Comments on: NBA players discouraged from FIBA ball: Right or wrong?

By: fiyaman

fiyaman — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 16:28:42 +0000

i people wonder y the world hate americans

By: Sweet English

Sweet English — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 13:59:04 +0000

I reckon Gordon didnt want to play because Luol got injured and Ben would have no one to talk about the fact that they are actually quite blatantly American, but just can’t get on the Team USA squad.

By: karizmatic

karizmatic — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 13:45:28 +0000

Personally I think this is a lot of smoke and mirrors. I think some of the players actually just don’t want to play and are using excuses like the team holding them out to cover for it. It’s easier to blame it on the league and easier for the team to take the blame for a player not playing than it is for a player to straight up say I don’t want to play for my country this year. So some player who just don’t want to play for whatever reason are using it as an excuse.

By: Sweet English

Sweet English — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 13:04:21 +0000

Don’t forget we get no Luol Deng either, fuckin’ Chicago Bulls. Gordon and Deng together were the difference between going 0-3 in group stages and a possible drive for the crown.

It’s some straight bullshit.

By: Prof. TX

Prof. TX — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 12:50:49 +0000

Any job you have will be like this. Most of the time they’re ok with you having a second job, so long as it doesn’t get in the way of doing your first job well. If Austin picks up a second job and something about it starts making his Dime articles late or sloppy, the other guys at Dime would have a right to be upset with him because they’re paying him with the expectation that he does his job well. If a player is hurt or tired because of the second team he plays for, his first team has a right to say that it’s getting in the way.

By: TJ

TJ — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 12:40:11 +0000

I cosign what masqu said. Anyone who has played organized basketball knows that games are way more intense than any pickup game or practice situation. I’m not even saying that no NBA players should play FIBA, but it is naive to say that there isn’t an increased risk in doing so.

Also, the FIBA games is significantly different, so it makes me wonder if playing that type of ball is the best way to get better anyways. We just saw how important it was to spend a significant amount of time teaching the latest Team USA the international game. Wouldn’t this be wasted on someone who is trying to get better for the NBA game?

By: Flip

Flip — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 10:02:39 +0000

Great article, AB! I would totally draft Goran Odenich!

But you are a bit unfair to Dirk here: The German head coach, while not completely happy about Dirks decision(yes, it was his and not Mark Cubans decision) has recently welcomed the opportunity to have other players carry the load. Thus, the German squad, while having lost most of their games, is one of the youngest and most exciting teams to watch in this tournament. Additionally, Dirks absence gave Jan Jagla a chance to step up his game, which he definitely did. One can therefore conclude that Dirks absence has helped rather than hurt the German national team.

By: schoops

schoops — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 02:23:37 +0000

Big difference between Dirk playing for his country and Gordon playing for Britain. Some players aren’t just playing FOR their country, they ARE their country (Like Ovechkin and others)… No way anyone should prevent them from representing their country.

By: jzsmoove

jzsmoove — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 01:49:04 +0000

NBA teams just do not want losing their invested money where they dont have business over. If an injury happens while in the course of any NBA relevance (practice, gym time, etc)then will accept it and should be covered by their respective insurance policies. That is just smart business. When an injury happens outside of insurance restrictions then it is out-of-pocket. Thats bad business. But why the focus on just foreign-born players? Somewhere between the lines there is something going on we dont know. Two things I can think of right away. Americans are expected to be basketball kings. When the world came up and they were dethroned, things have to be shaken up to stop the new powerhouses. In other words, conspiracy. Second, NBA can easily sway American insurance companies to cover for American players injured. American players playing at home/overseas bring more exposure to the USA, so more $$$ for everybody in revenue, ad dollars etc. This is more far-fetched but there is something definitely fishy with the bias.

By: quest???

quest??? — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 00:16:46 +0000

amen austin. It is in my opinion that teams should let anyone who wants to play for their national teams play. It is very interesting that clubs are concerned about non americans playing because i have never heard anyone say kobe or lebron cant play for team usa. In my mind my national team comes first than my professional club.