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I am born in Germany, have Russian parents and have friends of many nationalities... but I just love the Balkans. Their light-hearted and fun way of life is truly awesome ❤
@@LYagami-ny4hs the historical fact is that the Hellenes, who invented the concept of Europe, also gave a description of its borders, it referred to Helm or the Dinaric Peninsula or what you pejoratively call "the Balkans" in the West, while today's Western Europe was a land of monsters and uncivilized barbarians
@@LYagami-ny4hs the first world civilization, which processed copper, invented writing, the first cities were created in old Europe on the Helm Peninsula almost two millennia before Mesopotamia and Egypt, while in the west of Europe they lived in caves.read something, at least google Vinca culture
In Spain, a book could be written with the stories of Americans who played here in the 80's and 90's. A crazy one: Certain player I don't remember received a courtesy car from the team, so he could go from home to practice. After few days he told the team that sth is wrong with the car. It is extremely slow and makes huge noise. Staff from the team took the car, with the player not being present, tried it and it was all OK. After the car was returned to the player, next day he says it is still the same!! So they decided to go and check it together. Player was driving and the staff immediately noticed what the issue was... He was all the time using the first gear, didn't know he had to switch gears as in the states, 99% of cars are automatic. 😂
In the 80s and 90s, it was probably far closer to an even split between automatics and straight drives. Someone old enough to play pro ball back then would have known the difference
@@FC-gl4ul the story is absolutely true, very well known in Spain. I don't know if he just figured it out by luck just pressing the pedals, or the most possible one: he put the 1st gear not using the clutch. Believe me it is possible because I did it myself with an old Renault 5. Even easier is to switch for example from 2nd to 3rd while driving, this I saw it in many brands (VW for example) but you can also rush from stop to first gear without clutch just pressing the gear forward. Maybe in new engines this is not possible anymore, I am not gonna try it either way :D
As a Croatian, I don't understand why all of this is regarded as weird. Many people smoke, everybody likes burek with joghurt, eating a lot (of everything) is normal, a hangout with peers turning into a dancing and drinking party etc. Honestly, not doing all of this - is weird.
Smoking is frowned upon for health reasons, but it is mostly unheard of in high level athletes. Eating a lot before game maybe considered weird because it may affect your performance, but eating a lot is not problem for Americans in general as you can tell by their sizes lol. Partying is not weird, Americans tend to do it in different ways though.
The percentage of Americans who smoke has dropped hugely in the past 40 years. It’s way less common than in Europe, we took those warnings on TV seriously.
As someone from the Balkans what Toni Kukoc ordered counts as a nice, complete meal here. For a person of his stature and especially an active sportsman, I would wager he might need a bit more even. Good on him, seems like he was enjoying life while playing.
Greg Popovich put Zeljko Paspalj in the clinic to make him stop smoking, first thing he did once he went out and popovic came to take him home was to light a cigaret
as someone from ex-yu countries,that pic from the bubble warms my heart and it makes me happy how it all turned out with all of them there,true to their roots haha
@@burimsaliji23i logicno da nasi laganu veceru pretvore veceru u dobru sjedaljku uz muziku na telefonu i zajebanciju i veselje haha treba nam vise toga
What about Žarko Paspalj? Chain smoker black in the days in San Antonio. Back in Europe he had an unique contract at Olympiakos, which allowed him at any moment of the game to go in the locker room for smoking. While playing against him, we were all shocked from his smell after returning on the court in the Greek league.
Back in the late 80s in Belgrade, I remember running into a cafe where Partizan players went after the training session. Divac, Paspalj, Djordjevic, Pecarski, Danilovic, Grbic were inside. I swear that you could cut the smoke with the sword! You could hardly see the players from the clouds of smoke around them. And Divac was driving a Yugo 45 back then, saw him with my own eyes 🙂
In early 90s we were with school on Kopaonik ,i thing was 1992 or 1993 ( i was every year so not sure which one was) and there was Divac drinking beer ,we counted like 15 beers he drunk
Darko Milicic takes the cake. The guy was so crazy and out of control. He spoke about those days and some bizarre things he was doing in some interviews in Serbian.
