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No, I did not.
For the organization probably. For the vast majority of the athletes, it's all about pride.
No, I did not.
MB is 100% right and on point.
Spurs should never draft/trade/sign an international player ever again, then.
What an awful thread.
Playing for the national team is important, not only for player pride, but for increasing the popularity of basketball worldwide.
dido^
i have to agree on this one, even if i disagree about the original post.
I agree. International basketball has probably cost the Spurs at least one championship. Even though I understand the appeal, I'd be happy if international basketball ceased to exist. F it
Regarding Manu, Harvey had a piece earlier this season that suggested Manu would have had the surgery in June or July if he hadn't gone to the Olympics. The MRIs at the time were showing that the injury wasn't healing ... but he was cleared because he supposedly couldn't hurt himself any further. Even if Manu would have returned without going down in Beijing, he was going under the knife anyways.
So yeah, Manu gets the surgery in June or July. He returns by training camp. He slowly is able to prepare his body for the regular season instead of having to be thrown into the fire. And there's probably a decent to good chance that he doesn't suffer this current injury that appears to be an overcompensation injury.
If you want to use even more hindsight, with Manu helping out all season, Duncan likely doesn't have to carry the team on his own and he's probably healthier than he is right now. So yeah, the latest round of international basketball screwed the Spurs something vicious.
All that said, I don't blame Manu for playing for Argentina. TD would have played for the Virgin Islands in the same situation. TP would have played for France. Pop would coach for the US. Bowen would play for the US. David Robinson would and did play for the US. This team is good at winning because they don't back down for challenges and put nothing ahead of winning. Manu knew that he could lose millions upon millions of dollars by playing. In fact, the Spurs told him they'd give him a $20M+ extension if he just didn't play for Argentina. But, in true Spur fashion, the hunger of winning ultimately meant more to him than money.
You blame Manu for playing, you go against the very fiber of the Spurs championship banners.
But that doesn't mean I'd shed a tear if international basketball was outlawed
All we need now is for TP to hurt himself while representing France, a country neither of his parents was from, in the global national masturbation contest.
I'm paying to watch players who are paid by the team that plays here. the rest of that .
I think he is 100% dead wrong.
I think that's BS from Harvey. He wrote that piece way way way after the fact, trying to justify (or discredit) something.I agree. International basketball has probably cost the Spurs at least one championship. Even though I understand the appeal, I'd be happy if international basketball ceased to exist. F it
Regarding Manu, Harvey had a piece earlier this season that suggested Manu would have had the surgery in June or July if he hadn't gone to the Olympics. The MRI at the time were showing that the injury wasn't healing ... but he was cleared because he supposedly couldn't hurt himself any further. Even if Manu would have returned without going down in Beijing, he was going under the knife anyways.
So yeah, Manu gets the surgery in June or July. He returns by training camp. He slowly is able to prepare his body for the regular season instead of having to be thrown into the fire. And there's probably a decent to good chance that he doesn't suffer this current injury that appears to be an overcompensation injury.
Manu's surgery wasn't imminent when the Spurs season ended. They would have just let him lay around healing on his own all summer. That surgery wouldn't have happened until he had an injury like he did in the Olympics--and that probably wouldn't have been until the season started if he didn't go to Beijing.
Keep venting, guys. But that will never happen.
Timmy played for the US team, even though we in the VI have our own team.
Didn't do a lot to endear him to his fans back home.
It is also a way to bring countries together. Many times throughout history, countries at war set aside their differences to enjoy mankind compe ion. It is a nice reprieve and has brought some of the worlds greatest moments.
The opening ceremonies in China were some of the most beautiful/breath taking events I have ever witnessed.
I watch the Olympics to watch players play for their Country. Granted some NBA players don't have the pride that David Robinson has.
Should the players be allowed to train on a basketball court in the offseason or play pick up games with other pros in order to work on their game?
I think the slaves of the Chinese government put on a wonderful display too last year.
For the night...I agree. International basketball has probably cost the Spurs at least one championship. Even though I understand the appeal, I'd be happy if international basketball ceased to exist. F it
Regarding Manu, Harvey had a piece earlier this season that suggested Manu would have had the surgery in June or July if he hadn't gone to the Olympics. The MRIs at the time were showing that the injury wasn't healing ... but he was cleared because he supposedly couldn't hurt himself any further. Even if Manu would have returned without going down in Beijing, he was going under the knife anyways.
So yeah, Manu gets the surgery in June or July. He returns by training camp. He slowly is able to prepare his body for the regular season instead of having to be thrown into the fire. And there's probably a decent to good chance that he doesn't suffer this current injury that appears to be an overcompensation injury.
If you want to use even more hindsight, with Manu helping out all season, Duncan likely doesn't have to carry the team on his own and he's probably healthier than he is right now. So yeah, the latest round of international basketball screwed the Spurs something vicious.
All that said, I don't blame Manu for playing for Argentina. TD would have played for the Virgin Islands in the same situation. TP would have played for France. Pop would coach for the US. Bowen would play for the US. David Robinson would and did play for the US. This team is good at winning because they don't back down for challenges and put nothing ahead of winning. Manu knew that he could lose millions upon millions of dollars by playing. In fact, the Spurs told him they'd give him a $20M+ extension if he just didn't play for Argentina. But, in true Spur fashion, the hunger of winning ultimately meant more to him than money.
You blame Manu for playing, you go against the very fiber of the Spurs championship banners.
But that doesn't mean I'd shed a tear if international basketball was outlawed
He already hurt himself playing for France. Fractured a finger. He still lives.
For the night...
Not to worsen any marital strife, but I'm with LJ on this one.
That's always a question I always wonder when people start talking about the Olympics. In the offseason, a huge group on NBA guys play in camps put on by Grgurich and the like. Or play in organized games at UCLA every single day of the summer. Do people who think that they shouldn't play in the Olympics, think they shouldn't play in those games either?
, Kobe was jumping over cars when he wasn't playing for Team USA!
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