Nuggets champion pens touching tribute after joining EuroLeague powerhouse
Eurohoops reports that reserve Nuggets combo forward Vlatko Cancar has inked a two-season deal to join Italian EuroLeague powerhouse club Olimpia Milano.
The 6-foot-8 Slovenian forward, 28, was selected with the No. 49 pick by Denver way back in 2017, although he kept playing overseas before making his NBA debut in 2019-20.
MORE NEWS:Nuggets veteran confirms he's leaving Denver to play in Europe amid Jonas Valanciunas rumors
Thanks in part to major health issues, Cancar was only a consistent part of the Nuggets' rotation during the team's run to the 2023 championship. In 60 healthy regular season bouts that year, he averaged 5.0 points on .476/.374/.927 shooting splits, 2.1 rebounds, and 1.3 assists in 14.8 minutes per. He was squeezed out of then-head coach Michael Malone's rotation in the playoffs, however, averaging just 2.0 mop-up minutes a game in five contests.
A torn ACL sidelined Cancar for the entirety of 2023-24. Though healthy, he played just 13 games for Denver in 2024-25. The writing was on the wall for his NBA future.
Cancar took to his Instagram to write a tribute to the only NBA team he's ever known."Thank you Denver ❤️," Cancar began. "To take a chance on a kid from Koper Slovenia, believing in me and creating me as a person and basketball player a big hug and thank you for all the memories through the good and bad."
"In this beautiful 6 years [I] met a lot of great people some connected with basketball and a lot outside the court so thanks to you all as well, [I] can say Denver is my second home," Cancar wrote. "You will always have a fan for life and hopefully our paths cross down the road again so it is not a goodbye but a see you later!"
Across five healthy NBA seasons (he was with the team while hurt in 2023-24, hence his listing six) — all with Denver — Cancar averaged 3.4 points on .472/.354/.847 shooting splits, 1.8 rebounds, and 0.9 assists a night.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
4 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Breanna Stewart reportedly avoided significant leg injury, will travel with Liberty on upcoming road trip
There appears to be reason for relief in New York. Liberty All-Star Breanna Stewart reportedly avoided a significant lower-leg injury after leaving early during Saturday's loss to the Los Angeles Sparks. That's according to Madeline Kenney of the New York Post, who reported Sunday that imaging revealed the absence of a significant injury. The nature of Stewart's injury is unclear from the report. But the news is certainly welcome in New York as the Liberty seek to repeat as WNBA champions. Per the report, Stewart will travel with the team for New York's upcoming four-game road trip that features a potential WNBA Finals preview against the league-leading Minnesota Lynx. Stewart's status for that matchup on Wednesday is far from certain. Per Kenney, the Liberty plan "to give her time to fully recover." [Join or create a Yahoo Fantasy Football league for the 2025 NFL season] Whether she's back on the court for the road trip or later, the report indicates that Stewart will be back in time for the stretch run of the season, which concludes on Sept. 11. Scary moment after apparent non-contact injury Stewart pulled up in the opening minutes of Saturday's game and asked to be taken out with what appeared to be a non-contact injury. She did not return to the game and was eventually ruled out at halftime. Liberty coach Sandy Brondello told reporters after the game that there was no update on Stewart's status. "Hopefully she'll be OK," Brondello said in her postgame news conference. Saturday's 101-99 loss to the Sparks on Saturday was the Liberty's first in six games to drop them to 17-7. They remain comfortably in first place in the Eastern Conference, three games ahead of the second-place Atlanta Dream (14-10). The Lynx maintain the best record in the WNBA (22-4), four games ahead of the Liberty in the race for home-court advantage in a potential Finals matchup. Stewart, a seven-time All-WNBA selection and two-time MVP, is key to New York's hopes of maintaining its edge in the East and repeating as WNBA champion.
