It’s playoff time! And that, in itself, brings new obstacles to EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge managers. On the one hand, fewer players to choose from. On the other, no easy games; no easy points. Moreso than ever before, in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Playoffs, every game matters! The co-hosts of the EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge Podcast, Javier Gancedo, are here to help you navigate through these playoff predicaments.

Fantasy Challenge Podcast: ‘What time is it, Javi?’

It’s playoff time! And that, in itself, brings new obstacles to [EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge](https://euroleaguefantasy.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/home) managers. On the one hand, fewer players to choose from. On the other, no easy games; no easy points. Moreso than ever before, in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Playoffs, every game matters! The co-hosts of the EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge Podcast, Javier Gancedo, are here to help you navigate through these playoff predicaments.

The two jump from series to series, discussing the big names and the underpriced sleepers, to make sure you have thought through all the angles before finalizing your fantasy teams. Get ready for the playoffs with episode No. 32 of your favorite fantasy basketball podcast. 

Welcome to another episode of A Quarter with Kyle Hines with the EA7 Emporio Armani Milan big man! In this latest instalment, Hines chats with Spanish boxer Jonathan 'Maravilla' Alonso, who has not only become a champion and won belts in the ring, but he's also an actor, a model and an entrepreneur. 

In this episode, Hines explores the difference between elite athletes when it comes to playing a team sport or going at it alone, like in boxing. Alonso explains the secrets behind being a successful boxer and, by extension, any individual sport: self-belief, discipline and hard work. Check the full conversation in the latest chapter of A Quarter with Kyle Hines!

A Quarter with Kyle Hines: A chat with boxer Jonathan Alonso

Fantasy Challenge Podcast: Who is your play-in captain?

Do-or-die games? Only four teams to choose from? What should we do? Well, [EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge](https://euroleaguefantasy.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/home) managers, Javier Gancedo and Frankie Sachs are here to help you through the Play-In Showdown. The co-hosts of the EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge Podcast will breakdown the games, share some tips and guide you toward fantasy success!

Any move could be the difference between domination and disaster, so you must choose wisely from captain to bench. Who are the best centers in the Play-In Showdown? Is Shane Larkin a must-own player? Is Lorenzo Brown worth the gamble? Gancedo and Sachs tackle these topics and much more. Listen to episode No. 31 of the podcast now to prepare for the play-in games the best way possible.  

The Olympiacos Piraeus forward chats about everything from his teammates and coaches to his newborn daughter his breakout campaign

Alec Peters hops aboard The Crossover

In his first season as a full-time starter, Alec Peters has posted the best numbers of his six seasons in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague. It’s been an eventful season for Peters, whose wife gave birth to their first child in December and he then signed a contract extension with the Reds that will keep him in Piraeus until 2026.

The Crossover host Joe Arlauckas has been an admirer of Peters’s game since he first saw him play during the stretch-4’s debut EuroLeague season with CSKA Moscow in 2018-19. That year even saw Peters finish on the podium as a EuroLeague champion!

From his childhood in Illinois through his time playing American football in high school and his pro hoops career with four different clubs in the EuroLeague, Arlauckas will talk Peters through the events that have made him who he is today.

\[11:15\] “Football was my go-to sport at the time. I was the quarterback of the team, I had a real future in that. Coaches telling me: ‘This is your future.’ Colleges telling me: ‘Hey, this is your future.’ I just did not like playing football as much as I loved playing basketball,” Peters shared.

“Thankfully, that summer between when I was 15 and 16 years old, I grew three inches, got to about 6’6”, got a little bit faster, got a little bit stronger. Basketball started becoming a little bit easier for me and I got good enough to earn a scholarship at Valparaiso.”

Peters joked that sometimes when watching NFL games with his American-born Olympiacos teammates, they will point to the quarterbacks and joke that it could have been him, but Peters has no regrets.

He became a star at Valparaiso and set school records for scoring and rebounds in his four seasons, despite a foot injury that prematurely ended his senior season. Scouts had already seen more than enough and the Phoenix Suns drafted Peters in 2017 and helped him rehab from his foot surgery.

