NBA vs World Champions

[Kori Ellis]

Anyone notice that the new championship banner says "NBA" Champions as opposed to "World" Champions? And they went to the trouble of even changing the 1999 and 2003 banners.

Hmmm.....

[ALVAREZ6]

Good.



That's the way it should be, after all, that's the championship they won.







This is so typical here in all sports, in the MLB, NFL, and NHL, they also say "World Champs"

[spurschick]

:lol Enter the Argentine Mafia...

[ALVAREZ6]

:lol Enter the Argentine Mafia...
:)

[timvp]

F that. If someone else in the world wanted to challenge the Spurs last year to a seven game series, bring 'em on.

:makemyday

[Sense]

F that. If someone else in the world wanted to challenge the Spurs last year to a seven game series, bring 'em on.

:makemyday

I agree, I doubt anyone else in the world would've beaten them during the stretch of the playoffs.

[Tek_XX]

Well since the U.S has been losing more in international competition it makes sense to drop the World Champion crap.

[Kori Ellis]

You guys don't find it weird that they would change the old banners.

Kind of strange to me.

Maybe it has something to do with that tournament NBA teams are going to be playing in October against Euro teams.

[ALVAREZ6]

I agree, I doubt anyone else in the world would've beaten them during the stretch of the playoffs.
That's not the point, to be claimed a "World Champion," you gotta actually do it.

[spurschick]

I'm trying to remember how many times I've heard Stern refer to the Spurs as the most GLOBAL of teams lately.

[ALVAREZ6]

I'm trying to remember how many times I've heard Stern refer to the Spurs as the most GLOBAL of teams lately.
He must have said it at least 10 time last night.

[Sense]

That's not the point, to be claimed a "World Champion," you gotta actually do it.


When the world gives its best players to the NBA, players that actually make their teams..

The Spurs practically did it against the best teams in the world.

So the point was always there.

[Reggie Miller]

The NBA is trying to market the league as the vanguard of an international basketball revolution. It's the "domino theory." First, Argentina will reject football for basketball. Brazil follows. Then, all of South America! And then, THE WORLD!!!!! HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!

Seriously, that's the explanation. You can't sell "NBA Planet" while claiming the "World Champions" were determined by two teams from CST.

[Solid D]

A good way to have a "World Champion" is to get the best FIBA rules teams to play the best NBA teams using rules that do not give favor to FIBA or NBA per se. The Basketball World Championship held quadrennially (like the one in Indy in 2002) is actually the FIBA Basketball World Championship tournament, so it is not really a true world championship either.

The NBA is still the internationally recognized de facto standard of the best basketball league in the world. Thus - NBA Champions = Best Champions

[xcoriate]

Maccabi just went and beat Toronto so arguably not all the best talent/teams are in the nba.

did they beat Orlando?

[xcoriate]

But Solid FIBA is the governing body for Basketball, not the NBA thus there championship is the world championship.

[ALVAREZ6]

When the world gives its best players to the NBA, players that actually make their teams..

The Spurs practically did it against the best teams in the world.

So the point was always there.
I still think the Olympics is the best way to claim "World Champions." (and no I'm not saying that because Argentina won last summer)


If every country always sent their best players no matter what, it would be so much better, none of this bullshit that T-mac and Shaq don't want to play.

Yes, the Spurs are the best "club" team in the world, but it doesn't really mean anything considering they have a players from the Virgin Islands, France, Argentina, Slovenia, Australia, etc.


I think it should be a national thing, like the World Championship that is gonna be in 2006, but the US normally sends college players and shit like that.

[xcoriate]

I still think the Olympics is the best way to claim "World Champions." (and no I'm not saying that because Argentina won last summer)


If every country always sent their best players no matter what, it would be so much better, none of this bullshit that T-mac and Shaq don't want to play.

Yes, the Spurs are the best "club" team in the world, but it doesn't really mean anything considering they have a players from the Virgin Islands, France, Argentina, Slovenia, Australia, etc.


I think it should be a national thing, like the World Championship that is gonna be in 2006, but the US normally sends college players and shit like that.


I wish ....

[Solid D]

But Solid FIBA is the governing body for Basketball, not the NBA thus there championship is the world championship.