Eurobasket 1995 and somewhere around the oaka stadium a limo parks, the windows roll down and empty cans of beer are thrown to the general direction of garbage cans by the street. Sabonis and Kurtinaitis waved at us when as we recognised them and cheered.
@@JohnVoxville53 stop talking nonesence, if there was no evil polititions to poison humans with lies, everything would be better. but thanks to the internet they cant just say whatever, the new generations are a lot more informed
@@JohnVoxville53WTF you think that all the people from former Yugoslavia are fucking savages and just waiting the right moment to cut each others throats. We are people like everybody, anywhere in the civilisated world, not some bloodthirsty animals.
Smoking a cig before a game is the most European thing to do lol. Lots of Euros smoke even the athletes. Example. Back in the days, the Spurs had a player that came from teh Euro league, Žarko Paspalj. He would smoke cigs and eat pizza during halftime.
Europeans are the most Open-Minded people on the Planet. Life is not only abaut working but also living it to the full,because Life is to Short and "you" only live once.
@@kingwolfboss6144 where in Europe?? Because in Europe there are 50 independent countries,each with their own Language,Culture and Traditions. Iam sure that you are talking abaut some European Countries ( very few),and not in Europe as a 50 countries continent.
I remember reading that the Lakers brass was not very happy when then-rookie Vlade Divac showed up for the first meeting at their offices smoking a Marlboro 😂
Forget smoking before a game. I remember seeing a player smoke *during* a game. It was in a European Champions League (precursor to the Euroleague) game in the 70's. Maccabi Tel Aviv was hosting one of the stronger teams in the competition (I believe it was Real Madrid or perhaps Simmenthal Milano). It was late in the game and Macabbi -- which had lost badly to the opposing team in the away game -- was leading by a lot. In fact, Maccabi was close to evening the score on aggregate. Suddenly, there was some major technical problem (the scoreboard or the lights, I don't remember) and play was stopped for several minutes. Next thing I know I see a Maccabi player (Yossi Lezha (not sure about the spelling)) smoking a cigarette on the Maccabi bench. Different times!
As crazy as it seems today, NBA american players use to do worst things during the 70's. Play a game completely drunk, take little sips of alcohol in the bench, and also wearing a small dose of paper wraping cocaine inside the socks while playing the game.
Great episode! Ok, here's one I have (Yes, I am aware of the avalanche of of comments saying it did not happen) about Predrag Sasha Danilovic during his tenure in Dallas. The source of the story is Rasha Nesterovic who told it to my coach (his best man) and the rest of our team of cadets of Partizan back in ~2003 when Rasha came to our practice. The game was on the line and the game-plan was for Danilovic to take the last shot. Some other player did not pass the ball and took the shot. Now Euro-fans would know how clutch Danilovic was and that he always would want the ball, while Serbians are well familiar with his temper as well. Needless to say, the guy missed the shot. Right after in the looker-room, Danilovic beat the shit out of him, and then a couple of other teammates got into it trying (probably) to split the fight, but Danilovic beat them too. The story goes that by the end of his tenure in Dallas he fought the whole team and literally *fought and beat every single teammate*. And then he got back to Europe.
When I visited Spain back in 1986 as a kid, i remember going to the local city's arena to watch their pro team play a game and I literally got sick from all the cigarette smoke. The arena was like in a fog of smoke. Then I will always remember, a player was subbed out, sat on the bench for a few seconds, then busted out a cig and started smoking.
You skipped Darko Miličić. SMH. For the Kukoč and espresso bit, it's a common knowledge, at least in the Balkans (coffee savants) that a cup of coffee helps you relieve yourself, if you know what I mean.
'Café y cigarro, figurita de barro', is what we use to say in Spain. In English, 'Coffee and cigar, clay figurine'. The laxative properties of this pairing are well known world wide 😅
'Café y cigarro, figurita de barro', is what we use to say in Spain. In English, 'Coffee and cigar, clay figurine'. The laxative properties of this pairing are well known world wide 😅 And the hobby to go to the forest and 'hunt' mushrooms is also usual here.
It's hard to let go of the habits from your roots even when on the other side of the world. Sticking to what you're used to gives you a peace of mind when engaging with the unknown.
