Chicago Bulls legend Toni Kukoc hails ‘phenomenal’ move to bring EuroLeague Final Four to Abu Dhabi 

Three-time EuroLeague Final Four MVP and three-time NBA champion Toni Kukoc (L) spoke to Arab News with the EuroLeague Final Four in Abu Dhabi taking place this weekend, Panathinaikos, Fenerbahce, Monaco and Olympiakos all face off in the UAE capital. (AN Photo/AP/AFP)
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Updated 23 May 2025
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Chicago Bulls legend Toni Kukoc hails ‘phenomenal’ move to bring EuroLeague Final Four to Abu Dhabi 

  • Only second time in EuroLeague history the Final Four will be taking place outside of Europe

ABU DHABI: On the 25th anniversary edition of the EuroLeague, the organization is widening its horizons by staging its Final Four in Abu Dhabi this weekend.

This is just the second time in EuroLeague history that the Final Four will be taking place outside of Europe, and given the games in the UAE capital have already sold out, it promises to be an unforgettable showcase of elite basketball.

The fight for European basketball’s ultimate prize tips-off at Etihad Arena on Friday evening, with Fenerbahce taking on defending champions Panathinaikos (7 p.m. local time), before Olympiacos square off with Monaco (10 p.m.).

Three-time EuroLeague Final Four MVP and three-time NBA champion Toni Kukoc is in town promoting the event, and he kicked-off his Friday with a friendly round of golf with UAE pro Ismail Sharif at Yas Acres Golf and Country Club.

Arab News caught up with the Croatian Chicago Bulls legend to discuss the EuroLeague’s debut in Abu Dhabi, his thoughts on the globalization of the game of basketball, and lots more.

Welcome back to Abu Dhabi. What do you think it means for the EuroLeague to take this unprecedented step and stage its Final Four in the Gulf region for the first time?

Like every other sport, you can’t call it European, you can’t mention it as a national thing. Every sport is global, so I think it’s great for the fans and you have fans all over the world. And for them to have a chance to see their favorite guys live and then get to the games and maybe get the chance to talk to them, get autographs and then take pictures, I think it’s awesome. I think it’s something special.

In my days, I was fortunate enough to play all over the world and you don’t actually know how many fans you have around the world until you meet them. And playing for the Bulls for a long time, we had this one wall that they kept letters and pictures from around the world and it would really be amazing to see pictures from like Tibet or somewhere in Africa or somewhere in Russia or Australia being a Bulls fan.

So for them to get the chance to maybe see us play somewhere close to them was phenomenal. And I think it’s the same thing here. I don’t see why would (a) European League be just bound to be played over there if they have a chance to play here.

How do you see this globalization of basketball has impacted the sport?

Talking centuries ago back, you had maybe three or four powerhouses that you knew, they’re going to be in the semifinals and finals of the Olympics, of the World Championships, and things like that. But nowadays, if a national team has a good generation, they have a chance to win Olympics, to play in the finals of the World Championships. Which we saw in Paris last year. (The) France team almost beat (the) US. Serbia almost beat (the) US. So basketball got much closer, much better everywhere.

And I think it’s great for the game of basketball. It’s great for the fans. And it’s just a testament that a lot of guys are going to the NBA and trying to see how good they are.

When I went there, very few of us went there and we didn’t know if we’re going to be good enough to make it. Now people go there with the idea that they can be the MVPs, they can win championships, they can have a main role in their teams. So basketball just got way better.

You went from playing for Benetton Treviso in Italy to the Chicago Bulls in the NBA back in 1993. Was it easy for you to feel like you belonged there when you first arrived in the US?

We talked about that with the Yugoslavian national team, because a bunch of us, five, maybe six of us, got drafted by really good basketball teams.

So we’re talking the teams that were deep in the playoffs, the teams that were winning championships. Dino (Radja) was drafted by the Boston Celtics. Drazen (Petrovic) was drafted by Portland.

Vlade (Divac) was drafted by the (Los Angeles) Lakers. I was drafted by the Bulls. But we knew, because we played a few games against US junior teams during the World Games. So we had a chance to play against ... Alonzo Mourning, Larry Johnson, Gary Payton, the guys that became a future of the NBA, All-Stars, Hall-of-Famers. So comparing to our age, we knew that we were good enough. But you never know.

So once, let’s say, we broke that barrier and we went there and started playing for the teams and getting the minutes and getting into starting lineups and all that, we proved that the basketball is played everywhere, that everybody can play in the NBA.