Yeah, but ....in the now infamous words of Tim Duncan "FIBA sux". :td

[Solid D]

And in the words of David Stern on opening night in San Antonio - "and on behalf of the NBA and hundreds of millions of fans around the globe, I want to congratulate the most global of teams, that brings great pride to the NBA..." :)

[ALVAREZ6]

I wish ....
Fuck, I meant New Zealand.







I was thinking of this dude...
http://smh.com.au/ffximage/2004/08/21/healarroyo_ent-lead__200x274,1.jpg

A.K.A. Shane Heal

[Trainwreck2100]

That's just stupid.

[Sense]

I still think the Olympics is the best way to claim "World Champions." (and no I'm not saying that because Argentina won last summer)


If every country always sent their best players no matter what, it would be so much better, none of this bullshit that T-mac and Shaq don't want to play.

Yes, the Spurs are the best "club" team in the world, but it doesn't really mean anything considering they have a players from the Virgin Islands, France, Argentina, Slovenia, Australia, etc.


I think it should be a national thing, like the World Championship that is gonna be in 2006, but the US normally sends college players and shit like that.

I don't think you had a point.

[Trainwreck2100]

I still think the Olympics is the best way to claim "World Champions." (and no I'm not saying that because Argentina won last summer)


If every country always sent their best players no matter what, it would be so much better, none of this bullshit that T-mac and Shaq don't want to play.

Yes, the Spurs are the best "club" team in the world, but it doesn't really mean anything considering they have a players from the Virgin Islands, France, Argentina, Slovenia, Australia, etc.


I think it should be a national thing, like the World Championship that is gonna be in 2006, but the US normally sends college players and shit like that.

If America sent their best players, we wouldn't have a debate over World Chmapions cause it would have been a masacre. Maybe this is Stern's way of trying to get our best over there.

[Manu'sMagicalLeftHand]

If America sent their best players, we wouldn't have a debate over World Chmapions cause it would have been a masacre. Maybe this is Stern's way of trying to get our best over there.

:blah

Talk is cheap.

[JoeChalupa]

If America sent their best players, we wouldn't have a debate over World Chmapions cause it would have been a masacre. Maybe this is Stern's way of trying to get our best over there.

If more of America's best players wanted to play in the Olympics we wouldn't have a debate.

[angel_luv]

I just saw it on the news, thus my other thread.

I saw it last night but it did not register.

I for one, favor the change. I never understood how beating only teams from the U.S. and Canada made anyone World Champions.

[Trainwreck2100]

:blah

Talk is cheap.

So is logic look at America's best vs. the Arg. team and then without homer glasses see who will win. Also how is the Olympics different then the world championships.

[Trainwreck2100]

I just saw it on the news, thus my other thread.

I saw it last night but it did not register.

I for one, favor the change. I never understood how beating only teams from the U.S. and Canada made anyone World Champions.


Cause you invented the damn sport.

[angel_luv]

But the competition is the NBA Finals.

You cannot compete in Texas beauty pageants and win Miss Georgia.

[Trainwreck2100]

But the competition is the NBA Finals.

You cannot compete in Texas beauty pageants and win Miss Georgia.

I don't recall Texas inventing the beauty pageant. America invented the damn sport, back when Euros didn't play this competitive the World Champ was in the NBA. We are talking early NBA here. So why change it just because international leagues start to develop.

[MaNuMaNiAc]

So is logic look at America's best vs. the Arg. team and then without homer glasses see who will win. Also how is the Olympics different then the world championships.
like he said, talk is cheap! You want to prove your best are the best, well then GET THEM TO PLAY and stop running your mouth

[angel_luv]

I don't recall Texas inventing the beauty pageant. America invented the damn sport, back when Euros didn't play this competitive the World Champ was in the NBA. We are talking early NBA here. So why change it just because international leagues start to develop.



Until you beat all the competition the world has to offer in a sport, you are not a world champion.
As of the last summer Olympics, the U.S. is third.

[ajh18]

The Olympics or World Championships are NOT an accurate way of determining the best professional team in the world. That, to me, is what "world champion" means... the best professional basketball team in the world. The Olympics and World Championships are better determinants of what country has the ability to construct the most effective team based on its native players. This system determines the “world champion” in regards to country, but not professional basketball team. I would welcome other professional leagues’ champion to challenge the NBA champ for the title of world’s best… for this is the only true way to determine the best basketball team in the world, independent of national ties. Unfortunately, due to the liability issues associated with NBA contracts, I don’t see that happening. However, the point is, the Olympics and World Championships do NOT determine the best professional basketball team in the world, they determine what nation can construct the most effective team given their talent pool with several confounding factors involved, and these are two VERY different kinds of “world championships”.