The summer after his first season with the Suns and their G-League affiliate, Dimitris Itoudis, then the coach of CSKA Moscow, began recruiting Peters to come to the Russian capital. It did not take long to get him on board.

\[23:20\] “This isn’t just an offer from a EuroLeague team that’s been fighting for playoff spots. This is CSKA. This is a team that’s winning right now, that has the roster that nobody can compete with and all they need is you. Coach Itoudis is like: ‘All we need is someone like you,’” Peters said. “I was blessed by Coach Itoudis to have an opportunity of a lifetime to come in right away.”

Peters helped CSKA to the 2019 EuroLeague crown, but soon CSKA went through some changes and he was a casualty of the rebuild. He landed on his feet, however, signing with the team CSKA defeated in the championship game, Anadolu Efes Istanbul.

His season with Efes was a bittersweet one. On the one hand, Peters was part of a team that was mashing the competition and seemed to be the runaway favorite to win it all. On the other, he averaged only 13:42 minutes per game and the season ended in the worst way; it was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

A year later, Peters was showing off his skills with a new club, Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz as Efes completed the challenge and captured the EuroLeague championship. Though he was no longer with those guys, the bonds built at Efes endured.

\[30:15\] “The only thing that felt good about it was when those guys would text me. Those guys would text me afterward and be like: ‘Hey, we know you’re not here right now, but we still want to give you your flowers, so to speak,” Peters said of his former Efes teammates.

“Bryant Dunston was one of the best teammates I could ever ask for. I still have a great relationship with him today. Just to hear from him after they won that first year. Because I was a little down about it. I wanted to be there. I wanted to be a part of it.”

While Efes was becoming a dynasty without Peters, Peters was taking his game to the next level thanks, in part, to Coach Dusko Ivanovic.

\[33:00\] “What he did for me set me up for the rest of my career in the EuroLeague. The opportunity he gave me. He helped me find a lot of things about myself through the difficulties of training camp, through all that, that have stuck with me today.” Peters said of Coach Ivanovic. “He showed me what it really meant to be in shape to play the game of basketball the way that I could potentially play it. I give him all the credit in the world for that.”

After Peters’s second season with Baskonia was marred by a foot injury, he joined Olympiacos. His expectations for minutes were not realized in 2022-23 when he served as the backup to EuroLeague MVP Sasha Vezenkov. Nevertheless, the Reds reached the EuroLeague championship game.

Vezenkov left for the NBA over the summer leaving the door open for Peters to step in as the new starting power forward. He has not disappointed, although the team has dipped in the standings this season, in part due to injuries to several players. As the playoffs approach, Peters and the Reds are ready to mount another assault on the crown.

\[56:00\] “Whatever position we fall in, we like our chances against anybody,” Peters said. “It could be Barca, Monaco, Pana, Madrid. It doesn't matter to us. We are in that kind of head space as a team that like we are starting to feel like our best days are coming at the right moment.”

With a one-hour format of exclusive one-on-one interviews, The Crossover with Joe Arlauckas goes well beyond the playing court with each podcast to delve into the life experiences that have made his guests protagonists and legends of the EuroLeague. The Crossover debuted in 2018 and has featured such current stars as [Mike James](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/news/mike-james-opens-up-at-the-crossover/), [Lorenzo Brown](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/news/lorenzo-brown-hops-aboard-the-crossover/) and [Mario Hezonja](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/news/mario-hezonja-stops-by-the-crossover/); coaching greats such as [Georgios Bartzokas](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/news/hear-from-coach-bartzokas-on-the-crossover/), [Dimitris Itoudis](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/news/the-crossover-opens-its-season-with-dimitris-itoudis/), and Zeljko Obradovic, and legends like Theo Papaloukas, Nikola Vujcic and [Mike Batiste](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/news/panathinaikos-legend-mike-batiste-visits-the-crossover/), among others. Peters is the sixth guest this season after [Nigel Hayes-Davis](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/news/season-6-of-the-crossover-opens-with-nigel-hayes-davis/), [Kemba Walker](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/news/kemba-walker-visits-the-crossover/), [James Nunnally](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/news/james-nunnally-opens-up-at-the-crossover/), [Chima Moneke](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/chima-moneke-joins-the-crossover/) and [Serge Ibaka](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/serge-ibaka-visits-the-crossover/).

