I know the draft and free agency are the big topics up next for the Hornets this summer. But how about looking a little further into the future?

Specifically, ahead to the pair of Hornets preseason games that will be played in Berlin and Barcelona as part of the NBA Europe Live Tour 2008. Although I could see how team personnel might consider it a logistical nightmare, I think it’s actually a cool concept (despite the fact that it deprives us NOLA fans of our Hornets for the third week of October preseason games– horrors!), and also a chance for European NBA fans to check out the teams live. (Dare I also say, a chance, since the Hornets drew the Washington Wizards as their opponent, to get revenge for that slightly embarrassing stretch of losses this spring?)

Plus it could be fun to follow back home, if they send some talented and fun media people along (not the T.P., dear lord, their article on Byron Scott’s new contract last week used the same quote from the Game 7 press conference that I’d already seen six places… I mean, can’t they do better than that?) I did a little research on who went last year and what they did while they were there.

And let me tell you, if it’s anything like Celtics in Rome, this could potentially be a source of endless entertainment. Never mind the fact that I’m still reading articles this week crediting the trip as a time of bonding in which the team solidified their goals for the year. But here’s a quick sampling of the silliness that went down:

• The Big Three sip cappuccinos on the porch of their hotel with teeny tiny spoons (I don’t know why this video entertains me so much). Garnett: “We’re the Ceatles. Like the Beatles… but the Ceatles. And I’m Paul.” (While sitting next to Paul Pierce, who is like, Wait, wha–?)
• Big Baby gets hit by a mini-car on the streets of Rome. “I was walking to go meet the guys to get something to eat and - this is no lie - a car really hit me. I was crossing the street, and then a guy slows down to come around a corner and - boom. The guy was like, ‘Oh, I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry.’ I swear it happened. But the car was so small. He kind of hit me on the thigh, but it didn’t even hurt at all. I mean, it was one of those small cars that just fits two people. You see them all over here. I told my mom I got hit by a car, and she was like, ‘Oh, lord, are you hurt?’ I told her, ‘No, mom, I’m way bigger than the car.’”
• Ray Allen rents a scooter and there’s actually a photo of him getting told off by a cop for parking in the wrong spot. And indeed, the rest of the Celtic-as-tourists photos are pretty funny too.
• The team poses for pictures with costumed gladiators at the Colosseum.
• The starters shave their heads for team solidarity (not a huge sacrifice for Ray and KG…)

I expect great things out of Hornets in Europe. Seriously, guys. Don’t disappoint.

Random Fact of the Day: The Hornets have played in Europe once before, in 1994, when they went 1-1 in Paris and Bologna.

This entry was posted on Thursday, June 5th, 2008 at 12:36 pm and is filed under General NBA News, Hornets. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.