[ajh18]

On that note, I very much doubt any champion of any other professional basketball league could have beaten our Spurs team last year, but that we'll never know.

[SequSpur]

wgaf about foreigners anyways.

[Trainwreck2100]

Until you beat all the competition the world has to offer in a sport, you are not a world champion.
As of the last summer Olympics, the U.S. is third.

So if the US win the World Championships, they can go back to being world champs?

[Vashner]

It's just legal ease.... I.E. associating it with the league means more income control for NBA labeled merchandise.

[Sense]

like he said, talk is cheap! You want to prove your best are the best, well then GET THEM TO PLAY and stop running your mouth

Don't fuckin kid yourself, we know you want to defend your country as well as the country of other foreigner's teams, but the truth is the best USA players in one team and nothing beats them, it's been proven before.


I'm not even going to start or respond to an argument, we all know where you stand in it anyways..

But seriously

Stop kidding yourself.

[T Park]

I love how Alvarez drops his "The olympics are the World definer"

Fuck FIBA, they easily have the worst rules and worst refs.


Oh yeah, America INVENTED the goddamn sport. So a big STFU to you there.

[Das Texan]

I love how Alvarez drops his "The olympics are the World definer"

Fuck FIBA, they easily have the worst rules and worst refs.


Oh yeah, America INVENTED the goddamn sport. So a big STFU to you there.


didnt a canadian invent basketball?

[T Park]

in America. So its a wash..




US Armed Forces Nuclear Stockpile

active warheads/spares

7,600/382


^this qualifies us as world champs of everything^


Word :smokin

[polandprzem]

T Park your vbookie tells your knowlage about the NBA more than enything

[team-work]

I think "NBA champion" is better term, because the basketball game played in USA is slightly different from that internationally, in terms of rules, court dimensions, quarter length......

[velik_m]

The Olympics or World Championships are NOT an accurate way of determining the best professional team in the world. That, to me, is what "world champion" means... the best professional basketball team in the world. The Olympics and World Championships are better determinants of what country has the ability to construct the most effective team based on its native players. This system determines the ?world champion? in regards to country, but not professional basketball team. I would welcome other professional leagues? champion to challenge the NBA champ for the title of world?s best? for this is the only true way to determine the best basketball team in the world, independent of national ties. Unfortunately, due to the liability issues associated with NBA contracts, I don?t see that happening. However, the point is, the Olympics and World Championships do NOT determine the best professional basketball team in the world, they determine what nation can construct the most effective team given their talent pool with several confounding factors involved, and these are two VERY different kinds of ?world championships?.


you see that's just the point... outside USA world champion is reserved for countries (teams and individuals presenting them). They could be called world club champions, but as Angel pointed out if others don't have the right to compete for it, you can't really say you are better then them (even if you are). Outside USA (at least in Slo) nba champs were always refered to as nba champs not world champs, so i think the banner change is getting in touch with global fans.

[TheWriter]

Is it that big of a deal?

[Kamnik]

F that. If someone else in the world wanted to challenge the Spurs last year to a seven game series, bring 'em on.

:makemyday


dont be too cocky man

as far as i remember NBA national team leaded by Tim Duncan was humiliated in Athens by a number of "world" teams (including Argentina of Manu Ginobili)

i dont want to start a fight here but u know it is the thruth

leave that American "we are the best" mentality behind if u cant show u are the best


Spurs won the NBA championship!

i didnt see them playing teams from New Zealand or China

[ata]

Just one question: is the champion of the MLS also called "World Champion"? :lol

C'mon, whoever won NBA league championship is NBA Champion and since in the rest of the world "World Champion" mean a winner of competition with national teams maybe USA could do the same.