The Crossover with Joe Arlauckas is available on [Youtube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2rYpAbSLlCc), [iTunes](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-crossover-with-joe-arlauckas/id1440034922), [Audioboom](https://audioboom.com/channel/the-crossover-with-joe-arlauckas), [Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/show/6T1SYvGSpzyrYZpG9z2wjR), [Deezer](https://www.deezer.com/fr/show/65962), [RadioPublic](https://radiopublic.com/the-crossover-with-joe-arlauckas-6NkdjJ), [Google Podcasts](https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9hdWRpb2Jvb20uY29tL2NoYW5uZWxzLzQ4ODM3OTkucnNz?sa=X&ved=0CAMQ4aUDahcKEwiYzr_b78XtAhUAAAAAHQAAAAAQAQ), [TuneIn](https://tunein.com/podcasts/Sports--Recreation-Podcasts/The-Crossover-with-Joe-Arlauckas-p1174586/), [Stitcher](https://www.stitcher.com/show/the-crossover-with-joe-arlauckas), [CastBox](https://castbox.fm/channel/The-Crossover-with-Joe-Arlauckas-id1467328?country=gb), [iVoox](https://www.ivoox.com/podcast-the-crossover-with-joe-arlauckas_sq_f1629856_1.html) and other platforms.

The Olympiacos Piraeus forward chats about everything from his teammates and coaches to his newborn daughter his breakout campaign


Round 34 of the EuroLeague season is a tricky one for EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge managers. That’s where EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge Podcast co-hosts Javier Gancedo and Frankie Sachs step in to help.

Fantasy Challenge Podcast: Closing out the regular season

Round 34 of the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Regular Season is a tricky one for [EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge](https://euroleaguefantasy.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/home) managers. Some teams have everything to play for. Some have nothing but pride. And there are teams whose fate may change before they take the floor on Friday, leaving fantasy managers to roll the dice. That’s where EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge Podcast co-hosts Javier Gancedo and Frankie Sachs step in.

Gancedo and Sachs look at all nine games in Round 34 and break down their meaning for the clubs and for the EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge. They also recommend which players to grab from those matchups and which to steer clear of. It’s the prefect companion for all Fantasy Challenge managers as you build your rosters. Buckle up and get ready for Round 34 by listening to episode No. 30 of the EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge Podcast.  

After EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge Podcast co-host Javier Gancedo showed his credentials by finishing fourth overall in the Round 32 weekly rankings, he is back with Frankie Sachs to reflect on his big week and to look ahead to Round 33. And with the race to reach the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Playoffs and Play-In Showdown running hot, there is plenty to pay attention to.

Fantasy Challenge Podcast: Do you celebrate 4th place?

After [EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge](https://euroleaguefantasy.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/home) Podcast co-host Javier Gancedo showed his credentials by finishing fourth overall in the Round 32 weekly rankings, he is back with Frankie Sachs to reflect on his big week and to look ahead to Round 33. And with the race to reach the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Playoffs and Play-In Showdown running hot, there is plenty to pay attention to.

Should you hang on to MVP for March Wade Baldwin? What about the man of the moment, Nigel Hayes-Davis? Who is worth owning in the derby of Istanbul? Has the time arrived for Edmond Sumner? Should you take Nando De Colo for his visit to Valencia? Javi and Frankie give their takes on these questions and more, so tune in for episode No. 29 to prepare for the penultimate week of the regular season. 

Fantasy Challenge Podcast: Do you celebrate fourth place?

A Quarter with Kyle Hines: President David Kahn discusses the growth of Paris Basketball

Paris Basketball has been one of the hottest teams on the continent this season, so it is only natural that club president David Kahn is the latest guest on A Quarter with Kyle Hines. Over the course of almost 25 minutes, Kahn explains the trajectory Paris has been on since its inception in 2018 and how this team, led by head coach Tuomas Iisalo and star players TJ Shorts and Nadir Hifi, has serious aims of winning the BKT EuroCup and rising to the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague. It hasn't been plain sailing for Paris since Kahn's project began, as he explains, but with a winning team and a brand-new gym, Adidas Arena, it's certainly a good time to be a fan of basketball in the French capital.

