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EuroLeague basketball calls off season

(AP) – Europe’s top basketball league canceled the remainder of its season Monday because of the coronavirus pandemic, saying health concerns had to be paramount despite numerous attempts to find ways to resume play.

The EuroLeague, which is composed of 18 teams across 10 European nations, had been suspended since March 12. League officials said they “explored every possible option” in trying to find a way to resume the season.

“Without a doubt, this is the most difficult decision we have had to take in our 20-year history,” Euroleague Basketball President and CEO Jordi Bertomeu said. “Due to reasons beyond our control, we have been forced to cut short the most successful and exciting season in European basketball history.”

The news came only two days after the NBA announced it, along with the National Basketball Players Association, has entered discussions with The Walt Disney Company on a single-site scenario for a resumption of play in Central Florida in late July.

The EuroLeague is generally considered the second-best basketball league in the world behind the NBA. Former University of Miami star Shane Larkin was the top scorer in the league this season, averaging 22.2 points per game for the Istanbul-based club Anadolu Efes.

Larkin’s team led the league with a 24-4 record this season but will not be recognized as champions, with that trophy simply not being awarded.

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