[SLOVENIAN 8]

didnt a canadian invent basketball?
Didn`t we discovered America :lol

For me the world club champions are not Spurs, i am a big fan of Spurs but i can`t say that they are the WC. The world is big....
The best indicator of WC, is WC championship, and in last WC Serbia wins it, so they are WC. I dont care who play for USA and who not. I dont care if Shaq did not play, Serbia was better and prove that. The WC is not only players, but it it the whole team. There are coaches, and the country basketball federation, that must do everything to get their best players.
You say that USA would win it, if there was Shaq , Tmac...... this is just :blah :blah You shoud do something that thay will be there, but anyway USA have a lot of good players , so you dont really need Shaq, itd....

[diego]

it makes sense. the nba should imitate soccer and organize a world club championship, where the champs of each national league play in a mini-tournament to determine the world's best club.

problem is the rules are different. looking at it that way, who cares if they are world champs or Nba champs, they are the only ones playing by those rules.

[Trainwreck2100]

dont be too cocky man

as far as i remember NBA national team leaded by Tim Duncan was humiliated in Athens by a number of "world" teams (including Argentina of Manu Ginobili)

i dont want to start a fight here but u know it is the thruth

leave that American "we are the best" mentality behind if u cant show u are the best


Spurs won the NBA championship!

i didnt see them playing teams from New Zealand or China


First off he said Spurs, so that includes Manu. Secondly he said seven game series, not that 1 and out BS. Thirdly the Spurs are the best team in the World that plays for ant league, and they proved that by winning in the hardest league in the world.

[alamo50]

NATIONAL Basketball Association

:rolleyes

[SWC Bonfire]

The Spurs are watched and have fans in many countries. They are just pandering to their audience.

[Kamnik]

NATIONAL Basketball Association

:rolleyes
exactly :smokin

[Trainwreck2100]

NATIONAL Basketball Association

:rolleyes

When the Association started, how many international leagues were there? W/out the NBA there are no Manus, he'd be playing soccer right now.

[pache100]

Anyone notice that the new championship banner says "NBA" Champions as opposed to "World" Champions? And they went to the trouble of even changing the 1999 and 2003 banners.

Hmmm.....

Have the Lakers' and the Pistons' banners been changed, too? Have all the other Championship banners across the league from the last however many years (since they started reading "World Champions") been changed? If not, why not? And when WILL they be changed? Why were they changed? Whose idea was it?

Interesting.

[pache100]

"There's no way that 24 teams in the National Football League are going to vote for any team to move to San Antonio. It's just not a market worth going to."

Jerry Jones, like Tagliabu, is an uninformed asshole. The lot of them are really turning me off to the NFL.

[pache100]

wgaf about foreigners anyways.

Six reasons (and just a drop in the bucket in the grand scheme of things):

Manu Ginobili
Tony Parker
Fabricio Oberto
Sean Marks
Rasho Nesterovic
Beno Udrih

[Useruser666]

A good comparrison of what the US fielded for olympic play would be if you took the Argentinian team and removed 5 of their best players and replaced them with other national players. That's the difference you have, and it's very significant. I say this not to slight what any team did in the olympics, but let's get the facts straight if we are going to make comparrisons like these.

[alamo50]

When the Association started, how many international leagues were there?

Start of NBA: 1946
Start of FIBA: 1931

:hat

[smeagol]

For some reason, America likes to call their sport champs, World Champs. Their World Series, Superbowl and NBA Finals winners have been called "World Champs" for a long time. I think it has to do with the concept that for many Americans, America=World because wgaf about foriegners (this concept has been expressed mny times in this frum by our village idiot).

I find this "World Champions" claim very funny. Specially in Football, given that it is only played in America, and the players are 99% Americans.

[LilMissSPURfect]

F that. If someone else in the world wanted to challenge the Spurs last year to a seven game series, bring 'em on.

:makemyday


YEAH! :elephant

[Useruser666]

Then for American football that claim shouldn't be a stretch.

[Oh, Gee!!]

I support the change.

[ata]

For some reason, America likes to call their sport champs, World Champs. Their World Series, Superbowl and NBA Finals winners have been called "World Champs" for a long time. I think it has to do with the concept that for many Americans, America=World because wgaf about foriegners (this concept has been expressed mny times in this frum by our village idiot).

I find this "World Champions" claim very funny. Specially in Football, given that it is only played in America, and the players are 99% Americans.

Is the champion of the MLS (soccer) also called "World Champion"? :lol

[SWC Bonfire]

It's done from a marketing standpoint.

