Lorbek to stay in Europe

[Kamnik]

Even if Slovenia doesn't do well in this tournament, Lithuania is a great place for an Eurobasket. It should be fun.

This is what makes me feel a little better - a country which is crazy about basketball, cheep beer and good friends - can't be bad!

[Ozzy]

BTW, what is the reason why Lorbek won't play with Slovenia this summer?

Nobody knows the real reason... First he was saying that Barcelona does not let him. Then Lakovic completely destroyed his alibi by saying that in his five years stint with Barca they never said anything to him about not playing for the national team. And of course Navarro will play for Spain.

Then today Lorbek called NT coach Maljkovic 15 minutes before official NT get together and said he decided not to play and started with an excuse that he has an option to go to NBA. Maljkovic simply interrupted him and said: "Thank you. You do not have to expain yourself. I have to think about the players that are here."
(Lorbek and some other star players actually got some additional time off and were scheduled to join the NT on the 19th of July, but today was the first get together and beginning of the training camp for most of the team. Lakovic, who is also scheduled to join the team on the 19th, actually came to greet everyone. Lorbek, on the other hand, called 15 minutes before the meeting to opt out.)

Sadly, the decision actually probably came from Lorbek's father, who was (well, still is but with much less influence) quite an important person in Slovenian basketball and is still trying to play politics through his son(s). (Various stories circle around in Slovenia, but lets not go into details.)



Erazem really went from hero to zero today in Slovenia.


It wasn't for the fact that he decided not to play. It was because he waited till the last possible minute. Last year he said that he was too tired after a long season and he can't play, but that he will be playing for sure this year. He was still singing that tune in January when Maljkovic was selected as the new head coach of NT... Nobody and really nobody had anything against Lorbek last year. We were of course all disappointed, but nobody resented him. This today, however, was quite unprofessional...


Hmmm, I guess this was a short look into the wonderful world of the repeating story of Slovenian "superstars" looking for every possible excuse to avoid playing for the NT. (Luckily not all of them are like that.... nothing but respect for Lakovic, Dragic, Nachbar, Jagodnik, Rasho, ...)

EDIT: Apparently Lorbek's decision really pissed some people in Slovenian basketball federation as they have announced that they will give additional info about this case to the press in one or two days.

[Bruno]

Then today Lorbek called NT coach Maljkovic 15 minutes before official NT get together and said he decided not to play and started with an excuse that he has an option to go to NBA. Maljkovic simply interrupted him and said: "Thank you. You do not have to expain yourself. I have to think about the players that are here."

Classic Maljkovic

The NBA option is interesting because if it's true, it's Spurs.
Lorbek being part of the Hill trade isn't a coincidence. Spurs wanted him and I can see them telling just before the lockout that they would offer him a contract when there will have a new CBA. It will be interesting to keep an eye on Barcelona's move this summer.

Erazem really went from hero to zero today in Slovenia.


It wasn't for the fact that he decided not to play. It was because he waited till the last possible minute. Last year he said that he was too tired after a long season and he can't play, but that he will be playing for sure this year. He was still singing that tune in January when Maljkovic was selected as the new head coach of NT... Nobody and really nobody had anything against Lorbek last year. We were of course all disappointed, but nobody resented him. This today, however, was quite unprofessional...


Hmmm, I guess this was a short look into the wonderful world of the repeating story of Slovenian "superstars" looking for every possible excuse to avoid playing for the NT. (Luckily not all of them are like that.... nothing but respect for Lakovic, Dragic, Nachbar, Jagodnik, Rasho, ...)

It's surely frustrating to be a fan of Slovenian NT. So much talent and upside but it never really worked out. I still remember how great whey were a the 2009 Eurobasket despite being without a lot of key players.

[mountainballer]

why am I not surprised that KBP pulls out a Greek player who is ten times better at being whatever.

[DesignatedT]

Diamantidis sucks

[ChumpDumper]

If Slovenes think Lorbek is a punk, imagine what Greeks think about Dimitris Diamantidis.

Diamantidis is Euroleague Defender of the Year, MVP of Euroleague, wins a Euroleague championship, is MVP of Euroleague Final Four, wins a Greek Championship..............

and he refuses to play for Greek national team because "in the national team the coaches always make Spanoulis the first option in the offense. I will not play unless I am made first option."

Diamantidis is like 10 times a bigger punk than Lorbek is.

