VALENCIA (Jeff Taylor's Eurovision)  - It's been, to put it mildly, a difficult several months around the world owing to the coronavirus pandemic.

Everything has been affected, and that includes basketball.

There have been some moments to savor, though. Here are my favorites.

Luka's step-back winner in the Orlando Bubble

Nothing captured the imagination of basketball fans - ALL BASKETBALL FANS - the past several months like Luka Doncic's step-back winner for the Dallas Mavericks on August 23 against the Los Angeles Clippers in Game 4 of their NBA Western Conference First Round series.

The Social Media exploded. The FIBA EuroBasket 2017 winner from Slovenia, just 21 yet undeniably one of the best players in the world, had 43 points, 17 rebounds and 13 assists in that 135-133 overtime triumph. This is one of those iconic moments we'll never forget.

Tyrese Rice to AEK

In 2018-2019, Rice lit up the Basketball Champions League with Brose Bamberg and was named the MVP of the competition. Now, we discovered this month, he's back!

Rice joined AEK to play in the 2019-20 Final Eight. The fiery bundle of thrills absolutely craves the big moments. This is going to be a fun tournament to watch.

Mongolia win FIBA U17 Skills Challenge 2020

Coming in at No. 97 in the FIBA Ranking Youth Men after the FIBA 2019 Youth Events (last updated: March 4, 2020) was Mongolia. How sweet was it for that country, then, to last week win the 16-team FIBA U17 Skills Challenge 2020?

Mongolia won all of their showdowns.  They beat Belarus, Uganda and Turkey in the group phase and then Puerto Rico in the Quarter-Finals, Guinea in the Semi-Finals and Bulgaria in the Final. Bolor Erdene Gantsolmon of Mongolia scooped the honor of FIBA U17 Skills Challenge 2020 MVP. This success will serve as a spark for basketball in the country.

Stand up and clap! Fortitudo Bologna are in the BCL

As a leading team in Italy and in Europe for a long stretch, Fortitudo had celebrated players like Carlton Myers, Gregor Fucka and Carlos Delfino.

Fortitudo then fell on hard times and missed out on European competition. Now, for the first time since the 2008-09 campaign, they're back! The team announced in late May they had filled out the necessary paperwork to compete in the Basketball Champions League.

LeBron's I Promise School students get full rides to Kent State University

Is there anything  more satisfying than watching LeBron James take over an NBA game in crunch time? Yes there is, in fact.

In late February, the 193 kids at the I Promise School in Akron, Ohio, discovered they'd received full scholarships to attend Kent State University.

I Promise,  aimed at at-risk children, opened in 2018 and is supported by the LeBron James Family Foundation.  Kent State are guaranteeing free tuition for all four years, and one year of free housing and meals. Students were told that to remain eligible, they had to stay in good academic standing and also perform volunteer work locally.

Good on you, LeBron. You're making a real difference in the lives of people that need help in your hometown.

Jeff Taylor
FIBA

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