If you can find a team worldwide that could beat the Spurs, then they'd be world champs.

Also, the NFL Champion is the World Champion for the same reason above.

[nkdlunch]

National BasketBall Association World Champions sounds dumb. Glad they changed it.

[smeagol]

It's done from a marketing standpoint.

If you can find a team worldwide that could beat the Spurs, then they'd be world champs.

Also, the NFL Champion is the World Champion for the same reason above.
The point is to be The World Champions, you have to prove it. Hypotheticals don’t count. If there were to be an American Football or NBA rules basketball championship, that included the best teams from around the World, then the winner of such a tournament would be the World Champion.

This kind of tournament exists in other sports (at the club level) such as soccer, and it exists at almost every sport, at the national team level.

I believe there is going to be a baseball world Championships (National teams) next March. That tournament will determine who the World Baseball Champion is, not the MLB Champ.

[Oh, Gee!!]

No way any MLB team would win a World Baseball title. Not if the Dominican Republic or Cuba or Japan is invited.

[angel_luv]

So if the US win the World Championships, they can go back to being world champs?



NBA championships and World Competitions are different titles and therefore the banners should be different.

[batman2883]

there is no international team out there that could even contend with the damn hornets....or bobcats let alone the Spurs.

[smeagol]

No way any MLB team would win a World Baseball title. Not if the Dominican Republic or Cuba or Japan is invited.
The point is you can be the World Champion at the two levels: Club and National team, but you have to compete against the World.

Whoever wins the Baseball Championship to be played in March 06 will be the World Champion at the national level. Unfortunately there is no Baseball World Championship for clubs, so we will never know who the Baseball World Champ at the club level is.

With Basketball, it’s tricky because of the different rules. There are tournaments that involve the best teams in the World (Olympics and World Championship) but the US does not send their best players.

I always thought it was dumb to call the finals of the MLB, “World Series”. Same thing with NBA World Champs. I’m glad the NBA is changing it.

[smeagol]

there is no international team out there that could even contend with the damn hornets....or bobcats let alone the Spurs.
That is not the point.

In any case, did't Maccabi beat the Raptors, who are better than the Hornets and the Bobcats.

[Mixability]

NBA's bests > Foreign teams best

Too bad it sucks that almost all of the NBA's best players refuse to play in the Olympics. Until we get our best players out there, like the original Dream Team, we aren't World Champs.

[angel_luv]

It's no wonder foreigners don't like Americans- so darn cocky.

As true basketball lovers, shouldn't we be happy that the world is embracing and in many cases excelling in the sport?

What does all the ignorant smack talk accomplish that is good for basketball? Nothing!

[Mixability]

There are tournaments that involve the best teams in the World (Olympics and World Championship) but the US does not send their best players.

exactly! If the US did send their best players, it'd be a massacre! :lol

[smeagol]

exactly! If the US did send their best players, it'd be a massacre! :lol

It would be nowhere near what it was in 92. I believe the US, with its best players, would win it all. But be mindful that the world has caught up. The Team USA that went to Athens was damn good. Its true that guys such as Garnet, Kobe and Shaq were not there, but a number of superstars, including TD, AI, LeBron, Wade, etc were there, and they still lost three games.

[angel_luv]

It would be nowhere near what it was in 92. I believe the US, with its best players, would win it all. But be mindful that the world has caught up. The Team USA that went to Athens was damn good. Its true that guys such as Garnet, Kobe and Shaq were not there, but a number of superstars, including TD, AI, LeBron, Wade, etc were there, and they still lost three games.


Exactly. The U.S. may very well still have an edge in basketball. I don't object so much to people thinking that.
But there is something wrong when you can't even acknowledge the acheivements of the competition.

Honestly, sometimes you guys sound like a parent who goes around saying everyone else's child is ugly as if that somehow proves their kid is attractive.
I just don't get that kind of thinking.

[DesiSpur_21]

I've been arguing about this "world" championships of USA :lol with many of Americans for years. They include cross-section of people. Bottomline is they just don't get it no matter how simple you put it. May be it's their arrogance or ignorance. For that matter some people don't know anything east of Atlantic.

Yes NBA is the best basketball product on earth and that's why it's so popular even in the (real) world. But to call it a world championship is just plain stupidity. Same goes with NFL, NHL, MLB.