Yahoo
4 minutes ago
- Yahoo
England's epic Euro 2025 final penalty shootout: Notes under sleeves, a retaken kick and ice-cold Kelly
You could argue that there was no other way England could have concluded their historic, victorious European championship run than in the most dramatic of styles. They have become accustomed to coming back from behind in a game; today's final against reigning world champions Spain was their third comeback win in this campaign, all of which were during the knockout stage. The team spent less than five minutes in a leading position across all three knockout stage games, including stoppage time. Once again, they came back after conceding the opening goal to equalize and managed 120 minutes of play to make it to the penalty shootout. And England's successful penalty shootout seemed an accurate depiction of the Lionesses' run to the top, a combination of bad luck, intense preparation and disciplined nerves of steel in big moments. The Athletic breaks down the events exactly as they unfolded. As both teams retreated to their huddles to prepare, England goalkeeper Hannah Hampton was seen rolling up one of her long green sleeves to reveal what appeared to be a strip of tape scribbled with notes circling her forearm. Written reminders of which way a player might shoot are nothing new in these moments, but goalkeepers tend to fix them to their water bottles, as Swedish keeper Jennifer Falk did against the Lionesses in their quarterfinal penalties. It felt like a promising start for the Lionesses. However, Beth Mead slipped during her penalty attempt, and although it went in on the first try, she had to retake it. It was a heart-sinking moment for the forward, followed by a wave of relief. That relief was short-lived, though, after the ref motioned for Mead to return to the penalty line. Video Assistant Referee ruled out Mead's first attempt because the slip forced an irregular touch. Her second attempt was saved by Spain's Cata Coll, who dove to the right both times. What proved to be the losing side of a mind game for England could have been a boost of confidence for Spain. Or, just maybe, the early disappointment was what the Lionesses needed in this penalty shootout. After all, we can't forget their Euros campaign started with a 2-1 loss to France in Group D. England teammate Grace Clinton was there to walk Mead back to the line with words of encouragement while Spain stepped up to the spot next. In terms of her standing among the titans of Spain's midfield, this was a big moment for Patri Guijarro, who some believe should be next in line for a Ballon d'Or. Knowing England were down a goal adds a surprising degree of pressure to the first penalty taker on the other side. However, Guijarro handled the moment with ease, timing her strike just after Hannah Hampton showed the faintest motion to her left. Guijarro's driven ball went down the middle, but by then Hampton was already out of reach. Before entering the penalty box and situating the ball on the spot, Greenwood bounced it with her hands three times. England head coach Sarina Wiegman has oscillated the defender between center and left back throughout the tournament. Greenwood held her own against the onslaught of offense from the Spanish front line from the latter position throughout regulation and extra time on Sunday. Greenwood is known as a set-piece specialist on the team, though her last penalty in England's quarterfinal match against Sweden was saved by Jennifer Falk. This time, against Coll, Greenwood was more decisive, her left-footed shot low and well-placed beyond the Spanish goalkeeper's outstretched hands despite her correct guess as to where Greenwood was going. It would have been poetic if Mariona Caldentey had converted her spot kick. She scored the opening goal of the night, heading in a cross from Ona Batlle in the 25th minute. A goal in this moment would have been redemption for her missed penalty against Switzerland in Spain's quarterfinal. Maybe a goal in this moment could have carried Spain to another major international title as well. But Caldentey's slow walk to the penalty line proved deadly – either this limited the power behind her attempt or it gave Hampton all she needed to predict where the ball would go. In the end, Hampton's quick hop to the right was all she needed to hammer another nail in the World Cup winner's coffin. England defender Niamh Charles entered the match in the 105th minute to replace Lucy Bronze, who, after an agonizing handful of minutes desperately pushing through injury, had to be subbed off. The Chelsea fullback settled into the game quickly, picking up where Bronze left off with sturdy defending, and was a portrait of calm before her penalty: hands on her hips, eyes fixed on the ball to deny Coll any chance of visual intimidation or other mind games. What a shock it must have been to Coll, then, when center official Stéphanie Frappart blew the whistle and Charles sped toward the ball, running through it to give it plenty of pace. She struck it with her