That's common here in Appalachia. In fact I thought it was hilarious seeing a specific mushroom for 13 dollars on a menu in Chicago. We used to pick those damn things by the garbage bag and fry them with the hamburgers and hotdogs.
Dude we personally don’t have a Problem with eachother. As soon as we meet outside of our countries we turn into friends, comrades etc. (Of course there are some exceptions). We visit the Same Restaurants, Clubs, Concerts etc. Speak the Same Language, eat the Same Food, Listen to the Same Music. We’re culturally very similiar, if not almost the Same. These are all things that unite. It‘s more of an poltical and nation thing. You can hate a Country but still be Open minded enough to give every Person, no matter who they are and where they are from, individually a Chance.
I am from Turkiye whjat's so weird about what you mentioned. Borek is a traditional Turkish dough dish and when we sit at the table we want our eyes to be satisfied first. Meaning the plates and the table needs to be full before our stomach is full.
I remember that pizza commercial with Hedo eating pizza in his uniform while talking to the coach on the phone, when he was with the Raptors. "Yes, coach...yes, coach...". Who knew it was an actual documentary of his life. Weird.
I know an ex-pro Turkish basketball player. Incidentally, he's a smoker but some of his stories about the American players playing over here are also interesting. According to him, "smoking" is common among the American players.
I loved the video, because I‘m from the balkans and as a basketball fan I love Lithuania but it would be nice to hear something about all the Spanish, French and German guys.
Here in Indiana, especially in southern Indiana a lot of people hunt for wild mushrooms. I think even Larry Bird used to do it growing up. On a side note, I grew up with a lot of Serbians here in NW Indiana/Chicago area and have been to many of their functions over the years. I can vouch for a few things- lots of smoking, drinking, cultural dances, and smoking hot women.....
ridiculous statement when the US has more diversity and foreign cultures than any other country in the world. It's not even close. Just another jealous mexican.
I still remember a guy we were used to play together on open courts during college time and he was used to smoke before every game because he was saying that he made him feel more athletic! I remember listening to him saying ''God damn, I didn't smoke before the start of the game and I cannot lift my feet!'' Anyway, greetings from Greece!
1:00 God bless the Serbs for this. I'm from Croatia and am a passionate smoker. Here, smoking has been banned in restaurants basically since I started smoking some time in the 2ks. It's such a delight to be able to have a meal and light a smoke afterwards without having to go outside.
In Yugoslavia (Serbia) best handball players from my hometown (*Crvenka* who have great handball school) , everybody smoked cigarettes and drink beer ,before and after game *after game much more. : )
Hey man, I love to see the European focus on the game of basketball on this channel. Not only is it cool seeing the cultural differences european players have, it is also cool seeing a better and more pure form of basketball being coached and played by european teams (much of which is then copied and brought over to NBA teams like the Spurs). P.S. The Balkan Brothers story was quite cool and relatable for almost any culture except North American/Western European culture.
I am from Greece. And watching Kuzminskas hobby, while playing on my team right now makes me so happy ! One of my favorite activities when I was in my village were collecting oregano with my mother so we could have free oregano from our land into our kitchen. Isn't this common in US ?
I'm originally from Iran and we drink yogurt too. Fun fact the origin myths of both Croats and Serbs say that the descend from Iranian/Sarmatian tribes. And I remember reading how the name "Hrvat" had been traced to some obscure locale in present-day Afghanistan
No,we are South Slavs originally. Our language and culture that stayed from our ancestors is the same/similar like other Slavs. Now when we came in the Balkans(7th century)most of the people mixed with Illyrians,Hellenic people,Italians in the South of the Balkans,we were oppressed by Ottomans so that too. We’re not originally from Iran,Middle East✌️
I live in upstate rural New York at the foot of the Catskill Mountains am a basketball fan and foodie... The part about the Balkan boys had me salivating for their food and drinks and their music is awesome... I would love to have come from that part of the world, so much fun, I also go on Mushroom walks. Am so so sad for how out of touch so many Americans have come from actually being a Human on Earth. Thank God for the Balkan Boys and their IQ on and off the Court.