I hope people won't become stupid enough to call "NBA world champions of southwest division" for a division title :lol

[Slomo]

MY two cents:

I have no problem acknowledging that the club that wins the NBA finals is the best basketball club in the world - even more so lately with most of the world's talent playing in the NBA.

In most sports World Champions are decided in a competition of national teams. I believe the US is the only country where a club competition crowns its champions witht the prefix "world" (So it's at least odd).

I would actually agree with LJ if a non-NBA non-US club was allowed to challenge the NBA champs in a 7 games series. I think the NBA champs would win but it could be fun to watch.

The Spurs are the most respectful organization in the NBA to foreigners. They're the only club that flies the flags of their player's countries as part of the pre-games ceremony at home. This latest banner thing is just the continuation of that. And because of their attitude they are among the most respected teams abroad. I've heard French, English and Slovenian journalist comments on that.

I don't see it as PC but as a poilite gesture from a smart organizations that knows a little gesture like that will go a long way in opening many doors that will remain closed to others.

[angel_luv]

Very well said Slomo.

[ata]

It would be nowhere near what it was in 92. I believe the US, with its best players, would win it all. But be mindful that the world has caught up. The Team USA that went to Athens was damn good. Its true that guys such as Garnet, Kobe and Shaq were not there, but a number of superstars, including TD, AI, LeBron, Wade, etc were there, and they still lost three games.

Unfortunately YU fall to pieces in 1991 (one year too soon for basketball fans).
Even for the "real" Dream Team USA from 1992, game against Divac, Petrovic, Radja, Zdovc, Paspalj, Obradovic, Kukoc etc. (arguably the best generation ex-YU ever had), wouldn't be walk in the park!

@Slomo: word!

[Trainwreck2100]

It would be nowhere near what it was in 92. I believe the US, with its best players, would win it all. But be mindful that the world has caught up. The Team USA that went to Athens was damn good. Its true that guys such as Garnet, Kobe and Shaq were not there, but a number of superstars, including TD, AI, LeBron, Wade, etc were there, and they still lost three games.


If the US sent Shaq, they would have won. Yeah we sent Lebron, Wade, and Melo. Who at the time avg. age was less than 22. Wlist the other teams had players who had been playing for longer. This team of "superstars" was thrown in just for the names. When all the US needed was a guy to make a jumpshot and free up Duncan. If Steve Kerr went they would have won.

[Manu'sMagicalLeftHand]

So is logic look at America's best vs. the Arg. team and then without homer glasses see who will win. Also how is the Olympics different then the world championships.

The last three times that an American and Argentinian team played on the court, America lost. You want to kick the rest of the world ass? Then convince players like Shaq, Garnett, Kidd, etc, that they should be honoured to be selected to represent their country.


US Armed Forces Nuclear Stockpile

active warheads/spares

7,600/382


^this qualifies us as world champs of everything^

^This qualifies as everybody lost, even the US^


I don't recall Texas inventing the beauty pageant. America invented the damn sport, back when Euros didn't play this competitive the World Champ was in the NBA. We are talking early NBA here. So why change it just because international leagues start to develop.

Why not should be the question. How much sense would it make to you if a bunch of Europeans who play American Football in a park on Sundays started calling themselves "World Champs"? The NBA is still the best league, but who did the Spurs beat in their way to the Championship? Denver, Seattle, Phoenix and Detroit. What a small world we live in!


So if the US win the World Championships, they can go back to being world champs?

No, you are missing the point. If Serbia (World Champions) or Argentina (Olympic Champs), called "World Champs" the club who wins their national league it would be wrong too. The only way to measure World Champs is an international competition, where every country is represented. For club level, that competition does not exist.


I love how Alvarez drops his "The olympics are the World definer"

Fuck FIBA, they easily have the worst rules and worst refs.


Oh yeah, America INVENTED the goddamn sport. So a big STFU to you there.

Ah, you had to bring the voice of reason to the thread. Always so helpful, thanks. If by worst refs you mean "refs who don't give star treament and will call you for travelling" then you are right. If FIBA has the worst rules, how come the NBA changed its posture towards zone defenses?


When the Association started, how many international leagues were there? W/out the NBA there are no Manus, he'd be playing soccer right now.