“A dream of a lifetime, but dreams don't just happen by accident”

A Quarter with Kyle Hines: Club president David Kahn discusses the growth of Paris Basketball

Fantasy Challenge Podcast: The Gancedo Jinx lives on

In the midst of the stretch run in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Regular Season, the EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge allows unlimited trades this week as we enter Round 32. EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge Podcast co-hosts Javier Gancedo and Frankie Sachs step up to assess the situation, discuss how they constructed their teams and to shine a light on some under-the-radar values.

Is the Gancedo Jinx what has caused Aleksa Avramovic’s output to drop? Who might be affected next? Why is it important to have players from Wednesday night’s Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv vs. Valencia Basket? Should you avoid players from Real Madrid? Tune in now to hear their takes on all those topics and more. Join the [EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge](https://euroleaguefantasy.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/home) community and get the best advice on the EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge Podcast.

Ahead of the final two-round week of the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Regular Season, The EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge Podcast is here to break down the moves you should consider – and to warn against some you should not. This time, co-hosts Javier Gancedo and Frankie Sachs are joined by beIN SPORTS broadcaster and basketball journalist extraordinaire Ismail Senol from Turkey.

Fantasy Challenge Podcast: Ismail Senol returns!

Ahead of the final two-round week of the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Regular Season, The EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge Podcast is here to break down the moves you should consider – and to warn against some you should not. This time, co-hosts Javier Gancedo and Frankie Sachs are joined by beIN SPORTS broadcaster and basketball journalist extraordinaire Ismail Senol from Turkey.

Among the topics they discussed were which of the elite guards should you pass on, whether now is Markus Howard’s time, how to navigate the Valencia big man situation, when you should pick up Tibor Pleiss, whether the Gancedo jinx will sink Alexa Avramovic and much, much more. Tune in now to hear their takes on all those topics and more. Join the [EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge](https://euroleaguefantasy.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/home) community and get the best advice on the EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge Podcast.

Serge Ibaka is one of the most interesting men in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague. From his childhood in the Republic of the Congo, beginning a professional basketball career in Europe, winning the 2019 NBA championship and, of course, his viral How Hungry Are You? TV show, Ibaka has many great stories to tell. He gets to all of those and more in this riveting hour-long conversation with Joe Arlauckas on The Crossover.

Early on, their conversation veers into the environment Ibaka was raised in Brazzaville, where there was no belief that basketball would be his ticket to anything in the future. Except for Ibaka, whose faith helped him stay focused and pursue his dream.

\[9:30\] “I am talking about me personally. I believe in God. And then I believe in my hard work. I believe that this is going to work. I have to be patient. It’s all those things that go together,” Ibaka reflected on the recipe for his success.

Ibaka relayed the story of how he made it to Europe. There was a French basketball player whose father worked in Brazzaville. When playing pickup ball during one of his visits, he noticed Ibaka’s potential and eventually helped find him a club to join in France. From there Ibaka moved to Spain, first with L’Hospitalet.

\[16:45\] “When I moved to Spain, I was like, ‘You know what? This is my destiny,’” Ibaka told Arlauckas.

“The only thing in my mind was I have to figure out how to do it to make it as far as I can. And I am going to do whatever it takes. I am going to give my best,” he explained before adding “It’s going to inspire a lot of people back home. It’s going to inspire a lot of kids.”

Ibaka developed into one of the best prospects in the game and by the end of the season, he was wowing scouts at showcases. He was selected with the 24th pick in the 2008 NBA Draft, but elected to play one more season in Spain, this time with Manresa.

At Manresa, Ibaka took his game to another level that year and when he eventually debuted in the NBA with the Oklahoma City Thunder, Ibaka was ready. He would become and three-time NBA All-Defensive First Team selection and in 2012 helped the Thunder reach the NBA Finals. Despite playing alongside stars Kevin Durant, James Harden and Russell Westbrook, Ibaka and co. lost to LeBron James’s Miami Heat in five games. That young core thought it would have many more chances to challenge for the crown, but it was not to be.

