Osiris Eldridge and his Turkish team involved in an international brawl at game in Greece

This one is really weird...and it's a good thing more weren't hurt...

In addition to playing a regular schedule of Turkish League games, Eldridge's team, Pinar Karsiyaka, also plays Eurocup Challenge games.
Just this past Tuesday night, Karsiyaka traveled to Athens, Greece to play Apoel Nicosia...and Karsiyaka lost 82-80. (Osiris had 7 pts, 4 reb, 1 asst. & ex-Chicago State gyard David Holston had 25).
Ex-Vincennes teammate of Dodie Dunson, Zvonko Buljan plays for Apoel.

BUT -- the real story is that the instant the game ended...and as soon as the ref blew the final whistle...
a bunch of Cypriot thugs started blowing off smoke bombs, throwing rocks and flaming bottles of gas, and charged the floor throwing "rocks and gas bombs" at opponent fans and reportedly the Turkish team's players, too....
...then the crowd went after other players, chasing them into the lockerroom with rocks and sticks in an apparent effort to attack them, and they had to barricade themselves in the lockerroom for over an hour.

Apparently, according to some reports, this riot had ethnic origins, as the Cypriots have long been staunch supporters for the Armenian Turks , who some believe the nation of Turkey is oppressing.

FIBA has "sanctioned" the Greek team, but such sanctions mean very little, unfortunately...but Apoel has been verbally reprimanded, fined, and will have to play their next three games without any spectators in the stands!

Here's video of the event as disruptive, fighting fans spill out onto the floor..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f2RfUy5M93g

This one even shows Osiris and team covering their heads from the rocks being thrown, as they race to the safety of the lockerroom.
http://video.haberturk.com/spor/video/olay-macin-ilk-goruntuleri/46058

http://www.panarmenian.net/eng/world/news/58865/Simon_Ainejian_no_Armenian_flags_in_view_at_Pinar_Karsiyaka_vs_Apoel_football_game_in_Cyprus

http://www.interbasket.net/news/7403/2010/12/fiba-sanctions-in-greek-turkish-basketball-brawl/

http://www.fiba.com/pages/eng/fc/news/lateNews/p/newsid/45478/arti.html

Here's some talk by people who were at the game ..
http://forums.interbasket.net/f11/fanatic-apoel-fans-attacked-karsiyaka-players-15347/

http://www.tumgazeteler.com/?a=6510495


PS -- This is not the first time a riot and brawl has erupted at a game in Greece!!
It appears to be a fairly common things there......
http://bradleyfans.com/vb/showthread.php?t=16161



Here's more on other Redbirds playing overseas...
http://www.americanchronicle.com/articles/yb/153843986