Link to that direct quote, please.

Thanks in advance.

[Darkwaters]

why am I not surprised that KBP pulls out a Greek player who is ten times better at being whatever.

And of course it revolves around our old friend Vaginas Spanoulis.

[irdab]

FC Barcelona forward Erazem Lorbek is seriously thinking about playing in the NBA

http://www.mundodeportivo.com/201107...184581908.html

looks like a contract tactic!!!!

[Kamnik]

If Slovenes think Lorbek is a punk, imagine what Greeks think about Dimitris Diamantidis.

Diamantidis is Euroleague Defender of the Year, MVP of Euroleague, wins a Euroleague championship, is MVP of Euroleague Final Four, wins a Greek Championship..............

and he refuses to play for Greek national team because "in the national team the coaches always make Spanoulis the first option in the offense. I will not play unless I am made first option."

Diamantidis is like 10 times a bigger punk than Lorbek is.

In other words:

Diamantidis=Udrih (strictly in at ude, not in skill)


Seriously Lorbek, this is a PUNK move and he was one of my favourite players in the world!!!

FURTHERMORE, if he actually joins the Spurs it won't give me 1/10 the joy as if he would play this summer - in that version I would be as excited for a new Spurs season as never before.

[Bruno]

FC Barcelona forward Erazem Lorbek is seriously thinking about playing in the NBA

http://www.mundodeportivo.com/201107...184581908.html

looks like a contract tactic!!!!

It could be a lot of things:
- Lorbek being genuinely interested in Spurs.
- Lorbek using Spurs to get a big contract from Barcelona.
- Lorbek using Spurs as an excuse to avoid playing with Slovenia this summer.

[Tyrone Jenkins]

It could be a lot of things:
- Lorbek being genuinely interested in Spurs.
- Lorbek using Spurs to get a big contract from Barcelona.
- Lorbek using Spurs as an excuse to avoid playing with Slovenia this summer.

Either way, unless the boy (or his agent) has talked to the Spurs like a man and 1st, thanked them for their interest and 2nd explained his hopes/dreams/desires for the next 3-5 years, then he's just like every other teenage sensation that usually ends up being more trouble than they're worth.

There WAS a reason why Indiana was willing to let him go...

[dbestpro]

There WAS a reason why Indiana was willing to let him go...

It's called wanting George Hill.

He was a player who currently was not on the roster. We traded Scola for less.

[Grega]

Either way, unless the boy (or his agent) has talked to the Spurs like a man and 1st, thanked them for their interest and 2nd explained his hopes/dreams/desires for the next 3-5 years, then he's just like every other teenage sensation that usually ends up being more trouble than they're worth.

There WAS a reason why Indiana was willing to let him go...

"The boy" is 27 years old and far from unproven teenage sensation - he's one of the best if not the best player at his position currently playing in Europe, and why Indiana acted the way they did throughout the years of owning his rights is a mind-boggling question to which I have no answer. He has the potential to be at worst a quality of the bench contributor and at best a star. Before you start accusing me of blind homerism go and check his play at 2009 european championship against pretty strong international compe ion and tell me how in the world a player like that doesn't have a chance to be at least a solid support player in the NBA.

[Tyrone Jenkins]

"The boy" is 27 years old and far from unproven teenage sensation - he's one of the best if not the best player at his position currently playing in Europe, and why Indiana acted the way they did throughout the years of owning his rights is a mind-boggling question to which I have no answer. He has the potential to be at worst a quality of the bench contributor and at best a star. Before you start accusing me of blind homerism go and check his play at 2009 european championship against pretty strong international compe ion and tell me how in the world a player like that doesn't have a chance to be at least a solid support player in the NBA.

Never mentioned anything about you or homerism but apparently you feel as if you need to defend your obvious homerism...

I know nothing of the boy (I'm quite a few years his senior) but didn't mean that of him in a derogatory way. If he can play and isn't playing games (using the Spurs to get a bigger contract), then he's a man in my book.

Manhood is described by actions - not age.

[GSH]

It could be legit. He says all the right things. "With this change, it's much more interesting to me. My hope is to cross the Atlantic to play in the strongest league in the world. This is the dream of every basketball player." But the Spurs have been used by so many Euro players to negotiate bigger contracts, I'll believe it when I see him in a silver and black uniform. Besides, the Euros are getting stronger all the time. Sonny Weems just signed a no-opt-out contract in Lithuania. That's gonna leave a real vacuum here.