Ibaka’s next chance for a championship came in 2019 when he was with the Toronto Raptors. This time he was in a different stage of his career and when he and his teammates fell behind the Milwaukee Bucks 0-2 in the Eastern Conference Finals, Ibaka stepped in and showed his leadership.

\[33:40\] “I had been in that situation many, many times. So during that moment, all I was thinking was to try to be out there, try to keep my team spirit up,” Ibaka recalled. “Everybody was down. The energy was down after that 0-2. So I had to do something.”

After Ibaka rallied the troops with a memorable speech, Toronto came back to take the series and then defeated the Golden State Warriors in the finals. Ibaka played a total of 14 seasons in the NBA for five different clubs and was planning for a 15th before he got a call from a former coach.

\[39:30\] “What brought me back here I think one of the biggest reasons was Pablo Laso. I know Pablo since Madrid when I went to play there during the NBA lockout. I kind of knew him already as a person, as a coach,” Ibaka explained. And even though Ibaka was not ready to field offers outside of the NBA at the time, Laso convinced him: “I don’t know if this guy has a magic talk, but he was able to change my mind.”

Ibaka came to Munich shortly before the start of the season, but quickly became a force. He leads Bayern this season in scoring, rebounding, blocks and PIR. After playing so long on the other side of the Atlantic, he has loved the experience of playing in Europe’s premier competition.

\[46:05\] “Oh man. The EuroLeague, every game is like a playoff already. It’s crazy. You have to come out to play every game. It’s crazy fun,” Ibaka said.

With a one-hour format of exclusive one-on-one interviews, The Crossover with Joe Arlauckas goes well beyond the playing court with each podcast to delve into the life experiences that have made his guests protagonists and legends of the EuroLeague. The Crossover debuted in 2018 and has featured such current stars as [Mike James](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/news/mike-james-opens-up-at-the-crossover/), [Lorenzo Brown](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/news/lorenzo-brown-hops-aboard-the-crossover/) and [Mario Hezonja](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/news/mario-hezonja-stops-by-the-crossover/); coaching greats such as [Georgios Bartzokas](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/news/hear-from-coach-bartzokas-on-the-crossover/), [Dimitris Itoudis](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/news/the-crossover-opens-its-season-with-dimitris-itoudis/), and Zeljko Obradovic, and legends like Theo Papaloukas, Nikola Vujcic and [Mike Batiste](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/news/panathinaikos-legend-mike-batiste-visits-the-crossover/), among others. Ibaka is the fifth guest this season after [Nigel Hayes-Davis](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/news/season-6-of-the-crossover-opens-with-nigel-hayes-davis/), [Kemba Walker](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/news/kemba-walker-visits-the-crossover/), [James Nunnally](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/news/james-nunnally-opens-up-at-the-crossover/) and [Chima Moneke](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/news/chima-moneke-joins-the-crossover/).

The Crossover with Joe Arlauckas is available on [Youtube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2rYpAbSLlCc), [iTunes](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-crossover-with-joe-arlauckas/id1440034922), [Audioboom](https://audioboom.com/channel/the-crossover-with-joe-arlauckas), [Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/show/6T1SYvGSpzyrYZpG9z2wjR), [Deezer](https://www.deezer.com/fr/show/65962), [RadioPublic](https://radiopublic.com/the-crossover-with-joe-arlauckas-6NkdjJ), [Google Podcasts](https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9hdWRpb2Jvb20uY29tL2NoYW5uZWxzLzQ4ODM3OTkucnNz?sa=X&ved=0CAMQ4aUDahcKEwiYzr_b78XtAhUAAAAAHQAAAAAQAQ), [TuneIn](https://tunein.com/podcasts/Sports--Recreation-Podcasts/The-Crossover-with-Joe-Arlauckas-p1174586/), [Stitcher](https://www.stitcher.com/show/the-crossover-with-joe-arlauckas), [CastBox](https://castbox.fm/channel/The-Crossover-with-Joe-Arlauckas-id1467328?country=gb), [iVoox](https://www.ivoox.com/podcast-the-crossover-with-joe-arlauckas_sq_f1629856_1.html) and other platforms.

The FC Bayern Munich big man talks about growing up in the Republic of Congo, winning an NBA championship and his decision to play in the EuroLeague.