Key word: Past tense. That was way back then, and even in the first international competition ever, the US didn't win. The First World Champion was Argentina (who even beat the US on its way to the title), back in 1950.

Oh, and...

Start of NBA: 1946
Start of FIBA: 1931

:hat


National BasketBall Association World Champions sounds dumb. Glad they changed it.

Exactly.


exactly! If the US did send their best players, it'd be a massacre! :lol

Back to where we started. As far as I know, USA Basketball and the NBA would be more than glad to send Shaq, TD, Garnett, Kobe, Lebron, Wade, Stoudamire, Kidd, Carter, Iverson, McGrady, Pierce, Wallace, etc, to Japan (the next World Championships hosts), where they'd have the opportunity of openning a huge market. Now if those players refuse to play for their country, it's not Argentina's or Serbia's fault. And I wouldn't be so sure that just adding superstars would be enough, it's a team sport.

[smeagol]

If the US sent Shaq, they would have won. Yeah we sent Lebron, Wade, and Melo. Who at the time avg. age was less than 22. Wlist the other teams had players who had been playing for longer. This team of "superstars" was thrown in just for the names. When all the US needed was a guy to make a jumpshot and free up Duncan. If Steve Kerr went they would have won.
Boy you are good at making excuses.

Shaq did not play, Steve Kerr did not play either, so we will never know. The only hard fact is that the guys who did go, lost. The rest is speculation.

In any case, this is off topic. The reality is that the NBA champ is simply that. Not the World champ. The NBA champ is the best basketball team in the most competitive league in the planet and, IMO, would beat the crap out off every other club team in the World. But to be named world champ they actually have to go out there and prove it, because there is always an outside chance, even if the probability is 0.0001%, that they lose.

An analogy would be that the champion of the UEFA Cup (European soccer tournament) proclaims they are the champions of the World given that the best soccer players play in Europe. Guess what? They still have to beat the LatAm soccer champ and, in the past, 1 out of 2 times, they were not able to do it (the European soccer champ and the LatAm soccer champ meet once a year in Japan to see who is the best soccer club in the World).

[diego]

An analogy would be that the champion of the UEFA Cup (European soccer tournament) proclaims they are the champions of the World given that the best soccer players play in Europe. Guess what? They still have to beat the LatAm soccer champ and, in the past, 1 out of 2 times, they were not able to do it (the European soccer champ and the LatAm soccer champ meet once a year in Japan to see who is the best soccer club in the World).

and even that has been taken a step further now, next year club champ from each continent will face off in a mini tourney to determine world club champ, as opposed to just south american club champ vs euro club champ.

i thought all of you people that were bored as hell during the off season would welcome more basketball games! (and the added bragging rights of having your team beat all comers wherever necessary!)

[Mixability]

Back to where we started. As far as I know, USA Basketball and the NBA would be more than glad to send Shaq, TD, Garnett, Kobe, Lebron, Wade, Stoudamire, Kidd, Carter, Iverson, McGrady, Pierce, Wallace, etc, to Japan (the next World Championships hosts), where they'd have the opportunity of openning a huge market. Now if those players refuse to play for their country, it's not Argentina's or Serbia's fault. And I wouldn't be so sure that just adding superstars would be enough, it's a team sport.

I guess if Argentina is happy winning the world championship against the US's "B team" then good for them, where's that asterisk....

*waits for Argentine Mafia.... :lol

[sprrs]

Yes, the Spurs are the best "club" team in the world, but it doesn't really mean anything considering they have a players from the Virgin Islands, France, Argentina, Slovenia, Australia, etc.


I think it should be a national thing, like the World Championship that is gonna be in 2006, but the US normally sends college players and shit like that.

You have a point there, but the fact of the matter is that all the international players on the Spurs have signed contracts which make them a part of the San Antonio Spurs. If it came down to the Spurs playing say the Argentine national team, I'm sure Fabri and Manu would have to play for the Spurs.

Not that Pop and the Spurs organization would hold them to that obligation, I'm sure they'd make an exception, but that's besides the point.

[KEDA]

I have to concour, the San Antonio Spurs should be known as NBA Champions.

They didnt play any team outside the US or Canada (not that Canada is a country, but in this case it technically is)

If the Spurs beat the Antarctic national team on the road in the finals of the WORLD Basketball tournament, then yes they would be known as WORLD Champs!

but until then, they havent and they are NBA Champions!

