A Russian athlete was unexpectedly released in Europe. Daniil saved from American prison - Sportish
Connect with us

Basketball

A Russian athlete was unexpectedly released in Europe. Daniil saved from American prison

Published

on

A Russian athlete was unexpectedly released in Europe. Daniil saved from American prison

Daniil Kasatkin has already returned home. A real miracle!

Many young basketball players dream of going to the USA to play in the strongest league on the planet. Russian Daniil Kasatkin recently had a real chance of going to America, though not to join LeBron James and other basketball stars on the court.

Our athlete overseas was facing prison.

Fatal mistake

CSKA graduate Daniil Kasatkin managed to try his hand at the Dynamo and Khimki systems at the beginning of his career and even played briefly at the school and student level in the USA. But the basketball player achieved significant success already as part of the capital’s MBA, with whom he twice won Russian Cup medals. After another success in the 2024/25 season, the Russian athlete went on vacation to France with his fiancee. The voyage to the very heart of Europe was a fatal mistake.

On June 21, the Russian was detained at Paris Charles de Gaulle airport. The French police acted at the request of the United States, and the Americans accused Kasatkin of cyber fraud. It is not entirely clear why a professional basketball player who played in the poorest league in the world would work for hackers. But the story, which for the time seemed like some kind of stupid joke, turned into a real drama for Daniel.

Not only his career was at stake, but also the fate of the Russian. In the USA, Kasatkin faced imprisonment for up to 25 years. And the likelihood that Daniel would go overseas increased with every week he spent in a French prison. The basketball player was initially denied bail, and at the end of October a Paris court decided to extradite the athlete to America.

Daniil Kasatkin / Photo: © PBC MBA

“Welcome Home”

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs stood up for Daniil, but given Russia’s difficult relations with France and the United States, there was little faith in a positive outcome of this story. However, the non-public negotiations appear to have been successful. Immediately after Christmas, a real miracle happened.

“On January 8, 2026, basketball player Daniil Kasatkin, a citizen of the Russian Federation detained in France, who was subject to extradition to the United States of America, was returned to his homeland,” the FSB press service reported.

Kasatkin was exchanged for the French journalist Vinatier Laurent*, who, having earned the status of a foreign agent in Russia, was sentenced to three years in prison for evading the implementation of legislation on foreign agents; he was also accused of espionage.

Now the most important thing is that Daniil is free, and whether the 26-year-old athlete will be able to return to his previous level and continue his professional career is still a secondary question. Still, over the past few months he has not had decent conditions to keep in shape. However, the former team is already waiting for the basketball player.

— At Christmas, wishes tend to come true. Welcome home, Danya! We are waiting for you at training,” says the IBA-MAI press service in a statement.

* An individual performing the functions of a foreign agent in Russia

Source: Sportbox

Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Basketball

Distribution of shares and number of franchises. New details of the NBA project have been announced

Published

on

By

Distribution of shares and number of franchises. New details of the NBA project have been announced

NBA It plans to create a new European league of clubs valued at up to $1 billion, offering investors flexible entry conditions for several years.

The league will also retain a 50% stake, which it will share with FIBA ​​and team owners, Bloomberg journalists Giles Turner and Jake Radnicki reported.

In the coming days, the NBA will open the data room of the future league to potential investors, where financial forecasts and other important information will be presented.

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver will attend two regular season games featuring the Memphis Grizzlies and Orlando Magic in London and Berlin later this week.

The NBA Europe project includes the participation of 12 teams, and according to the championship or Champions League results, four more teams will qualify to participate in the competition without having a share in the league.

The NBA plans to hold a special conference in London in mid-January to meet with potential sponsors, media partners and investors. In addition, existing NBA club owners are already showing interest in purchasing shares in European teams.

Investors will not need to make a significant investment immediately; It is considering a phased entry into the league over a few years. However, funding options for future teams are currently being discussed and final decisions have not yet been made.

Source: Sport UA

Continue Reading

NBA

NBA: Oklahoma victory, Minnesota comeback, Toronto beat Philadelphia in overtime

Published

on

By

NBA: Oklahoma victory, Minnesota comeback, Toronto beat Philadelphia in overtime

Ten games of the NBA regular season were played on the night of December 11-12.

Oklahoma won at home against Miami.

The Heat started the game well and quickly took the lead by 9 points, 14:5. After that, the first half of the game was under their control and Miami was ahead for 59:54 before the big break. The third quarter of the match was decisive, during which the Thunder made a 15:0 move and created a 13-point advantage for themselves with 87:74. Then the home team took control of the game and calmly won with a score of 124:112.

The most productive player of the match was Gilgeous-Alexander with 29 points, while Holmgren also had a double-double with 16 points + 10 rebounds.

Minnesota got the win against San Antonio.

Spurs started the match with a score of 16:0, thus controlling the game and leading until the end of the fourth quarter. Minnesota took the lead for the first time in the game 2 minutes before the siren. Edwards scored the two-pointer and made the score 100:98. Barnes then hit a 3-pointer and McDaniels and Foch hit two-pointers. The fate of the match was decided by Edwards, who scored two points 17 seconds before the end of the match and brought the score to 104:103.

