{"version":"1.0","type":"rich","provider_name":"Acast","provider_url":"https://acast.com","height":250,"width":700,"html":"<iframe src=\"https://embed.acast.com/$/68d0f3c5f5e00f6ca44a9b51/69a69ed020f5582da0dc3182?\" frameBorder=\"0\" width=\"700\" height=\"250\"></iframe>","title":"From D.C. to Baghdad: How One Man Is Exposing the Untold World of Overseas Basketball","description":"<p>What happens to elite players who get drafted but never play an NBA minute? Mike Creppy Jr. — D.C.-area native, former overseas pro, founder of Vindicated Sports, and creator of the Hulu/Disney+ documentary <em>Imported</em> — joins Ric Bucher and Boki Nachbar to pull back the curtain on international basketball's hidden stories. From James Guist getting drafted by the Spurs during their dynasty years and never suiting up, to Lindsay Pulliam scoring 2,000 points in the Big Ten and never playing a WNBA game, to Edgar Sosa — all-Big East at Louisville — ending up in Baghdad, Iraq. Plus: the chaos unfolding in real time as Israeli EuroLeague teams scramble to relocate amid conflict, Monaco's financial crisis threatening one of Europe's most competitive clubs, and why European basketball desperately needs a structural reset. This one goes deep.</p><p><br></p><h2>⏱️ TIMESTAMPS</h2><p><strong>00:00</strong> — Introduction &amp; New Air Club sponsorship <strong>01:52</strong> — Meet Mike Creppy Jr.: Vindicated Sports &amp; the documentary <em>Imported</em> <strong>02:07</strong> — Why \"Vindicated\"? The meaning behind the name <strong>03:54</strong> — What inspired <em>Imported</em> and the rise of overseas basketball in mainstream conversation <strong>05:19</strong> — U.S. vs. European player development: Mike's take <strong>06:29</strong> — How many players has Vindicated helped get signed? (60 and counting) <strong>07:34</strong> — Making <em>Imported</em>: The first move, the first mistake <strong>08:39</strong> — How Kevin Merida (ESPN/LA Times) helped Mike see the documentary potential <strong>09:58</strong> — How the production came together: Istanbul, Slovakia, Iraq and beyond <strong>10:54</strong> — How Giannis and Improbable Media got attached to <em>Imported</em> <strong>12:17</strong> — The criteria for choosing featured players: who got closest to the NBA without making it <strong>13:11</strong> — James Guist: Drafted by the Spurs in 2008, never played an NBA game <strong>13:44</strong> — Lindsay Pulliam: 2,000-point Big Ten scorer, drafted by Atlanta Dream, zero WNBA games <strong>14:08</strong> — Edgar Sosa: All-Big East at Louisville, 18-19 NBA workouts, ended up in Baghdad <strong>15:04</strong> — How Mike met Edgar Sosa in Cairo on Thanksgiving <strong>17:22</strong> — Why talented players fall through the NBA cracks: contracts, timing, visibility <strong>18:36</strong> — Pat Beverly buying out of his Russian contract to bet on himself <strong>19:01</strong> — Chris Wright: First NBA player with multiple sclerosis, featured in <em>Imported</em> <strong>20:44</strong> — Mike's wildest overseas experience: Playing in Greece during the economic crisis <strong>21:25</strong> — Greek teammates going on strike the week before a Panathinaikos game <strong>22:44</strong> — Kyle Hines getting hit by a flare during warmups at Panathinaikos <strong>23:52</strong> — The rewards of playing overseas: global network, culture, business connections <strong>24:39</strong> — Damian Rosser: From obscurity to Champions League basketball in four years <strong>26:47</strong> — The Middle East conflict: How it's impacting Mike's clients in Israel and Iran <strong>29:42</strong> — Ric and Boki discuss Israeli EuroLeague teams relocating amid conflict <strong>31:51</strong> — Boki was in Tel Aviv just days before the conflict escalated <strong>34:33</strong> — The logistical nightmare of relocating an entire EuroLeague franchise <strong>37:22</strong> — How the Middle East conflict is affecting EuroLeague competition fairness <strong>41:01</strong> — Monaco's French Cup win amid a deep financial crisis <strong>42:30</strong> — Why European basketball needs a structural reset — and what the NBA could offer <strong>45:55</strong> — Outro &amp; how to find <em>Imported</em> on Hulu and Disney+</p><p><br></p><p>#BasketballPodcast #SportsMedia #PlayerDevelopment #NBAlternative #GLeague #FIBABasketball</p>","author_name":"Ric Bucher"}