Serge Ibaka visits The Crossover

With world traveler Javier Gancedo slowly getting closer to Euroleague Basketball headquarters, he and EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge Podcast co-host Frankie Sachs sat down to prepare for one of the trickier rounds of the regular season. Episode 26 of the podcast looks ahead to Round 29 of the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season and tries to examine all the potential pitfalls.

Fantasy Challenge Podcast: We should all have Shane Clyburn!

With world traveler Javier Gancedo slowly getting closer to Euroleague Basketball headquarters, he and EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge Podcast co-host Frankie Sachs sat down to prepare for one of the trickier rounds of the regular season. Episode 26 of the podcast looks ahead to Round 29 of the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season and tries to examine all the potential pitfalls.

Which of this season’s star guards should you – and should you not – have this week? Who are the best players in the cheapest price ranges? What players should you avoid? And what are Javi and Frankie doing? The answers to all these questions will be answered, plus more! Join the [EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge](https://euroleaguefantasy.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/home) community and get the best advice on the EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge Podcast.

The Milan center is joined by one fan representing Partizan and another representing Crvena Zvezda

A Quarter with Kyle Hines: Serbian fans edition

The Eternal Derby between Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade and Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade is known right around the world, and EA7 Emporio Armani Milan center Kyle Hines spoke with two fans – one from each team – on the latest episode of A Quarter with Kyle Hines to learn more about the similarities and differences between the two clubs. Crvena Zvezda fan Dusan Jovanovic and Partizan supporter Dusan Mihajilovic, together with Hines, discuss what makes the two fan bases so great, how supporting one of the two can have an impact upon your day-to-day life, and how someone’s love of Crvena Zvezda or Partizan is often passed down from one generation to another. All three also touched on how good it is to have this derby in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague at long last and how the two clubs are pushing each other to be the best that they can be.

Round 27 was a strong one for the co-hosts of the EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge Podcast. Can Javier Gancedo and Frankie Sachs keep it up this week? Despite Gancedo being on the other side of the Atlantic, they bring you Episode No. 25 of the podcast!

Fantasy Challenge Podcast: Where in the World is Javier Gancedo?

Round 27 was a strong one for the co-hosts of the EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge Podcast. Can Javier Gancedo and Frankie Sachs keep it up this week? Despite Gancedo being on the other side of the Atlantic, they bring you Episode No. 25 of the podcast!

What can you expect to hear this week aside from which players they consider must adds? How about players to avoid, thoughts on Aleksa Avramovic’s monster night, takes on the returns of Nando De Colo and Ricky Rubio, and much, much more. Join the [EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge](https://euroleaguefantasy.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/home) community and get the best advice on the EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge Podcast.

The Milan center is joined by fellow co-stars Shaq McKissic and Donatas Motiejunas

A Quarter with Kyle Hines: The stars of “Overseas” take center stage

The successful release of Euroleague Basketball’s “Overseas” documentary has led to a special podcast involving the three main protagonists, as Olympiacos Piraeus forward Shaquielle McKissic and AS Monaco big man Donatas Motiejunas joined EA7 Emporio Armani Milan center Kyle Hines for the latest episode of A Quarter with Kyle Hines. Over the course of 30 minutes, the trio reflect on their experiences during the “Overseas” series, which followed their paths through the 2022-23 season – both on and off the court. There was an acknowledgement among all three that their wives and girlfriends played a key part in the series, too, while the podcast episode also sees them provide further insights about what it is like to be a professional basketball player playing overseas. So, will there be a season two of “Overseas”, perhaps under a different guise? The three Turkish Airlines EuroLeague stars think it could be possible.

The Milan center is joined by fellow co-stars Shaq McKissic and Donatas Motiejunas


With the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague returning after a two-week hiatus and the EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge allowing unlimited trades ahead of Round 27, this week’s EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge Podcast arrives just in time! Podcast co-hosts Javier Gancedo and Frankie Sachs share their rebuilt teams and discuss the must-own players and the must-see games in Round 27.

Fantasy Challenge Podcast: Window or aisle?