Edwards led the victory with 23 points, while Reed had a double-double with 17 points and 11 rebounds.

Toronto defeated Philadelphia in overtime.

The home team, which was ahead from the beginning of the match, took the lead +14 – 54:40 in the second quarter. But they failed to develop or maintain their superiority. In the third quarter, Minnesota gradually narrowed the gap and after a 7:0 move, they took the lead by 9 points at 82:73. At the start of the fourth 12-minute period, Toronto managed to quickly come back and then tied the game on the field: The teams exchanged leads 9 times and the score was tied 6 more times.

21 seconds before the siren, Maxey hit a three-pointer to make Philadelphia +4 and seemingly seal the victory. However, the Raptors did not give up and two-point baskets by Quickley and Shead tied the score 2 seconds before the buzzer and took the game to overtime. It remained an even game and the winner’s fate was decided at the last second. Barnes won the free throw and scored with the first shot, but missed the second and the opponent had no time to respond. The result is 116:115 in favor of Toronto.

Barnes played with 31 points, 7 rebounds and 8 assists for the Raptors.

NBA. Regular season, December 12

Oklahoma – Miami – 124:112 (32:34, 22:25, 39:26, 31:27)

Oklahoma: Gilgeous-Alexander (29 + 8 assists), Jaylen Williams (18), Holmgren (16 + 10 rebounds), Dort (4), Wallace (3) – start; Mitchell (16), Wiggins (11), Joe (11), Jaylin Williams (9), Caruso (7), Carlson (0), K. Williams (0).

Miami: Wiggins (23 + 6 losses), Hirro (19), Larsson (16), Mitchell (13 + 10 assists), Adebayo (6 + 14 rebounds) – start; Jovic (13), Ware (8), Smith (6 + 6 assists), Jaques (5 + 5 turnovers), Fontecchio (3), Yakucionis (0), Johnson (0), Gardner (0).

Minnesota – San Antonio – 104:103 (24:31, 18:24, 29:30, 33:18)

Minnesota: Edwards (23), Divincenzo (19 + 9 rebounds + 7 assists), Randle (15 + 8 rebounds), McDaniels (12), Gobert (2 + 14 rebounds) – start; Reed (17 + 11 rebounds), Hyland (10), Conley (4), Clark (2).

San Antonio: Vembanyama (29 + 7 rebounds), Shempeni (14 + 10 rebounds), Barnes (13), Fox (12 + 8 rebounds), Castle (11 + 7 losses) – start; K. Johnson (15), Cornet (6 + 12 rebounds), Waters (3), Harper (0), Olynyk (0).

Toronto – Philadelphia – 116:115 Overtime (22:25, 36:23, 18:36, 31:23, 9:8)

toronto: Barnes (31 + 7 rebounds + 8 assists), Shead (22 + 6 assists), Quickley (20 + 7 assists), Murray-Boyles (17 + 15 rebounds), Walter (2) – start; Martin (9 + 8 rebounds), Agbadji (6), Bettle (5), Dick (2), Lawson (2), Mamukelashvili (0).

Philadelphia: Maxey (38 + 5 losses), Edgecombe (17), Barlow (13), Oubre (13), Drummond (0) – starts; Grimes (13 + 7 rebounds), Bona (9), Walker (7), McCain (5), Watford (0).

Orlando-New Orleans-128:118 (26:26, 32:33, 33:39, 37:20)

orlando: Bane (27), Black (26 + 7 assists), Banchero (23 + 8 rebounds + 8 assists), Bitadze (14 + 13 rebounds), Penda (9) – start; da Silva (16), M. Wagner (8), Richardson (3), Jones (2), Kane (0), Isaac (0).

new orleans: Williamson (22), Murphy (21 + 7 rebounds + 6 assists), Fiers (16), Queen (10 + 6 assists), McGowens (6) – starts; Poole (21), Matkovic (11), Missy (7 + 4 blocked shots), Hawkins (2), Peavey (2).

Memphis – Brooklyn – 103:98 (34:23, 27:27, 16:24, 26:24)

Memphis: Coward (21 + 8 rebounds), Lendale (16 + 9 rebounds), Jaren Jackson (14), Spencer (12 + 13 assists), Wells (2) – start; Aldama (15 + 8 rebounds), Caldwell-Pope (14), V. Williams (4), Jackson (3), Koloko (2 + 7 rebounds), Konchar (0).

Brooklyn: Clowney (17), Wolf (11 + 10 rebounds), Demin (7), Menn (7), Claxton (7) – start; Martin (17), Wilson (11), Thomas (9), Sharpe (8 + 13 rebounds), Traore (4 + 6 assists).

Portland – New York – 114:123 (34:34, 26:31, 25:25, 29:33)

Portland: Avdija (25 + 5 losses), Sharpe (23), Kamara (11), Klingin (8 + 8 rebounds), Sissoko (5) – start; Love (21), R. Williams (12), Holiday (8), Rooper (1).

New York: Brunson (26 + 8 assists), Anunoby (24 + 7 rebounds), Towns (20 + 11 rebounds), Hart (18 + 6 assists), Bridges (18 + 6 assists) – start; McBride (8), Robinson (6 + 11 rebounds), Clarkson (3), Diawara (0).