As a guy from Poland, There's no no smokers area and there's no no drinking area, you can just go on the street, drink some ice cold wódka or piwo and smoke some cigs and make a lot of new friends
Didn't know that about Sabonis sounds like hes a serb or i guess Lithuanians a serbs are more alike then i thought lol great vid guys keep up the good work lol
How to be a sucessful European in the NBA: Don't shower, eat seafood for breakfast, smoke the rest of your cigs before tipoff, bribe the refs, celebrate with kebab, repeat.
Gytis is too young to remember a time when the smokers and non-smokers always shared the same public space. Bless his heart. I still remember the reactions when that law passed here in Athens. Plus most of the time, simple cigarettes were the "formal way" of relaxation. When you and a couple buddies are at home, it's a different story. You really need to take a deep look at the state of Greek basketball in the 90s, if lighting a cigarette is shocking to you. Fasoulas smoked pipes, Tarpley drank the Bosphorus and Black sea together in alcohol, and Fanis Christodoulou (a Greek basketball LEGEND) did both. It was common, until the mid-2000s. Tsartsaris said that Panathinaikos won the Euroleague listening to Sfakianakis. Meaning going to Bouzoukia all the time.
Καλά, να πούμε και το ότι ψηφίστηκε αυτός ο νόμος δε σημαίνει πως τον κρατάμε! Πρώτον είσαι Ελλάδα....δεύτερον είσαι ΒΑΛΚΆΝΙΑ! χαχαχα Still I agree with all you said Dim and you Thomas.
I used to play the game in France when I was young. Our coach would tell us to eat garlic before the games so the defenders wouldn't get too close. I also participated in a three-point contest where every contestant was drunk, including the professionals (Pro B). Last but not least, every rookie at our modest level had his penis forcefully covered in blue ink after his first game. It took me like 10 days before my wiener turned pink again.
Weird how when Western Europeans talk about Europe and it’s virtues they never bring up Eastern Europe but when it’s comes to basketball they have no problem including them.
Prosinecki maybe the most talented footballer ever to come from ex Yu. smoked at least 2 packs of cigarettes a day. Not mention he like his liquor as well. Probably why he dint become one of the best footballers ever as he sure had the talent
Vlade also Pizza Hut at least while staying at the Marriot Hotel while the visiting team playing the Utah Jazz in Utah back then it was at the Delta Center. He was in front of me in line. If I had to guess it was 1999. Oliver Miller also at a ton!
It's because in the U.S., smoking is not common at all. Most Americans don't smoke and it's frowned upon in many places over here in the U.S. It used to be popular like 50 years ago but not anymore.
That restaurant Balkan boys story, its perfectly summed up in a chorus of Dubioza Kolektiv song: -" But when I taste some rakija.... In my head anarhija.... Back to original shape..... There's just no0 escape From BALKAN" 😂😂😂
That was fun to watch 😁 But as some others mentioned in the comments. There were only east European stories ... what love to see some of the other areas 🎉
Weird how Giannis was not included to the Balkan table. I would consider us Greeks as much Balkan as any other Balkan nation and I love our similarities.
As a 34 yo dude from Serbia, none of this is weird at all lmao... the 90s were pretty tough for most and a lot of people were poor. So we ate all kinds of "weird" stuff, usually pretty high in calories, as much as possible. Bread, pig fat, salt and aleva paprika sandwiches (awesome!). Moče/prženice = old bread dipped in eggs and fried in deep oil/pig fat (awesome!) Popara = old bread chopped into chunks and just cooked in water and salt and cheap cheese (you could add other stuff if you had it, not that awesome, but passable when there is nothing else to eat lol). And the lucky ones who grew up in villages or had family there, there was a looot of pig and chicken stuff... Mostly bacon, ham, sausages and all other kinds of dried/smoked meat. Čvarci = literally just cooked lard/fat cubes with salt, we called it pig popcorn lol (delicious!). And a looot of potatoes. Probably the least common one outside of Balkans, "potatoes in pants" = potatoes just cut in half with the skin still on and baked in the oven... then when done, usually just take kajmak and put it on top of it to melt...
on the cigarette thing, i know about two guys that qualified for the olympic track team while both of them were chain smokers. some people are born to do it.
