, 08, NCAA Elite Eight -07, ACC All-Defensive Team -08, NCAA Final Four -08 and was a NIT Finalist -10. This past summer, he played NBA Summer League in Orlando (Charlotte Bobcats). He sat down with German Hoops to talk basketball.
How was it playing against Immanuel Mcelroy of Alba Berlin?
It was a great challenge and I had a lot of fun with the matchup. I thought that I played ok. I made some mistakes and Alba Berlin took advantage of it. It was a great learning experience.
With Moral Support From Soccer Club Eintracht Frankfurt Cheering In The Crowd Nothing Could Stop The Deutsche Bank Skyliners Defeating EnBW Ludwigsburg 74-67
The last time the Deutsche Bank Skyliners lost to EnBW Ludwigsburg at home was in 2006 as Lionel Richie look alike Jerry Green was 
putting up MVP stats in the BEKO BBL(even though Bingo Merriex could also pose as a Lionel Richie double), ex Skyliner Rudy Mbemba was still a teenager and for many basketball fanatics the hottest Swedish commodity since the pop group Roxette and singer Paul Potts was still practicing his opera talent at home in front of the mirror and selling cell phones before he finally became a household name in 2008 winning Britain´ s Got talent and Frankfurt was able to keep their unbeaten streak alive at home beating EnBW Ludwigsburg 74-67. Frankfurt was able to win their six game in a row and players had mixed emotions about the way the home team was able to win the game. Skyliner center Marius Nolte had a glowing smile after the win, but not so much about how the team played. “I am smiling about how we survived the last weeks. We had injuries and guys coming and going, but we stayed together as a team which is important. We were a bit tired mentally tonight, but I am happy that we won. Ex Tubingen American AJ Moye had a stern expression after the game and wasn´t to thrilled with how the team played. “A win is a win, but I didn´t like our purpose on offense tonight. We pushed the ball nicely on transition, but we were breaking out of our offensive sets to quickly. Normally Ludwigsburg is a team where we should have 5-6 guys in double figures and 18-20 team assists. We gave up 43 points in the second half which is trash. I am happy we won, but not satisfied”, stressed Skyliner American AJ Moye. EnBW Ludwigsburg lost their third in a row and fourth of their last five games and had to play catch up basketball all night long. “We play well at times, but we played too much up and down tonight. We were unable to be consistent tonight. Frankfurt decided the game with their penetration. Our bigs aren´t quick enough to help when the Frankfurt guards penetrate”, stated EnBW Ludwigsburg assistant coach Steven Clauss.
Can A Little Richie In Jerry Green Or A Little Bit Of Starship Or Anything Else Stop the Deutsche Bank Skyliners From Getting Their Sixth Win In a Row Against EnBW Ludwigsburg?
The Deutsche Bank Skyliners are currently on a five game winning streak and are as hot as one of the worlds top point guards Rajon Rondo of the Boston Celtics who is averaging 11,1ppg, 14,8apg, 5,5rpg and 3,1spg, Justin Bieber who now at age 16 might be sweeter than Nestle chocolate for most teenage girls and German soccer club Borussia Dortmund who are in position one and carefully and secretly grinning at the current woes of Bayern Munich who seem to be dwelling in some lost barren desert than on the soccer field. Frankfurt wants to win their sixth game in the row and stay unbeaten in the Ballsporthalle this season with getting their fifth win in a row against EnBW Ludwigsburg on Wednesday November 10th. Basketball matters on the court are going so smoothly for the Deutsche Bank Skyliners at the moment that one could think that they have received the extraordinary winning mentality of their sporting neighbors Eintracht Frankfurt who are playing as if they are in their own fairy tale at the moment as they rest in position four with a record of 6-4 in the German Bundesliga. Perhaps they will get some extra luck on Wednesday as some members of Eintracht Frankfurt including Patrick Ochs, Sebastian Jung, Alexander Meier and Marcus Steinhoefer will be in attendance rooting the basketball players to victory. With the inspiring play and success of The Deutsche Bank Skyliners, one could almost dedicate the famous Starship track “Nothing is gonna stop us now” to their current season, because they are playing as if they are on a mission to doing everything right on the court except losing. Skyliner coach Gordon Herbert is a coach who knows how to keep his team from getting the we are too good for anyone syndrome. “The most difficult thing for a team like Frankfurt now is to stay focused and stay hungry, but I am sure they can. You have to toot your own horn in this game, but not go over board. Of course, if you are playing on a team that is blowing everyone away, you could get the feeling that nothing is gonna stop us, but you just have to keep giving your best and not think about the games in the past, but the next game”, stressed Phoenix Hagen American Quentin Pryor. One should never get ahead of yourself especially when everyone thing is working, but players are taking notice about where Frankfurt could be in the near future if they keep playing this well. “Frankfurt needs to stay humble and keep playing defense the way they have. They have a very good team. I think that Frankfurt can step it up to the next level of Bamberg and Berlin. They have great players with Moye, Wood and Powell and play hard. I believe that they can compete with the highest teams in the BEKO BBL this season”, warned Gloria Giants Duesseldorf guard Steven Wright.
Is the Beko BBL the second best league in Europe?
[written by german blogger Gruebler] The German Beko BBL recently stated that they want to become the second best basketball competition in Europe, right after the Spanish ACB. 
Nobody would question that the ACB is number one when it comes to the level of competition, success in European competitions and economic strength. But which league is the second best league in Europe at the moment?
Currently, there there is a discussion on the interbasket boards whether the NLB Adriatic League is number two in Europe. As our German league claims this honours for the future, I commented on this topic and decided to post a longer edited version here.
The Deutsche Bank Skyliners Clip The Wings Of The Peacocok Scoring Boys Winning The Hessen Derby 82-64
The current atmosphere and excitement of the success of the Giessen 46ers and their 5-2 start and the extra push of the Hessen Derby impact 
was as intense as the current stressful situation with loved Mr Streets of San Francisco actor Michal Douglas and his health situation, the silent fueding between Bayern Munich coach Louis Van Gaal and Bayern president Uli Hoeness or the the satisfying feeling in Giants land across the bay with the San Francisco Giants winning the 2010 World Series again after suffering through a 56 year drought, but The Deutsche Bank Skyliners were able to pluck the wings of the Peacock scoring boys and send the Giessen 46ers home with a big 82-64 win. Frankfurt was able to win their 9th game out of their last11 games dating back to 2005 and their fifth game in a row. The Hessen Derby is always a big game for both teams as it seems like both the players and fans give that extra push similar to a pop group like AHA on their farewell tour does. The atmosphere was loud and the only thing missing was ex Skyliner coach Murat Didin to pop up in the Skybembel block wearing a Skybembel scarf and cheering for ex players like Marius Nolte and Dominik Bahiense De Mello. “The derby atmosphere was great. I could hear the Giessen fans very well and it was fun to see which fans could be the loudest. It is always fun to play here”, said Giessen 46er guard Chase Griffin. For Skyliner energy bundle Quantez Robertson, he makes as much noise on the court as a hungry wild boar does when a little baby boar gets gets served food first, but after the game Super Tez was very reserved, but felt the Hessen derby flair. “The atmosphere was good, but not as good as the Auburn-Alabama games, but I am very happy how well the fans supported us today. They helped us get back into the game. It is always important to get wins at home”, stressed Skyliner guard Quantez Robertson. Dashaun Wood played in his first German derby and remembered the rivalry with his school Wright State and Butler, but was impressed with the crowd enthusiasm in the Ballsporthalle. “The Giessen fans brought a lot of energy, but our we had more fans and they got us going. Playing these type of games is what a player always dreams about”, stated Dashaun Wood.
