League cancels All Star game

The Greek basketball league has canceled its All Star game, saying the country’s ongoing financial crisis is to blame.

The league’s main sponsor, betting company OPAP, has been under pressure to increase its charitable spending because of the crisis and recession in Greece, where unemployment is close to 21 percent.

OPAP, which is partially owned by the Greek state (34 percent stake), has spent millions of euros rebuilding municipal stadiums and playgrounds, in addition to sponsoring the professional basketball and soccer leagues. It is also giving 5 million euros to Greece’s Olympic preparations for the London Games.

The basketball league, ESAKE, and the players’ association, PSAK, on Saturday jointly announced the decision to cancel the March 4 game, saying any available funds should be devoted to the “greater needs of society.”

They thanked the thousands of fans who voted online for All Star candidates. The game historically pits Greek stars versus the league’s international stars. The ballots have been removed from the league’s website.

Coach: I’m here ‘until the end’

Boston Celtics coach Doc Rivers has described his team’s franchise-record 18-game losing streak in 2007 as “hell.” Maroussi coach Nikos Linardos can relate. His team is 0-15 and players are jumping ship because they’ve been underpaid for months.

Yannis Gagaloudis and coach Nikos Linardos

Linardos, however, isn’t giving up. There are 10 games remaining, including at PAOK in the northern city of Thessaloniki tomorrow evening. “I have to fight with my players until the end,” he said after a team practice Thursday night.

The 48-year-old coach is well-respected in Greece. He was an assistant for Maroussi for much of the past decade, when the club was in the elite class with Olympiakos and Panathinaikos. Back then, ownership threw lots of money at the team, but not now.

Two starters have left because they weren’t getting paid on time — or in full. Linardos, like his players, had been assured before the season that the financial problems would be resolved. They haven’t.

Linardos played for the Greek national team that won the 1987 EuroBasket championship. Greece defeated the Soviet Union 103-101 in overtime for the gold. US-born Nick Galis averaged 37 ppg for Greece in the tournament, which is credited with reviving interest in basketball in Greece.

Red Auerbach and the Celtics drafted Galis out of Seton Hall in 1979, a year after selecting Larry Bird. He hurt his ankle in training camp, was released and never played in the NBA, but he’s a legend in Greece, where he played from 1979 to 1994.

Elegar leaves team, has offer in Turkey

Frank Elegar has become the latest Maroussi player to leave the team. The American, who was Maroussi’s starting center and an excellent defender, told me he has an offer from a club in Turkey, and likely will go there early this week. Like his teammates, he’s been underpaid for most of the season. Maroussi’s president informed the players Friday that they may not get paid again until the end of the season, and that they’re free to sign elsewhere. Dimitris Haritopoulos, a power forward, left earlier this week and signed a contract with a French club.

Elegar, a 25-year-old Drexel grad, attended Saturday’s game against Ilysiakos, and sat in the stands behind the Maroussi bench. He was greeted warmly by several passersby. He told me it was hard to watch his (former) team play but that he couldn’t risk an injury on the verge of a new contract. Elegar averaged 9 points and 5 rebounds per game, and his 1.1 blocks per game was among the best in the league.

Winning just got harder; merci Tony Parker

Maroussi’s hopes for a win or two this season took a blow on Jan. 30 when power forward and leading rebounder Dimitris Haritopoulos (6-9, 240) escaped transferred to French club ASVEL. Tony Parker of the San Antonio Spurs is a part-owner and played with the team during the NBA lockout. Haritopoulos is a lunchpail, in the paint hard worker. He averaged 12 points and his 7.6 rebounds per game was third-best in the league. He was playing 32 minutes per game as well. Maroussi hasn’t been able to pay its players full salaries — they’re getting about half, maybe a bit more, according to the club — so the team can’t stop players from leaving.

If there’s a bright side, it’s that Maroussi was thisclose to winning Jan. 7 against KAO Drama (75-74 final) with Haritopoulos on the bench in foul trouble for much of the game.

Of course, if center Frank Elegar leaves, too … it would get ugly. Elegar (6-9, 225) is averaging 9 points, 5 rebounds and 1.1 blocks per game.