With the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague returning after a two-week hiatus and the [EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge](https://euroleaguefantasy.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/home) allowing unlimited trades ahead of Round 27, this week’s EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge Podcast arrives just in time! Podcast co-hosts Javier Gancedo and Frankie Sachs share their rebuilt teams and discuss the must-own players and the must-see games in Round 27.

See which players both chose (there weren’t many!), hear which players they both chose to avoid (for now) and their take on coaches, too. Watch Episode No. 24 on YouTube or listen wherever podcasts are available for more insight into the EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge.

With no games in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague this week, it was a perfect time to welcome an old friend to the Fantasy Challenge Podcast. Reigning EuroLeague MVP Sasha Vezenkov, who now plays for the Sacramento Kings in the NBA, is a long time EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge player and hopped on the podcast to discuss the game with cohosts Javier Gancedo and Frankie Sachs.

Fantasy Challenge Podcast with special guest Sasha Vezenkov

With no games in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague this week, it was a perfect time to welcome an old friend to the Fantasy Challenge Podcast. Reigning EuroLeague MVP Sasha Vezenkov, who now plays for the Sacramento Kings in the NBA, is a long time EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge player and hopped on the podcast to discuss the game with cohosts Javier Gancedo and Frankie Sachs.

Vezenkov shared the rules he used to enforce on himself when playing, the two players he considers “must haves” for Round 27, why he likes to choose forwards and much, much more. Click play now to enjoy this conversation with one of Europe’s best forwards about the game we love. 

Fantasy Challenge Podcast: Meet the stars

With a break from games in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague, your favorite podcast hosts are back to review the season so far. EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge Podcast co-hosts Javier Gancedo and Frankie Sachs will share the biggest risers, hardest fallers and most-owned players in the EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge this season.

What lessons can be learned from the fact that only one mid-season signing has gained in value since his debut? Which Partizan guard does Javi think will go off down the stretch? Which former EuroLeague Rising Star will Frankie stay away from? The answers are inside! Watch on YouTube or listen wherever podcasts are available for more insight into the EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge.

The Baskonia big man joins forces with Joe Arlauckas to discuss Moneke’s career and learn about the self-confidence that led him to where he is today.

Chima Moneke joins The Crossover

[Chima Moneke](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/chima-moneke/012201/)’s career has been anything but linear. Several times he has been knocked back just as he thought he was about to break through. And this season he has finally reached new heights as one of the top performers in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague with Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz.

With all the attention surrounding Baskonia and Moneke, one might have thought he would be a tough guest for Joe Arlauckas to book, but the truth is that Moneke is a long-time fan of The Crossover! 

\[1:00\] “It means a lot because I’ve been watching and listening to your show for years and it feels… It makes me feel like I’ve been doing something right that I’m here. So I appreciate that,” Moneke tells Arlauckas in the opening segment.

Quickly they dive into Moneke’s backstory. Born in Nigeria and raised in Australia as the child of diplomats, Moneke at one point did not see either of his parents for nearly a decade as he chased his basketball dream.

He faced rejection at the youth level in Australia, had trouble finding a college in America and was cut from his first professional team in the second league in France. But none of those blows were enough to cause Moneke to doubt himself.

\[15:20\] “There were times where I questioned myself. It just didn’t seem realistic to other people. I think a lot of my life has been unrealistic to a lot of other people but for some reason, I kept believing… I kept persevering and eventually I got to where I always knew I would get to,” he explains.

Moneke credits his Nigerian roots for some of that confidence, explaining that those from his country are known for their stubbornness, smarts and passion for what they believe in.

\[17:25\] “When I set my mind to something, I don’t really care how it happens. I just know that that’s what I ultimately want to do. And all the times where I questioned myself as a player, it didn’t change the fact that I didn’t have a Plan B. I had a Plan A the whole time, Moneke adds “I think if I had a Plan B, whenever it got hard, like the times when schools weren’t responding to my emails, I would’ve been like, ‘okay, maybe they are right. Let me go to Plan B.’ Nah. I never had that.”

And so Moneke persevered. Two strong seasons in France led to an opportunity in Spain with Manresa, where Moneke really made a name for himself and earned all-league honors in both the ACB and the Basketball Champions League. Then, Mike Brown, who had coached Moneke on the Nigerian national team, brought the big man with him when he was hired to coach the NBA’s Sacramento Kings.