Right now, guys are going over there, they get accepted right away, with the knowledge of how good of a player they are.

When I went to the Bulls, nobody but maybe Jerry Krause and one scout saw me and talked to me and then saw me play. Right now, you had a chance, for Luka Doncic, to see him as a 15-year-old because you can turn on YouTube and see all his games. So the other guys, and they have a better understanding (of) how good these players are. So they give them a chance right away as soon as they get there.

You were on a superstar Bulls team that had Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen and Dennis Rodman. You played a selfless brand of basketball, and came off the bench to save the day in whichever role was needed on the day. You were extremely successful at that.

When you see now how there are big teams where the central star is European, do you imagine if you were playing now, would you have played a different style of basketball?  

Well, the style did change. I was maybe one of the first ones to do that style of play, the tall guy that can shoot threes, that can play outside. I learned actually to play a post up position in the NBA because my position was occupied by two not bad players, Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen. So I needed, in order to get my minutes, playing minutes, I had to learn how to play other positions.

But once I did that, it was really easy to implement me in because I can play any of five positions. So it’s perfect for the guys coming from Europe because the basketball is taught that way in Europe, that regardless of your height, you need to learn fundamentals of the game. The shoot, pass, dribble, play inside, outside.

I said that yesterday in some interview, if you can pick a team that you can have a point guard on each position, I would probably have Tony Parker being a point guard playmaker, then Luka Doncic or Drazen Petrovic, for that matter, who is a two-guard playmaker. Maybe myself, maybe Giannis Antetokounmpo playing a point guard three position. Then you have Pau Gasol or Dirk Nowitzki, the guys that can play point guard four position. And obviously, you can have Nikola Jokic or maybe Sabonis that can play a five position point guard. And I don’t know who can beat a team like that.

That’s why I say that the Bulls, at the time, it was my favorite and it still is my favorite offense, the triangle offense, because five guys can go everywhere on a court. They just have to know and be together and be synchronized. But especially when you get Michael, Scottie, Dennis, (Ron) Harper, myself, Steve (Kerr), Luke (Longley), when you have guys that understand and appreciate each other and they know their individual roles in a team, it was a pleasure to play.

No one has gone back-to-back in the NBA for a while now, since the (Golden State) Warriors in 2017 and 2018, and I’m just wondering if you look at the Chicago team you played on, the way you guys were able to dominate year after year; if you put them in today’s game, do you think they could dominate?

It’s hard. I mean, it’s hard because every year you have new young guys coming in. Maybe it’s easier these days to create a team that three guys want to play together, and they demand trades and they say, I just want to go here or I don’t want to go there.

And then, let’s say right now, there’s a chance, for example, that LeBron leaves or stays, but Lakers get Jokic or Antetokounmpo, or both of them. Who’s going to beat that team? I mean, who has a chance to beat that team? Or, for example, Jokic goes to OKC (Oklahoma City Thunder). Who’s going to beat that team?

But at the same time, you have all these young guys, new guys. Again, if you bring Jokic to San Antonio and you put him with Victor Wembanyama, who’s going to beat that team? There are so many options, so many chances. I’m just glad that basketball is on that level, that it’s appreciated, that it’s nice to watch.

The players have been amazing. People were talking about how bad the season is, how the basketball is not really watchable, this and that. But whoever watches this year’s playoffs, has got to be more than happy with the games they saw.

Where do you think Giannis (Antetokounmpo) will end up if he leaves the Bucks?

I hope they all go to the Bulls. I would really, really love all of them to come to the Bulls.

I’m a part of the Bulls. I shouldn’t probably say that because I work for the Bulls, but it would be nice to see great basketball.


Pacquiao, Barrios make weights for Vegas showdown

Updated 12 sec ago
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Pacquiao, Barrios make weights for Vegas showdown