instep, but with such force that it whipped away from Coll and curled to Charles' left. Hers was easily the best shot in the series up to that point and wound up being the best of the whole affair. As she jogged back to her teammates, Charles could not help but try to hide a grin. There wasn't a bigger moment in this penalty shootout than the next Hampton save. Two-time Ballon d'Or winner Aitana Bonmati carried Spain into this final with her late-game heroics against Germany, finding the dangerous space between goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger and her post at what seemed a near-impossible angle. Bonmati's brilliance was still there, though. Her penalty attempt was strong, and precise. But Hampton's brilliance in this moment shone brighter. The Chelsea keeper dove to her right at the exact moment she needed to, blocking Bonmati's crisp attempt. This will be a moment in the 24-year-old goalkeeper's career that will distinguish her as one of the best keepers of her time, despite her having almost no depth perception. Captains are expected to come up big in moments like this, but Leah Williamson's tentative steps toward the spot exposed her. She cast her gaze just left of goal as she waited for the whistle, and while she deserves credit for what appeared to be an attempt to switch up the pattern of shots up to that point — none had exceeded waist-level height, and Williamson opted for something higher — it didn't quite reach top bins and was ultimately saveable. Coll dove correctly to her left and pawed the ball away with relative ease with her right hand. Salma Paralluelo had big shoes to fill when she subbed on for eventual Euro 2025 Golden Boot winner Esther González in the 89th minute. The Barcelona striker's profile is vastly different from that of González. From the moment Paralluelo entered the pitch, she shone, combining with fellow substitute Vicky Lopez to create fresh, inventive chances for Spain. However, her penalty shot did not have the same effect. She looked focused in the lead-up, eyebrows furrowed on the ball, but her decision to approach it with her shoulders nearly parallel to the end line may have tricked her into overcompensating with her hips. Hampton guessed correctly, but a more precise shot into the side netting could have still beaten her to it. Paralluelo's miscalculation, however, dragged hers wide. It had to be ice-cold Chloe Kelly. She delivered England's second goal in their semifinal win against Italy, following through after her missed penalty, scoring in the 119th minute. She was England's hero then, and she was England's hero again against Spain. Kelly was summoned onto the pitch by Wiegman earlier than anticipated, coming on for an injured Lauren James in the 40th minute. It took only 17 minutes for Kelly to deliver for England, this time in the form of a cross to Alessia Russo, who scored England's equalizer. It was fitting, then, that the 27-year-old Arsenal forward walked up to the penalty line, with the trophy also on the line. She tokk a deep breath, lifting her left knee towards her chest. Then, proceeded with her signature hop, before drilling a 100 km/h ball past Coll. This was the fastest goal of the entire tournament, according to the connected ball technology in Adidas' Konektis match ball. It was also the second consecutive Euros where Kelly scored England's tournament-winning goal. This article originally appeared in The Athletic. England, Spain, International Football, Women's Soccer, Women's Euros 2025 The Athletic Media Company
Hamilton Spectator
5 minutes ago
- Hamilton Spectator
The Latest: Cool Kelly seals the win for England
BASEL, Switzerland (AP) — Defending champion England has won the Women's European Championship after defeating Spain in the final in a penalty shootout. Here's the latest: Cool Kelly seals the win Chloe Kelly says she was confident she would score on England's last spot kick. She stepped up as England's fifth shooter with a chance to decide the final after Salma Paralluelo's shot went wide for Spain. Kelly drew a deep breath, took three strides and blasted the ball into the top of the goal. 'I was cool, I was composed, and I knew I was going to hit the back of the net,' Kelly told Fox's broadcast. England wins on penalties England has defended its European title by defeating Spain in a penalty shootout. The game was tied at 1-1 after extra time. England won the shootout 3-1 with Chloe Kelly scoring the winning penalty kick. Extra time It's 1-1 at full time and the players are coming off the pitch for a quick break. Then it's extra time: two times 15 minutes to break the deadlock. England equalizer England equalized when Alessia Russo made it 1-1 in the 57th minute. Chloe Kelly whipped one of her trademark crosses into the box from the left and Russo rose above the defense to make it 1-1. Spain leads 1-0 at halftime Spain heads into the break in the lead after Mariona Caldentey's goal in the 25th. Both teams traded early blows but Spain looked stronger after the goal. La Roja kept most of the