This week on Fullcourt Passport, Ric Bucher and Bostjan “Boki” Nachbar sit down with Detroit Pistons President of Basketball Operations Trajan Langdon—former EuroLeague champion, Final Four MVP, and one of the most globally experienced executives in the NBA.

From the wildest EuroLeague week of the season—coach departures, fan chaos, and the unresolved Partizan–Obradović saga—to the stunning move by Finnish prospect Miikka Muurinen, the show sets the stage for a wide-ranging conversation about the state of worldwide basketball.

Then Trajan joins to discuss:

• How playing overseas shaped his vision as an NBA executive

• What he learned under Ettore Messina, Coach K, and the San Antonio Spurs

• Why chemistry and continuity matter more than raw talent

• Why some international stars thrive in the NBA—and why others don’t

• What today’s global basketball landscape means for scouting, culture building, and the next wave of NBA prospects

This is one of the most insightful episodes ever recorded on Fullcourt Passport—a masterclass in the connection between EuroLeague culture and NBA winning environments.

#FullcourtPassport #TrajanLangdon #RicBucher #BokiNachbar #EuroLeague #Pistons #NBA #InternationalBasketball #EuroLeagueNews #MikaMurinen #Partizan #Obradovic #CSKA #EttoreMessina #NBAGlobal #UnitedWeCast

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Bronx native and FC Barcelona guard Kevin Punter joins Ric Bucher and Bostjan “Boki” Nachbar on Fullcourt Passport (part of the United WeCast Network) to break down what it really takes for an American to become a EuroLeague star.

From the Partizan–Red Star Belgrade rivalry he says beats Lakers–Celtics “by a landslide,” to getting a Serbian passport, turning down NBA two-way offers, and finding his prime at Barça, Punter gives a brutally honest masterclass in surviving — and thriving — in European basketball.

Ric and Boki then zoom out to discuss the path from smaller European clubs to EuroLeague, why some Americans never make it overseas, and how international stars like Lauri Markkanen and Luka Dončić are reshaping the NBA. They close with a breakdown of Barça vs. Efes, and why this might be the most competitive EuroLeague season ever.

⏱️ Episode Timestamps

• 00:35 – Introducing Kevin Punter
• Bronx roots, Tennessee, FIBA Champions League Final Four MVP, ABA League Finals MVP, and now a standout guard at FC Barcelona.
• 01:20 – Inside the Partizan vs. Red Star Belgrade rivalry
• Kevin explains why the Serbian derby beats any NBA rivalry — including Lakers–Celtics and Cavs–Warriors — and why you have to feel it in person.
• 04:20 – First taste of European basketball pressure
• From Poland to AEK Athens, the Greek Cup Final vs. Olympiacos, and a packed OAKA in the FIBA Champions League Final Four.
• 06:50 – Agents, education & choosing Europe over chasing the NBA
• How his agents taught him what EuroLeague is, the money, the levels, and why understanding the business changed his career path.
• 08:30 – Getting a Serbian passport & national team talk
• 10:10 – Why Kevin succeeded where other Americans didn’t
• Summer “lab work,” obsession with improvement, and attacking every perceived weakness year after year.
• 12:40 – Turning down NBA two-way deals & letting the NBA dream go
• 16:00 – Adapting his game to the EuroLeague style
• 19:30 – Handling EuroLeague pressure & staying employed
• Always having to prove himself, living with the fear of being cut, and why “wanting it that bad” is the only way through.
• 21:20 – Prime years at Barcelona & perspective on the grind
• 23:30 – Best off-court memories: Partizan family in Belgrade
• 27:00 – Respecting the long road to EuroLeague
• 30:10 – Lauri Markkanen, EuroBasket & international NBA stars
• 34:50 – National team vs NBA: confidence, roles & perception
• 38:00 – The brotherhood of international players & Balkan ties
• 41:00 – EuroLeague Game of the Week: Barça vs Efes
• Breakdown of Barcelona vs Anadolu Efes, Xavi Pascual’s first game back at Barça, Jan Vesely’s performance and the late-game collapse.
• 44:30 – Is this the most competitive EuroLeague season ever?

#KevinPunter #FullcourtPassport #RicBucher #BokiNachbar #EuroLeague #FCBarcelona #Partizan #RedStar #BelgradeDerby #SerbianBasketball #InternationalBasketball #EuroHoops

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On this episode of Fullcourt Passport (United WeCast Network), hosts Ric Bucher and Bostjan “Boki” Nachbar sit down with Zaza Pachulia—Golden State Warriors basketball operations consultant, two-time NBA champion, Turkish League champion, and the namesake of not one but two NBA rules (the “Zaza rule” on closeout space and the All-Star voting change sparked by Georgia’s fan surge).

Zaza opens up about:

• What a Warriors basketball operations consultant actually does—bridging ownership, partnerships, and the hoops side, mentoring young players, and being the “connective tissue” of the organization.
• The evolution of respect for international players and why the NBA’s global talent boom is here to stay.
• International influence in front offices and on benches—how teams like the Spurs (and exec trees that reached Denver and beyond) normalized global voices, and why the NBA is a copycat league that follows winning models.
• Paris Basketball → NBA pipeline: why multiple NBA head coaches (including Tuomas Iisalo in Memphis) are emerging from Europe’s modern systems, and how the EuroLeague style translates stateside with less practice time.
• Georgia’s national team and Toko Shengelia’s unmatched commitment—plus what it teaches the next generation about leadership, sacrifice, and culture.
• Origins in “darkness”—growing up in Tbilisi amid blackouts, moving to Turkey at 14, and the life-changing impact of his first coach, Zura.
• The mindset that carried him through 16 NBA seasons: “Success isn’t owned; it’s rented—and the rent is due every day.”

Also: Boki and Ric unpack how international coaching philosophies (pace, spacing, team actions) are reshaping both the NBA and EuroLeague—and what young players must embrace to thrive.

Chapters/Keywords: Zaza Pachulia, Golden State Warriors, NBA rules, Zaza rule, All-Star voting change, international players, EuroLeague, Paris Basketball, Tuomas Iisalo, Spurs culture, Denver Nuggets, Toko Shengelia, Georgia basketball, Turkish League, youth development, front office careers, coaching pathway, United WeCast Network.

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