Theocharis Minaidis
There is one trophy in Europe that all players and teams want to win. Seen as the pinnacle of European football, the UEFA Champions League is the most prestigious trophy at club level, the one meant to elevate a player’s status and cement his legacy.
For most cyclists and fans alike, Tour de France is the highlight of the year and the biggest cycling event in the world. In 2020, the Tour will be the first of the Grand Tours with Giro d’Italia and Vuelta a España following later in the year.
The most thrilling time for basketball fans is finally here as the NBA playoffs are set to start on the 17th of August. A team’s form during the regular season doesn’t mean much once the playoffs begin. Low-performing players can be transformed into All-Stars, defences are getting tougher, and teamwork becomes more important.
Tennis is defined by moments of brilliance and excitement, and if you’re one of those fans who doesn’t want to miss a single ace or break point, then you should definitely expand your Grand Slam knowledge. The Australian Open, the French Open, Wimbledon, and the US Open, also known as the majors, are the four tennis tournaments that all players wish to conquer; they’re also the ones awarding the most points for the ATP rankings.
With multiple enticing tournaments, close games, high-profile players, and multi-million dollar prize pools, esports are worth knowing for every true bettor. The sport already counts more than 500 professional players, has a revenue surpassing 1,48 billion dollars in 2019, with more than 2,5 billion casual gamers worldwide.
There are talks of esports featured in future Olympics, from Overwatch and Fortnite, to Heroes of the Storm and League of Legends (LOL); games that bwin already offers. Esports is already considered a legitimate sport by many; it’s a rapidly growing sports industry where after 2 years a player is considered a veteran, and by the time you’re 21 you’re too old.
The All-Star Weekend has gifted basketball fans numerous highlights over the years, while commemorating the end of the regular season in the most spectacular way possible. Even though the format changed last year – the Conference All-Star battle was replaced with team Giannis versus team Lebron – one contest that will always be phantasmagoric is the Slam Dunk Contest.
As we’re slowly approaching the end of the first half of the 2019/20 NBA season, past fan speculation has either come true or remains highly creative fiction. Let’s have a look at players and teams that have surprised everyone for either the right or – occasionally – the wrong reasons.
There is a tasty tradition in the NBA world. Christmas time doesn’t merely mean Santa Claus, wrapped gifts, and tree decorations, but also clashes between the strongest competitors. In the land where spectacle reigns supreme, it’s not surprising to find the NBA offering special surprises to its fans.
The West was impossible to win for a long while with Golden State winning the Conference Finals five years in a row. The new season though also signifies the end of the superteam era, paving the way for a new challenger to claim the throne in the West.
This time around, the Eastern Conference looks ready to go head-to-head with the Western Conference. With the number of All-Stars growing in the East, it seems that teams will no longer bow down before the West – something Eastern teams did in previous years before even entering the court. Among all these strong teams emerging in the East, which will be the one to dominate the regular season, and will it be the same one to reach the Conference Finals?
Chances are, if you’re into basketball, that you know all about the NBA All-Star weekend game, but in case you don’t, here’s a brief summary. Taking place each year just before the playoffs, it pits the best NBA players against each other. Although last year saw a change in the institution with Team Lebron competing against Team Giannis, the All-Star used to feature the best players from each Conference putting on display their impressive skills. So, what’s the All-Star game’s significance in this context?
The basketball landscape has shifted considerably. NBA has called a timeout on Superteams, and now it’s the time for the ’Super Duos’’ to enter the court. Plenty of exciting pairings are meant to emerge this season, so take a front seat on dramatic plays that may last an eternity.
From Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen, to Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, the NBA has always been known for its talented duos. The era of the ‘’Big three’’ is over, perhaps for the first time since Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant, and the dynamic 1-2 punch in basketball is back and better than ever.