  • Filipino star and eight-division world champion is returning to the ring after a four-year absence
  • Mario Barrios says he is unfazed by the prospect of taking on living legend Pacquiao
LOS ANGELES, United States: Filipino star Manny Pacquiao comfortably made the weight for his comeback world title fight against Mario Barrios on Friday, tipping the scales at just under the 147-pound welterweight limit.
The 46-year-old eight-division world champion – who is returning to the ring after a four-year absence – weighed in at 146.8 lbs during a packed ceremony at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.
Pacquiao’s opponent in Saturday’s fight, reigning World Boxing Council (WBC) welterweight champion Barrios, was also inside the weight limit at 146.2 lbs.
“I’m so happy I’m back because boxing is my passion and I missed boxing,” Pacquiao said after making the weight.
The Filipino star – whose last victory came against Keith Thurman in 2019 – is aiming to pull off an upset victory in Saturday’s bout.
Pacquiao (62-8-2, 39 knockouts) announced his return to boxing in May, taking advantage of a WBC rule that allows former champions to request a direct title shot when coming out of retirement.
He will be facing the much younger Barrios, who will take a 29-2-1 record in Saturday’s contest.
Barrios, 30, said he was unfazed by the prospect of taking on living legend Pacquiao, who could become the first fighter to win a major world title after being inducted to boxing’s Hall of Fame.
“I’m approaching this the same way I have all my other fights – I treat it as just another title defense,” Barrios said. “Manny has accomplished so much, but it’s my time now.”

Pogacar extends Tour de France lead with dominant time-trial win

Updated 19 July 2025
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Pogacar extends Tour de France lead with dominant time-trial win

  • Pogacar was last down the start ramp of the 171 riders setting off and stunned rivals by using a road bike instead of one typically used for time trials
  • Saturday’s stage 14 is another punishing affair with around 50km of climbing but it will likely be raced in rain

PEYRAGUDES, France: Tadej Pogacar powered to victory in an uphill time trial on stage 13 of the Tour de France on Friday to stretch his lead in the race to more than four minutes.

Jonas Vingegard and Remco Evenepoel clung on to their places in the overall top three, but this 10.9km time-trial triumph was defending champion Pogacar’s second crushing win in two days.

Pogacar was last down the start ramp of the 171 riders setting off and stunned rivals by using a road bike instead of one typically used for time trials.

“It’s more comfortable and I ride that 95 percent of the year,” he explained. “I went without a radio too, there are time clocks along the way so I just looked at them.”

Decked out in his overall leader’s yellow kit, the 26-year-old Team UAE rider was faster from the off, despite his exertions from the previous day, when he finished over two minutes ahead of main rival Vingegaard.

“I was feeling good all day, from when I got up. I was planning to go all in from start to finish and that’s what I did,” said Pogacar, who won the Tour de France in 2020, 2021 and 2024.

Pogacar had a sticker of the Hulk comic book superhero on his bike but said after the stage his hero was Spider-Man.

“Hulk though, he’s the one you don’t want to make angry,” said Pogacar.

By the time he finished stage 13 at the Peyragudes Altiport where the opening scene of the James Bond movie “Tomorrow Never Dies” was shot, Pogacar was 36 seconds faster than Vingegaard, while Primoz Roglic was third at 1min 20sec.

Evenepoel was overtaken close to the line by Vingegaard, but said he was too tired to care.

“I was drained,” he said, slumped in a chair. “I didn’t give a damn when Jonas went past.”

“I just wanted to finish. To be honest I’m relieved it’s over,” said the double Olympic champion.

Most riders warmed up for the time trial wearing ice jackets to combat the sizzling 30C temperature at the foot of the climb.

Australian champion Luke Plapp set the early pace and sat in the hot seat all day before suddenly packing his case and vacating it on seeing Vingegaard storm up the mountain.

Pogacar was even faster.

At 1580m altitude the ride remained beneath the clouds and below the treeline, but even atop the hill it was punishingly hot.

American Quinn Simmons gave hundreds of high-fives on the home straight as one of the rare riders appearing to enjoy the climb.

Saturday’s stage 14 is another punishing affair with around 50km of climbing but it will likely be raced in rain.

It starts with the famous Col de Tourmalet and ends at the Luchon-Superbagneres ski resort.

Stage 15 is a hilly run to the walled city of Carcassonne but for Pogacar there remains the specter of three more massive mountain stages in the final week.

There is also the prospect of potential chaos in Paris with three ascents of Montmartre’s old cobbled lanes on the final day.


Scottie Scheffler with a 64 sets a daunting target at the British Open

Updated 19 July 2025
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Scottie Scheffler with a 64 sets a daunting target at the British Open

  • Scheffler happily settled for a 7-under 64, his lowest round in a major, to take a one-shot lead over former US Open champion Matt Fitzpatrick of England
  • Harman played bogey-free for a 65 that left him only two shots behind, along with Li Haotong of China, who had a 67

PORTRUSH, Northern Ireland: Scottie Scheffler had no idea what was coming his way Friday in the British Open. He warmed up in a short-sleeved shirt. The umbrella was out when he walked off the first green.

