Ask Mike Fratello how in the world he became the coach of Ukraine’s national basketball team, and a history book opens. It doesn’t rewrite the consensus belief that N.B.A. globalization began earnestly with the 1992 Barcelona Olympics. It does provide a supplemental context that the growth of the game wasn’t all Magic, Larry and Michael.
New York Times: Ukraine’s success rooted in an Atlanta connection
Mike Fratello, who coached three N.B.A. teams, has led Ukraine to its first FIBA World Cup.
