1Parker1
05-24-2005, 10:50 AM
Sports Update
Eight players in West finals are from foreign nations or territories
By Craig Morgan, Tribune
NBA officials like to talk about their game going global. San Antonio is the poster team for those multicultural dreams. The Spurs’ roster boasts five foreign players from four different nations.
Guard Manu Ginobili is from Argentina, forward Sean Marks is from New Zealand, guard Beno Udrih and center Rasho Nesterovic are from Slovenia and point guard Tony Parker was born in Belgium but grew up in France.
Even forward Tim Duncan was born on St. Croix in the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Listen in during Game 2 of the Western Conference finals against the Suns tonight at America West Arena and you might hear commands, curses or wise cracks barked out in French, Italian, Slovenian or Spanish — or at least English with odd accents.
"We like to kid Tony Parker because of his pronunciation," Spurs assistant coach P.J. Carlesimo said. "We have a play called ‘wedge roll’ but it’s usually ‘redge roll’ when he says it." :lol
International players are not solely the domain of the Spurs. As of February, the NBA featured 77 international players from 34 countries and territories.
China’s Yao Ming, Zaire’s Dikembe Mutombo, Germany’s Dirk Nowitzki, Brazil’s Nene, the Spurs’ Marks and countless Americans give the NBA a presence on every continent but penguin-dominated Antarctica.
Even the Suns boast two foreign players in Brazilian Leandro Barbosa and Canadian Steve Nash, who was born in Johannesburg, South Africa. The team had three others at the start of the season in Japan’s Yuta Tabuse, Poland’s Maciej Lampe and Serbia and Montenegro’s Zarko Cabarkapa.
But Suns president Bryan Colangelo said the Spurs are in a class of their own when it comes to culling international talent.
"The Spurs organization has really been ahead of the curve on a lot of what has gone on," Colangelo said. "I know they spend a considerable amount of time and have great resources in Europe. As a result, they made a great selection, by way of example, in Ginobili, who was a secondround pick and is now a star."
Spurs general manager R.C. Buford and coach Gregg Popovich are two of the biggest reasons behind the Spurs’ international acumen.
"I know that Pop respects the international game a lot," Ginobili said. "Whenever he thinks there’s a talent or somebody that can collaborate, he’s going to bring them in."
But Carlesimo said the Spurs’ success — they’ve won two NBA titles and five division titles in Popovich’s eight years — is predicated on more than simply finding foreign talent.
"It’s the type of guy they bring back," Carlesimo said. "If there are guys who won’t fit in they’ll get them out of here. This franchise likes to bring in people that get along, that understand the team concept and like to play defense."
While the cultural mix often makes for an enlightening experience, Spurs forward Robert Horry admits there are times where communication simply breaks down.
"The worst is Manu," Horry said. "When he gets excited during the heat of the game and the crowd is yelling, he’ll yell out a play in Spanish and it sounds like ‘blblblblbl."
"I’ll be like, ‘What the hell did you just say?’ " :lol
Which makes it tough to execute the play.
"Everybody speaks English, so that’s not a problem," Udrih said. "But if Rasho and I don’t want somebody to hear what we’re saying we can just say it in Slovenian and laugh about it and then when people ask us what we’re saying we just go, ‘oh, nothing.’ "
"When you see Beno and Rasho talking Slovenian," Parker said, "you know they’re cursing us or something like that." :lol
On some level many of the Spurs are accustomed to playing with foreigners from their days in international leagues. "I haven’t been on a team without foreigners," Ginobili said. "For me its natural."
Still, Ginobili said the foreign-born players never grow so comfortable that they lose sight of their role in building the game in their own nations, thereby building it around the world.
"The game is growing a lot in Argentina. There are a lot of kids focusing on basketball, trying to get better and make it to the pros," Ginobili said. "I hope it’s a little bit of what’s going to happen in the future even more."
http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/index.php?sty=41882
Eight players in West finals are from foreign nations or territories
By Craig Morgan, Tribune
NBA officials like to talk about their game going global. San Antonio is the poster team for those multicultural dreams. The Spurs’ roster boasts five foreign players from four different nations.
Guard Manu Ginobili is from Argentina, forward Sean Marks is from New Zealand, guard Beno Udrih and center Rasho Nesterovic are from Slovenia and point guard Tony Parker was born in Belgium but grew up in France.
Even forward Tim Duncan was born on St. Croix in the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Listen in during Game 2 of the Western Conference finals against the Suns tonight at America West Arena and you might hear commands, curses or wise cracks barked out in French, Italian, Slovenian or Spanish — or at least English with odd accents.
"We like to kid Tony Parker because of his pronunciation," Spurs assistant coach P.J. Carlesimo said. "We have a play called ‘wedge roll’ but it’s usually ‘redge roll’ when he says it." :lol
International players are not solely the domain of the Spurs. As of February, the NBA featured 77 international players from 34 countries and territories.
China’s Yao Ming, Zaire’s Dikembe Mutombo, Germany’s Dirk Nowitzki, Brazil’s Nene, the Spurs’ Marks and countless Americans give the NBA a presence on every continent but penguin-dominated Antarctica.
Even the Suns boast two foreign players in Brazilian Leandro Barbosa and Canadian Steve Nash, who was born in Johannesburg, South Africa. The team had three others at the start of the season in Japan’s Yuta Tabuse, Poland’s Maciej Lampe and Serbia and Montenegro’s Zarko Cabarkapa.
But Suns president Bryan Colangelo said the Spurs are in a class of their own when it comes to culling international talent.
"The Spurs organization has really been ahead of the curve on a lot of what has gone on," Colangelo said. "I know they spend a considerable amount of time and have great resources in Europe. As a result, they made a great selection, by way of example, in Ginobili, who was a secondround pick and is now a star."
Spurs general manager R.C. Buford and coach Gregg Popovich are two of the biggest reasons behind the Spurs’ international acumen.
"I know that Pop respects the international game a lot," Ginobili said. "Whenever he thinks there’s a talent or somebody that can collaborate, he’s going to bring them in."
But Carlesimo said the Spurs’ success — they’ve won two NBA titles and five division titles in Popovich’s eight years — is predicated on more than simply finding foreign talent.
"It’s the type of guy they bring back," Carlesimo said. "If there are guys who won’t fit in they’ll get them out of here. This franchise likes to bring in people that get along, that understand the team concept and like to play defense."
While the cultural mix often makes for an enlightening experience, Spurs forward Robert Horry admits there are times where communication simply breaks down.
"The worst is Manu," Horry said. "When he gets excited during the heat of the game and the crowd is yelling, he’ll yell out a play in Spanish and it sounds like ‘blblblblbl."
"I’ll be like, ‘What the hell did you just say?’ " :lol
Which makes it tough to execute the play.
"Everybody speaks English, so that’s not a problem," Udrih said. "But if Rasho and I don’t want somebody to hear what we’re saying we can just say it in Slovenian and laugh about it and then when people ask us what we’re saying we just go, ‘oh, nothing.’ "
"When you see Beno and Rasho talking Slovenian," Parker said, "you know they’re cursing us or something like that." :lol
On some level many of the Spurs are accustomed to playing with foreigners from their days in international leagues. "I haven’t been on a team without foreigners," Ginobili said. "For me its natural."
Still, Ginobili said the foreign-born players never grow so comfortable that they lose sight of their role in building the game in their own nations, thereby building it around the world.
"The game is growing a lot in Argentina. There are a lot of kids focusing on basketball, trying to get better and make it to the pros," Ginobili said. "I hope it’s a little bit of what’s going to happen in the future even more."
http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/index.php?sty=41882