For the thousands at Royal Portrush watching him, they knew exactly what to expect from the world’s No. 1 player, and Scheffler delivered another relentless performance. Three straight birdies to close the gap. Two more at the end to take the lead.

Scheffler had a 15-foot putt that was one turn away from dropping for a final birdie. He happily settled for a 7-under 64, his lowest round in a major, to take a one-shot lead over former US Open champion Matt Fitzpatrick of England.

It was his lowest round in a major, yes, but there was a normalcy about it, too. Scheffler has been doing this for three years now and there is little left to say. Even when Sky Sports showed a list of his key statistics — driving accuracy down, greens in regulation great — that elicited little more than a shrug.

The statistics led to a shrug.

“Overall, I’m hitting the ball solid,” Scheffler said. “The tournament is only halfway done. I got off to a good start.”

Scheffler made eight birdies on another wild afternoon of weather, putting him at 10-under 132 as he chases the third leg of the career Grand Slam.

Fitzpatrick was equally dynamic when he began the back nine with four straight birdies, only to miss a 5-foot par putt on the 14th to slow his momentum, and a 3-foot birdie putt on the 17th hole that was mildly irritating. He shot 66.

“I felt like every facet of my game was on today and I felt like I really played solid,” Fitzpatrick said. “To take advantage of the opportunities I had out there was obviously really positive.”

Brian Harman got the best of the weather — surprising sunshine — and took dead aim in his hunt for another Claret Jug. Harman played bogey-free for a 65 that left him only two shots behind, along with Li Haotong of China, who had a 67.

Everyone else was five shots behind or more.

That includes Rory McIlroy, who went around Royal Portrush in his native Northern Ireland with plenty of cheers but only a few roars. McIlroy had a 69 but lost a lot of ground because of Scheffler, Fitzpatrick and Harman.

McIlroy started the second round just three shots behind. He goes into the weekend seven shots behind the top-ranked player in the world.

“I’ve been somewhat close to my best over the first two days in little bits here and there,” McIlroy said. “I’m going to need to have it all under control and have it sort of all firing over the weekend to make a run.”

Fitzpatrick was at his lowest point just four months ago when he changed his caddie and coach and began pulling himself up. And now he takes that into the weekend against Scheffler.

“He’s going to have the expectation to go out and dominate. He’s an exceptional player. He’s world No. 1, and we’re seeing Tiger-like stuff,” Fitzpatrick said. “I think the pressure is for him to win the golf tournament. For me, obviously, I hope I’m going to have some more home support than him, but it’s an exciting position for me to be in given where I was earlier this year.”

Scheffler spent 20 minutes after his round going over video with Shane Lowry over Lowry’s ball moving a fraction in the rough on No. 12, which led to a two-shot penalty. Lowry wasn’t sure he caused his ball to move, but he said he would rather take the penalty to avoid even the slightest suspicion.

His attention turned to Scheffler when someone suggested he had been on the fringes of contention before the penalty.

“Eight shots behind Scottie Scheffler isn’t in the fringes of contention the way he’s playing,” Lowry said.

Scheffler was sharp from the start. He hit eight of the 14 fairways — compared with three in the opening round — though his misses never left him too badly out of position. But he is seeing the breaks on smoother Portrush greens, and he looks confident as ever.

None of his eight birdies were closer than 7 feet. Five of them were in the 10-foot range and then he threw in a 35-foot birdie on the sixth. His lone bogey came on a drive into deep grass on the 11th that kept him from reaching the green.

Harman was called the “Butcher of Hoylake” when he won the claret jug at Royal Liverpool two years ago because the British press was fascinated by the Georgia native’s love for hunting. Now it’s about his golf, and it was superb.

Harman played bogey-free, only once having to stress for par as Royal Portrush allowed for some good scoring in surprisingly good weather in the morning.

“They’re very different golf courses, but the golf is similar,” Harman said. “You’ve got to be able to flight your golf ball. You’ve got to know how far everything’s going. Then you can’t get frustrated. You’re going to end up in funny spots where it doesn’t seem fair, and you just have to kind of outlast that stuff.”

The group at 5-under 137 included Harris English (70), Harman’s former teammate at Georgia; Tyrrell Hatton of England (69) and Chris Gotterup (65), who wasn’t even planning to be at Royal Portrush until winning the Scottish Open last week.