After a spell there, Moneke was released and joined AS Monaco in the middle of last season and reached the EuroLeague Final Four. Over the summer, he came back to Spain with Baskonia and has emerged as one of the top performers in the EuroLeague this season.

\[52:00\] “I have visualized this for so long. I have told myself and other people that I am one of the best players in Europe. I will stand on that. But you just get tired of telling everyone else that. I like being told by other people now that ‘you’re one of the best players in Europe.’ It just confirms to me again that everything that I am, everything that I worked for pays off.”

All along, Moneke continues to love the game and play with a smile, whether other people like it or not. In fact, he told Arlauckas about the one time he tried to play with a scowl and how it went:

\[1:03:45\] “It happened this season. There was a lot of talk about ‘this guy, he smiles too much and he’s interacting with the fans too much and he’s never serious.’ And they said, ‘if he was blah, blah, blah. He would be better.’ And then the game against Fenerbahce at home, I was like, I’m not gonna smile at all. And I was terrible. We ended up winning, but I was horrible. I didn’t have fun. I wasn’t a good teammate because I was focused on not smiling and making sure that I didn’t have fun.

“But then my brothers called me and said you better not ever do that again. They’re in Australia waking up at 4 a.m., 6 a.m. to watch me be me. And watch me be an extension of themselves. And they know me and they could tell something was wrong. And as soon as I said, ‘yeah, man. I’ve been hearing this chatter.’ They said ‘Eff that. You better never let them get to you ever again.”

With a one-hour format of exclusive one-on-one interviews, The Crossover with Joe Arlauckas goes well beyond the playing court with each podcast to delve into the life experiences that have made his guests protagonists and legends of the EuroLeague. The Crossover debuted in 2018 and has featured such current stars as [Mike James](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/news/mike-james-opens-up-at-the-crossover/), [Lorenzo Brown](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/news/lorenzo-brown-hops-aboard-the-crossover/) and [Mario Hezonja](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/news/mario-hezonja-stops-by-the-crossover/); coaching greats such as [Georgios Bartzokas](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/news/hear-from-coach-bartzokas-on-the-crossover/), [Dimitris Itoudis](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/news/the-crossover-opens-its-season-with-dimitris-itoudis/), and Zeljko Obradovic, and legends like Theo Papaloukas, Nikola Vujcic and [Mike Batiste](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/news/panathinaikos-legend-mike-batiste-visits-the-crossover/), among others. Moneke is the fourth guest this season after [Nigel Hayes-Davis](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/news/season-6-of-the-crossover-opens-with-nigel-hayes-davis/), [Kemba Walker](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/news/kemba-walker-visits-the-crossover/) and [James Nunnally](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/news/james-nunnally-opens-up-at-the-crossover/).

The Crossover with Joe Arlauckas is available on [Youtube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2rYpAbSLlCc), [iTunes](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-crossover-with-joe-arlauckas/id1440034922), [Audioboom](https://audioboom.com/channel/the-crossover-with-joe-arlauckas), [Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/show/6T1SYvGSpzyrYZpG9z2wjR), [Deezer](https://www.deezer.com/fr/show/65962), [RadioPublic](https://radiopublic.com/the-crossover-with-joe-arlauckas-6NkdjJ), [Google Podcasts](https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9hdWRpb2Jvb20uY29tL2NoYW5uZWxzLzQ4ODM3OTkucnNz?sa=X&ved=0CAMQ4aUDahcKEwiYzr_b78XtAhUAAAAAHQAAAAAQAQ), [TuneIn](https://tunein.com/podcasts/Sports--Recreation-Podcasts/The-Crossover-with-Joe-Arlauckas-p1174586/), [Stitcher](https://www.stitcher.com/show/the-crossover-with-joe-arlauckas), [CastBox](https://castbox.fm/channel/The-Crossover-with-Joe-Arlauckas-id1467328?country=gb), [iVoox](https://www.ivoox.com/podcast-the-crossover-with-joe-arlauckas_sq_f1629856_1.html) and other platforms.