McCalebb: ‘The NBA can wait’

Montepaschi Siena point guard Bo McCalebb has once again dismmissed rumours of a move to the NBA, deciding to stay in Europe.

In an interview with Italian newspaper Corriere Dello Sport, the American-born Macedonian international said he was enjoying his basketball and doesn’t feel the need to change.

“I am not thinking about that right now, it is not the right moment to move to the NBA” McCalebb said. “Siena is my priority. Everyone knows me and I love talking to the people.”

McCalebb had an NBA stint in 2008, but never got off the bench for the Sacramento Kings in the pre-season Las Vegas Summer League. Something that his agent Eric Fleisher couldn’t believe.

“He’s the best point guard in Europe right now, and the entire NBA ignored him, which was a huge mistake,” he said to journalist Chris Sheridan during Eurobasket in Lithuania.

Montepaschi Siena are currently on course to reach the last-eight of the Euroleague having won their first four games in Group F of the Top 16 stage.

McCalebb recently finished third in the race for FIBA Europe Player of the Year, due to his outstanding performance at Eurobasket 2011, where he led FYR of Macedonia to a fourth place finish. He also ended up on the Eurobasket All Tournament Team which included Tony Parker, Juan Carlos Navarro, Andrei Kirilenko and Pau Gasol.

The Player of the Year award was won by Dallas Mavericks’ forward Dirk Nowitzki.

“It is a huge honour for me that I have reached the podium in the awards right behind two great basketball champions,” McCalebb said. “I am playing a very good basketball. I am happy for me and my team.”

The rise of McCalebb began at the Euroleague Final Four in Paris in 2010, where he played for Partizan. He was one of the star performers, despite the Serbian side losing both their games. He then starred for FYR of Macedonia in the Eurobasket 2011 qualifiers, his best game came where he scored 30 points in an overtime loss to Great Britain in Newcastle.