[Guru of Nothing]

If I could field a team of 12 Americans (my choice) against any 12 non-American players, in a 7 game series, I know where all the vBookie money would go.

[ALVAREZ6]

I love how Alvarez drops his "The olympics are the World definer"


How did I drop it???

[ALVAREZ6]

It's no wonder foreigners don't like Americans- so darn cocky.

:tu

Exactly. I like Americans, but that's why peoplea dislike them internationally, not only in sports, but in general. You go to any country around the world, mainly the poor ones, and you will see why...while Africans are dieing left and right from all kinds of shit ( huge list), we're spending resources and money on all kinds of useless bullshit.

[Solid D]

Unfortunately YU fall to pieces in 1991 (one year too soon for basketball fans).
Even for the "real" Dream Team USA from 1992, game against Divac, Petrovic, Radja, Zdovc, Paspalj, Obradovic, Kukoc etc. (arguably the best generation ex-YU ever had), wouldn't be walk in the park!

@Slomo: word!

Can you name number 14?
Photo courtesy of slayermin and HEB
http://home.comcast.net/~slayermin_3/89_90_spurs.jpg

[ata]

Oh, I know that Zarko played in SA, in fact AFAIK he is member of this forum also.

[smeagol]

I guess if Argentina is happy winning the world championship against the US's "B team" then good for them, where's that asterisk....

*waits for Argentine Mafia.... :lol
You are sooooo funny

Signed: The Argie Mafia

[Solid D]

Oh, I know that Zarko played in SA, in fact AFAIK he is member of this forum also.

You may know better than I but I don't think the poster with the screen-name Zarko Paspalj, nor the poster named Zarko is THE Zarko.

[strangeweather]

Back to where we started. As far as I know, USA Basketball and the NBA would be more than glad to send Shaq, TD, Garnett, Kobe, Lebron, Wade, Stoudamire, Kidd, Carter, Iverson, McGrady, Pierce, Wallace, etc, to Japan (the next World Championships hosts), where they'd have the opportunity of openning a huge market. Now if those players refuse to play for their country, it's not Argentina's or Serbia's fault. And I wouldn't be so sure that just adding superstars would be enough, it's a team sport.

Adding superstars isn't enough -- the team needs to be well constructed as well. See: 2004 Lakers.

But the other important factor is that the NBA rules and the FIBA rules are just ridiculously divergent. This is mainly only a significant disadvantage for the US right now, because most other countries' teams only have a few players in the NBA at this point. As the number of international players in the NBA continues to grow, it will impact other teams like Argentina to a larger degree.

Utlimately what needs to happen is that the NBA and FIBA need to sit down and hash out a compromise on a set of rules everyone can live with.

[Manu'sMagicalLeftHand]

Adding superstars isn't enough -- the team needs to be well constructed as well. See: 2004 Lakers.

But the other important factor is that the NBA rules and the FIBA rules are just ridiculously divergent. This is mainly only a significant disadvantage for the US right now, because most other countries' teams only have a few players in the NBA at this point. As the number of international players in the NBA continues to grow, it will impact other teams like Argentina to a larger degree.

Utlimately what needs to happen is that the NBA and FIBA need to sit down and hash out a compromise on a set of rules everyone can live with.

I agree, I would keep from the NBA:

-48 minutes per game, 12 per quarter

-6 personal fouls

-The play resumed at half court after a time out.

-The 3 point line distance.

From FIBA:

-The ability to "sweep" rebounds without getting a goal tending

-Stricter referees on travelling and double dribbling (unwritten rule).

-No star treatment from the refs (unwritten rule).

There are more. Those I can think of right now.

[strangeweather]

I agree, I would keep from the NBA:

-48 minutes per game, 12 per quarter

-6 personal fouls

-The play resumed at half court after a time out.

-The 3 point line distance.

From FIBA:

-The ability to "sweep" rebounds without getting a goal tending

-Stricter referees on travelling and double dribbling (unwritten rule).

-No star treatment from the refs (unwritten rule).

There are more. Those I can think of right now.

I think the NBA defensive 3 second rule is the best rule ever. It abolished the idiotic "illegal defense" rule without allowing teams to park a big slow dude in the lane for the whole game.