possession and did not allow England to threaten much. England also trailed at halftime in the quarterfinal against Sweden and semifinal against Italy, but still won both games. Spain takes the lead Mariona Caldentey has made it 1-0 for Spain in the 25th minute. Ona Batlle whipped in a cross from the right, after good work by Aitana Bonmati, and Caldentey headed it powerfully home. Closing ceremony Swiss former player Lara Dickenmann carried the trophy out onto the field after the closing ceremony of Euro 2025. A large circular banner was unfurled in the center of the field in tribute to the host nation, while smaller banners were displayed nearby with 'Thank You' in Switzerland's four official languages —Italian, French, German, and Romansh. Two large Alpine-inspired shapes were then carried onto the field, with the England flag on one and Spain's on the other. Nearly 30,000 inflatable clappers had been distributed to the fans beforehand, while 40 members of the closing ceremony cast also had them on the field. The Asturia Quartet, an all-female string ensemble, performed the national anthems. Del Castillo starts for Spain In somewhat of a surprise change, Athenea Del Castillo has been named in Spain's starting lineup in place of Claudia Pina. Del Castillo's only other start in the tournament was in the final group-stage match, against Italy, when many regular starters were rested with Spain already through. The Real Madrid forward scored one and set up another. She also scored the opener in the quarterfinal win against Switzerland just four minutes after coming onto the field. Pina was decisive the last time Spain played England, scoring twice to help her team to a 2-1 comeback victory in the Nations League last month. The only other change to Spain's lineup from its semifinal victory over Germany is the return of defender Laia Aleixandri from suspension, with María Méndez dropping back down to the bench. Spain's lineup: Coll; Batlle, Paredes, Aleixandri, Olga; Bonmatí, Patri, Putellas; Mariona, González, Del Castillo. James is back for England Lauren James has recovered from injury and starts for England with coach Sarina Wiegman making just one change. James had to come off at halftime in England's semifinal victory over Italy on Tuesday with an ankle problem and was seen applying ice to her injury during the match. James has started all five of England's games at Euro 2025 and has been named in the lineup for the final. Defender Jess Carter returns after being omitted from the starting lineup for the first time against Italy, for tactical reasons, two days after revealing she was the target of racist abuse online during the tournament. England's lineup: Hampton; Bronze, Williamson, Carter, Greenwood; Toone, Walsh, Stanway; James, Russo, Hemp. St. Jakob-Park is filling up Basel's soccer stadium has a capacity of 34,250 during Euro 2025 and no empty seats are expected at the final. With an hour to go until kickoff, thousands of fans have already taken their seats. Even before the final, the tournament has broken the total attendance record for a Women's European Championship. A total of 623,088 spectators have attended the 30 matches so far, surpassing the previous total attendance record of 574,875 from Euro 2022. Skies clear up after heavy rain in Basel There have been intermittent torrential showers and thunderstorms but that has not dampened the spirits of thousands of Spanish and England fans that have been gathering in the fan zones in Basel. The rain teemed down about two hours before kickoff but the sun came out shortly afterward and the skies above St. Jakob-Park have cleared up for now. Defending champions did it the hard way England got off to a rough start with a 2-1 defeat to France, becoming the first reigning champion to lose its opening match at a women's Euros. The team bounced back with a 4-0 victory over the Netherlands and a 6-1 thrashing of Wales. Then came the craziness of its quarterfinal against Sweden when it was trailing 2-0 with 12 minutes to go before equalizing and taking the match to extra time and a penalty shootout. There were nine failed penalty attempts before England finally triumphed 3-2. England left it even later in its semifinal against Italy. Teenager Michelle Agyemang leveled in stoppage time to force extra time and fellow substitute Chloe Kelly scored in the 119th minute to secure a 2-1 win, just as it appeared another penalty shootout was looming. (Almost) smooth sailing for Spain Spain swept through the group stage, winning all three matches against Portugal, Belgium and Italy — scoring 14 goals and conceding three. Spain found it tougher to get past Switzerland in the quarterfinals but finally broke the resistance of the host nation with two quickfire goals midway through the second half. Spain also missed two penalties and hit the woodwork three times. Like England, its semifinal lasted 120 minutes. It took a moment of magic from two-time Ballon d'Or winner Aitana Bonmatí in the 113th minute to secure a 1-0 win over Germany. ___ AP soccer:
