Easy wins for CSKA, big plan for EuroLeague

It's quite an easy job for CSKA to win both of their 2016 China Tour games this week.

The tour ended on Friday with the EuroLeague defending champion's 101-75 victory over eight-time CBA champion Guangdong. Two days earlier, they handed CBA defending champion a 92-49 loss in Chengdu.

The results are not surprising. CSKA stayed focused for every minute, and fielded their best players on court including Milos Teodosic and Nando De Colo. That was too much for Guangdong and Sichuan, though they are two of the best teams in China.

EuroLeague MVP De Colo played both games and had a game-high 20 points in Shenzhen.

"What we do is just to play a serious game and try to be ready for the start of the season," De Colo told Xinhua.

The 29-year-old French international played a key role for CSKA last season, helping the team win the title by beating Fenerbahce after an overtime.

"The title means a lot to me," said De Colo.

"You work hard during all along the season and you are really out to be the best team in the end, to win the championship. It's never easy when the final is just one game."

CSKA are known for their teamwork, which is underlined by at least 20 assists per game during the tour.

"Last year we got a tough season because we have a lot of injuries," said De Colo. "But every time we have a different player to step up and to play better for the team."

"This is why we play different at the end."

CSKA have impressed Chinese fans with on-court play, and the EuroLeague has a big plan off the court.

"To showcase our champion CSKA to millions of basketball fans in China, it's a very unique opportunity for us," EuroLeague CEO Jordi Bertomeu told Xinhua.

The EuroLeague did a lot of off-court work for the 2016 China Tour, including a series of social activities and a basketball coach clinic in Chengdu.

"We have a lot of activities around the game," said Bertomeu.

As a result, the tour attracted more coverage from CCTV, Tencent and LeTV, the three main broadcasters of sports events in China.

China has a huge basketball population, and Chinese player Shang Ping had played for Panathinaikos in 2013. Bertomeu believed there should be a closer tie between China and Europe in basketball.

"It's very important for us to develop our league together with CBA, to bring coaches and referees in order to exchange experience," he said. "We can learn from each other."

Source : XINHUA