Denver – Milwaukee – 108:104 (27:23, 35:29, 23:22, 23:30)

Denver: Gordon (23), Watson (19 + 8 rebounds + 6 assists), Pickett (13 + 8 rebounds), Jones (5), Tyson (2) – start; Hardaway (25), Nnaji (14 + 10 rebounds), B. Brown (7), Strother (0).

Milwaukee: Y. Antetokounmpo (31 + 8 rebounds + 11 assists), Turner (16), Green (14), Porter (10 + 9 rebounds + 7 assists), Rollins (2) – start; Portis (14), Kuzma (11), G. Harris (6), Trent (0).

Phoenix – Washington – 112:93 (32:28, 33:22, 31:17, 16:26)

Phoenix: O’Neal (19 + 7 rebounds), Booker (17 + 8 assists), Brooks (16), Williams (11 + 7 rebounds), Gillespie (2) – start; Allen (12 + 7 rebounds), Ighodaro (10), Dunn (9), Livers (7), Fleming (4), Goodwin (3), Hayes-Davis (2), Maluach (0).

washington: Johnson (19), Sarr (19 + 15 rebounds), Coulibaly (12), George (5 + 6 losses), Middleton (2) – start; Carrington (9 + 7 assists), Riley (9), Shempeny (8), Bagley (6), Vukcevic (4), Brenham (0), Johnson (0), Hill (0).

Golden State – Atlanta – 111:124 (28:27, 25:32, 25:35, 33:30)

Golden State: Curry (31), Butler (30 + 7 rebounds + 6 assists), Post (8), Dr. Green (5 + 9 rebounds), Moody (2) – start; Melton (10), Payton II (6), Jackson-Davis (6), Santos (5), Horford (5+8 rebounds), Podziemski (3), Hield (0), Richard (0).

of Atlanta: Alexander-Walker (24), Johnson (23 + 11 rebounds + 6 assists), Okongwu (18 + 12 rebounds + 8 assists), Daniels (11 + 7 rebounds + 9 assists), Krejci (5) – start; Kennard (22), McCollum (12), Gueye (5), Wallace (2), Kispert (2), Newell (0).

Sacramento-Houston-111:98 (22:23, 29:25, 27:28, 33:22)

sacramento: DeRozan (22 + 6 assists), LaVine (18), Westbrook (15 + 10 assists), Reynaud (12 + 9 rebounds), Achiuwa (10 + 7 rebounds) – start; Monk (15), Cardwell (9 + 11 rebounds), Clifford (8), Eubanks (2), Ellis (0).

Houston: Thompson (31 + 13 rebounds + 6 assists + 5 losses), Durant (23 + 6 assists), Shengyun (19 + 9 rebounds), Smith (9 + 7 rebounds), A. Holiday (3) – start; Sheppard (6), Finney-Smith (4), Adams (3), Okogie (0).

tournament tables

final conference

meeting conference

Source: Sport UA

Continue Reading

Basketball

Ukrainian derby in Spain. Len helps Real Madrid beat Pustovoy’s Andorra

Published

on

By

Ukrainian derby in Spain. Len helps Real Madrid beat Pustovoy’s Andorra

As part of the 15th round of the Spanish Championship, the match was played between MoraBank Andorra and Real Madrid on Sunday, January 11.

Andorra had a great first quarter and won with 21:13. The home team held the advantage until the beginning of the third quarter and Madrid managed to take the lead with a score of 42:41. Afterwards, the teams exchanged leadership several times and the guest team took the lead 61:58 before entering the last 10 minutes. In the fourth quarter, Real controlled the game and won the match 90:85.

Ukrainian centers played on both teams. Artem Pustovoy He was in Andorra’s starting five and recorded 12 points (2/2 free throws, 5/8 two-pointers, 0/1 three-pointers), 4 rebounds, 3 steals and 1 block in 19 minutes. Alexey Len He came off the bench and played 18 minutes, scoring 10 points (2/4 free throws, 4/4 two-point shots), 6 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal and 1 block.

After this win, Real is in first place with 26 points, while Andorra is in 16th place with eight points.

Spanish Championship. Regular season. round 15

MoraBank Andorra – Real Madrid – 85:90 (21:13, 20:27, 17:21, 27:29)

Andorra: Castañeda (21 points + 2 rebounds + 1 assist), Pustovoy (12+4 rebounds), Kostadinov (10+3+1), Kuric (9+3+3), Evans (8+3+3), Okoye (8+6+1), McCoy (7+4+1), Ortega (5+5+1), Best (4+3 assists), Udeze (1+2 rebounds), Guerrero (3 rebounds + 2) gear).

Real: Hezonja (14+5+1), Tavares (13+7 rebounds), Maledon (11+5+4), Abalde (10+2 assists), Len (10+6+1), Yul (9+4 assists), Okeke (9+3+1), Lyles (8+5+2), Feliz (4+2+3), Procida (2+1 assists).

Video review of the match:

Source: Sport UA

Continue Reading

Trending

All Rights Reserved © 2023 - Sportish | Powered by: