Well, I’ve read where Hakeem Olajuwon has credited Handball and Soccer http://sports.jrank.org/pages/3499/Olajuwon-Hakeem-From-Handball-Basketball.html with improving his basketball skills, but never have I seen credit going the other way. An article on Coventry City soccer club player and Icelandic native Aron Gunnarsson, however, highlights the benefits for throw-ins.
Handball is the reason for the long throws, says Aron Gunnarsson: http://www.coventrycitybanter.co.uk/2008/09/handball-is-the-reason-for-the.html
No mention as to whether he is related to Robert Gunnarsson who plays on their National Handball team and for Gummersbach in Germany. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R%C3%B3bert_Gunnarsson He’s also not the first Icelandic native to shun Handball for another sport. In case you didn’t know, Iceland’s only native son to ever sign an NBA contract, Jon Steffansson, is the little brother of Handball great Olafur Stefansson. Perhaps if Jon had followed older brother Olafur, Iceland would have a little more depth at backcourt.
Jon Steffansson: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J%C3%B3n_Arn%C3%B3r_Stef%C3%A1nsson
Olafur Steffanson: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olafur_Stefansson