Also still around is Bryson DeChambeau, who made a 13-shot improvement from the first round with a 65. Still, he was 11 shots behind.

McIlroy wasn’t at his best in the opening round and was pleased to be only three behind. Now he has a real mountain to climb. But at least he’s still playing, unlike in 2019 at Royal Portrush when he shot 79 and then had a terrific rally only to miss the cut by one shot.

“I didn’t have this opportunity six years ago, so to play an extra two days in this atmosphere in front of these crowds, I’m very excited for that,” McIlroy said. “I feel like my game’s definitely good enough to make a run.”

That was before Scheffler began to run away from so many except a small collection of challengers. But this is links golf. And this is the Emerald Isle, where the weather seems to have a mind of its own.

Still, Scheffler has gone 10 tournaments without finishing out of the top 10 and would appear to present a challenge every bit as daunting as Royal Portrush.


CONMEBOL eases Copa America warm-up rules after Brazil’s complaints

Updated 18 July 2025
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CONMEBOL eases Copa America warm-up rules after Brazil’s complaints

  • “This decision was made after a detailed assessment of the condition,” said CONMEBOL
  • Tournament organizers had barred outfield players from warming up on the pitch

BUENOS AIRES: CONMEBOL announced on Friday that it has adjusted pre-match procedures at the Women’s Copa America in Ecuador to allow players to warm up on the pitch, following criticism from Brazilian players and coaching staff.

“From now on, in addition to goalkeepers who already had a 15-minute warm-up period on the field, outfield players will also be allowed to warm up on the pitch for the same duration,” the South American soccer governing body told Reuters.

“This decision was made after a detailed assessment of the condition of the playing surfaces at the competition’s stadiums to date, and after taking into account feedback from some participating teams.”

Tournament organizers had barred outfield players from warming up on the pitch to preserve the playing surface, with each stadium hosting two matches in a day during the group stage.

Brazil captain Marta, midfielder Ary Borges, and head coach Arthur Elias voiced their frustration after their dominant group-stage win over Bolivia, as both teams had been forced to warm-up in a shared room of about 15 square meters that smelled of paint.

They also criticized the restrictions after their tournament opener against Venezuela, saying they were unable to properly assess Kerolin’s fitness, which ultimately led to the Manchester City striker being sidelined.

Defending champions Brazil top Group B with two wins and will face Paraguay on Tuesday.


Tickets for Canelo Alvarez, Terence Crawford super middleweight title clash go on sale

Updated 18 July 2025
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Tickets for Canelo Alvarez, Terence Crawford super middleweight title clash go on sale

  • Blockbuster Riyadh Season showdown will take place at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas on Sept. 13.
  • ‘Fight is about legacy,’ says Alvarez ahead of bout with undefeated rival

RIYADH/LAS VEGAS: Undisputed super middleweight champion Saul “Canelo” Alvarez will face undefeated four-division world champion Terence Crawford in a blockbuster Riyadh Season showdown at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas on Saturday, Sept. 13.

Tickets for the clash are now available via Ticketmaster.com, with a purchase limit of eight per person, it was announced on Friday.

VIP packages from On Location, the event’s official experience provider, are also on sale, offering fans ringside photo access, all-inclusive hospitality, the official fight poster, an afterparty, and more.

The high-stakes bout will be promoted in collaboration between Turki Alalshikh, chairman of Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority and president of the Saudi Boxing Federation, UFC President Dana White, and Saudi events company Sela.

The event will be streamed live globally on Netflix, available to all 300 million subscribers at no additional cost.

Fans can visit tudum.com/cvc to set a reminder to watch. New users can sign up at netflix.com/signup.

Alvarez (63-2-2, 39 KOs), a legend of the sport and native of Guadalajara, Mexico, has captured titles across multiple weight classes and defeated elite names, including Shane Mosley, Gennady Golovkin, and Miguel Cotto.

He is now turning his attention to Crawford.

“This fight is about legacy. I’ve faced the best, and now it’s time to show the world why I’m still at the top. Crawford is a great fighter, but on Sept. 13, I will remind everyone who Canelo is,” he said.

Crawford (41-0, 31 KOs), from Omaha, Nebraska, is the current WBA and interim WBO middleweight champion.

He recently made a dominant debut at 154 pounds, defeating Israil Madrimov, and is aiming to secure the defining win of his career.

“I’ve always said I’m the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world,” he said. “Beating Canelo, on the biggest stage, under the brightest lights, that’s how I prove it. I respect him, but I’m coming to make history.”