DETAILS: European Basketball

THE BASICS: European basketball leagues generally begin play around October and continue through playoffs in late May. Schedules can be found on the team Web sites. Note that occasionally a game may be switched to another day or time. The reason: Just as in the States, TV can influence a game's starting time. Games are usually played on Saturday or Sunday.

The Web sites are mostly in the country's native language, but most fans should be able to navigate them in order to read schedules, get tickets, etc. Think of it as good practice for your trip.

Many teams play in arenas outside city limits, so you'll need to scout out transportation. This being Europe, buses or the subway usually can get you to the gym, but make sure they're still running at game's end. You can't always count on a taxi being available at midnight.

In addition to playing in their country's league, the better teams participate in European competition. The top teams play in the Euroleague ( http://www.euroleague.net), composed of the best 16 clubs on the Continent. Euroleague games are played on Wednesday or Thursday, and may be your best chance to see former American stars and rising Euro players. You may see familiar faces in the stands, as NBA teams routinely scout Euroleague games, so don't be surprised if you go to a Benetton game and, say, Danny Ainge, the general manager of the Boston Celtics, is in attendance.

A serious hoops fan might consider going to the Euroleague's Final Four, held this year May 2-4 in Madrid. It's top-flight basketball, and Spain is one of the best countries for watching hoops, both because of the country's love of the sport and because of its terrific night life. Tickets to the Final Four generally are available on the Euroleague Web site in February or March.

RESOURCES: League Web sites include those of Italy ( http://www.legabasket.it), Spain ( http://www.acb.com), Greece ( http://www.esake.gr) and France ( http://www.lnb.fr). For a comprehensive look at European basketball, Eurobasket.com ( http://www.eurobasket.com) covers basketball on the Continent extensively, even down to the lowest leagues. For a good read, check out Alexander Wolff's "Big Game, Small World" (Warner Books, 2002), which has excellent chapters on basketball in Italy, Lithuania and Israel.

-- T.W.