They Got Game. In Several Languages.

But Italians aren't alone in their fervor. Headed to Greece? The country is nuts about the sport, and the top club team on the Continent is Athens's Panathinaikos. Hoops fans can simply set up shop for the winter in Spain, which features perhaps the best professional league in the world after the National Basketball Association.

You could even toss in Israel; its national team plays in the European championships and its club teams compete against European squads. No team has a more passionate following than Maccabi Elite Tel Aviv, whose two European club championships a few years ago set off national celebrations.

Though the casual NBA fan is well aware of European players who have become stars in the States -- Dirk Nowitzki of Germany, Tony Parker of France -- European leagues offer a bonanza of talent. In Lithuania and Serbia, the sport has been big since before World War II, and you see in the fluid way that players perform that basketball is in their DNA. Spain and Italy have had professional leagues for decades, and the rosters of their teams are filled with ex-U.S. college players, former NBA players and skilled Europeans.

To see the best ball, though, catch a Euroleague game. The top 16 teams each year qualify for the months-long Euroleague competition, culminating with the Final Four in the spring. Leading Euroleague teams such as CSKA Moscow and FC Barcelona have beaten NBA teams in exhibition games, an indication of the caliber of play.

To illustrate this abundance of choices further, let's say you're a fan of the University of Maryland's Terrapins. Former Maryland players can be found throughout Europe, so a die-hard Terps fan could book a trip this year to see Sarunas Jasikevicius play for Panathinaikos, Drew Nicholas for Efes Pilsen, and Terence Morris for Maccabi Elite Tel Aviv.

That's Athens, Istanbul and Tel Aviv -- not a bad itinerary under any circumstances.

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So what's the difference between seeing a game here . . . and there?

Don't expect to replicate the NBA experience. The arenas are considerably smaller, often holding no more than 5,000 to 7,000 spectators. With few exceptions, you don't see those plush palaces with their corporate suites and pricey concessions; even at the biggest games, the culinary fare might be a simple ham-and-cheese sub and some mystery snack in a bag. European games are shorter and the pace is faster; no silly TV timeouts here. And the playing style is fan-friendly, with an emphasis on passing and good shooting.

Tickets are also much cheaper, often going for less than $20. While an NBA game has become an expensive event, a game in Europe is, well, a game. It doesn't take long to appreciate the difference.

And since most of the European season is played during the winter, you can plan a cheap(er) trip, as airfares, hotel rates and other costs are lower. Many big tourist destinations, such as Madrid and Rome, are not nearly as crowded, so that trip to the Prado or the Vatican can actually be a pleasant experience. Even in Venice, which I usually avoid because it's so crowded, I was able to walk right into St. Mark's Cathedral.

Because nearly all teams and leagues have Web sites, you can look at schedules, check rosters for familiar names and get tickets. If you can't buy them online, your hotel can often do that for you. In most cases, you should be able to buy a ticket on game day.

Ultimately, though, the biggest payoff is meeting Europeans in a different way. Travel often can lack the human element, but not so when you're among thousands of fans standing throughout a game, singing and chanting -- with their faces painted in their team colors.

That final point, I learned in September, can be pivotal. At the European championships, I noticed that the restrooms were full shortly before Lithuania was to play. The reason: Crowds of good-natured Lithuanian fans were putting on yellow and green face paint.

I'd never know that if I had stuck to a guidebook. At a museum or palace, I'm just another American tourist. But in the arena, I'm part of the fraternity of fans. As I take my seat, introductions are made quickly, and my new acquaintances, surprised and pleased to meet an American, barrage me with observations on the local team, the visitors, the officials.

Next thing I know, I'm standing with the lads, singing something in an unfamiliar language and hoping I'm not slandering the mayor. But if I am -- hey, wasn't I looking for a European experience after all?

Tim Warren last wrote about college basketball in Philadelphia for the Escapes page.