As for Lorbeck? None of you trolls know which Euro players are going to do well here, and which aren't. Stop the -fighting.

[mountainballer]

just for the record: very unlikely, but it still IS a possibility that Lorbek joins the Spurs this season. so, even if this is let's say a 5% chance, what would it mean for the roster if this happened? not very likely they have Bonner and Lorbek on the roster. so, best case is they bring in Lorbek and find a way to trade Bonner. Bonner alone might be difficult to trade, Bonner in a package with blair could work. (not because they are so good, just because the combined salaries of both is 4.5 per for this year and one more and one could make a point that 2.25 M for Blair's rebounding and 2.25 M for Bonners shooting don't look that bad.)

[DesignatedT]

Back on draft night, the average Spurs fan rode a roller coaster of emotions. They grieved for the trading of George Hill to Indiana, wondered about the untapped potential of Kawhi Leonard and even giggled when somebody saddled the newly acquired Davis Bertans with the too-comical nickname “The Latvian Durant.”

Few gave much thought to the third player to hit the Spurs’ coffers in the deal. What happened on draft night 2011, however, apparently meant a lot to Erazem Lorbek.

According to a Spanish website, having his rights transferred from Indiana to San Antonio has caused the Slovenian big man to think long and hard about finally making the jump to the NBA.

“With this change, it’s much more interesting to me,” Lorbek, who is currently employed by FC Barcelona, told Mundo Deportivo (via Hoopshype). “My hope is to cross the Atlantic to play in the strongest league in the world.”

Lorbek, 27, is a 6-foot-10 forward drafted 46th overall by the Pacers in 2005. By this point, his internal clock is ticking. If he’s going to join the NBA, time is running short. Lorbek has an opt-out in his contract in Spain which would pave the way for him to make a move.

Apparently, Lorbek is serious about this. According to the report above, he has already informed the Slovenian national team he has no intention of playing in this year’s Eurobasket tournament, angering the Slovenian coach.

Of course, Lorbek’s timing couldn’t be worse. The NBA, as you might have heard, is embroiled in a bitter labor dispute that could threaten some or all of the 2011-12 season. In a reversal of the traditional talent pipeline, some NBA players — notably New Jersey All-Star Deron Williams — are contemplating playing overseas for as long as America’s top professional basketball league remains shuttered.

Until the lockout is resolved and the NBA resumes business as usual, it will be difficult to handicap Lorbek’s chances of joining the Spurs next season. It is safe to say, however, that the Spurs traded for Lorbek for a reason and, at age 27, time is running out on his opportunity to make an NBA impact.

It seems like he would at least be in the conversation for the Spurs’ roster at some point in the near term.

[Kobayagi]

why am I not surprised that KBP pulls out a Greek player who is ten times better at being whatever.

Why am I not surprised that KBP pulls out a Greek player in a thread about a Slovenian player playing for a Spanish team and thinking about joining an NBA team?

[GB20]

It could be a lot of things:
- Lorbek being genuinely interested in Spurs.
- Lorbek using Spurs to get a big contract from Barcelona.
- Lorbek using Spurs as an excuse to avoid playing with Slovenia this summer.

i am going with that one.

[Bill_Brasky]

Again, the lockout is going to kill any chance of us seeing Lorbek in a Spur uniform in 2011.

[ploto]

I have not read the entire thread, but IIRC many of the Euro players that have a buy-out option to join the NBA have a specific window of opportunity to do so stated specifically in their contract. Does anyone know if Lorbek has to buy out his contract by a certain date?

[ChuckD]

Again, the lockout is going to kill any chance of us seeing Lorbek in a Spur uniform in 2011.

I don't think this was ever about this year, assuming there is an NBA "this year". IIRC he is under lock and key with a contract in Spain for 2011-2012.

[Pauleta14]

It could be a lot of things:
- Lorbek being genuinely interested in Spurs.
- Lorbek using Spurs to get a big contract from Barcelona.
- Lorbek using Spurs as an excuse to avoid playing with Slovenia this summer.

it's obvious.

[Ozzy]

Update: Lorbek decided to play for the NT.

Supposedly he changed his mind after seeing all the angry comments from the community. Press conference in progress ...

[mosdef17]

You know there is nothing going on when the 'Lorbek to stay in Europe' thread has 100 replies and over 7,000 views...