guys, what is your opinion of current state of NBA and three losses of "The Dream Team" at the World Championship in Basketball that is taking place in Indiana...USA Team lost from Argentina, Yugoslavia and ystdy against Spain...today Yugoslavia is playing against Argentina for the gold medal...would you agree that The Dream Team No 5 resembles an internet stock with its million dollar contracts and poor performance onthe court? Any opinions from basketball fans?
the world championship in basketball
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Look at the NBA draft and the current rosters of the NBA teams. they were and are become littered with players from Europe. It's really no surprise to me that the US lost.
is a far cry from what it was just a few years ago..
Yugoslavia won its 5th world gold medal...Argentina played extremely well but experinced yugo team won again to win two consecutive golds with 6 NBA players on its roaster...USA Team needs to wake up, smell coffee, stop making lime excuses, and play ball...the time for money for nothing, chics for free is gone...after all this is the cradle of basketball, NBA is the biggest sports money making machine...last note, USA comprises of 250 million people vs war torn yugoslavia of just 6 million....
The team was a joke. First, the notion that this years crop of players was a dream team is a real stretch. Next, the players in the league have become soft and weak as far as the real game is concerned. They have been lulled to sleep with the touch foul of the stars and the three step dunk. There is more emphasis on tattoos, chest bumping and hairstyles. A good portion of the players in the NBA are stretch the roster types also. The league required a draft, therefore we made room and too -- this guy.
The top players are not going to risk the only meal ticket they have on a possible injury also. prestige and pride no longer drive the game. Having spent many years on the courts (both with the pros and in summer leagues), I can tell you that the game has become different.
I speak with some knowledge. I opted to go to the real workforce instead of the pros many years ago. I still occasionally head to the court and I find that as an old guy, I still hold my own rather well. My decision was pre-million dollar contracts and I don't know if I wouldn't have changed it with todays $2.0 minimums.
Lastly, there is also no real work ethic in today's players as a whole. They practice because it's mandatory. I am not surprised at all with the championship outcome for the US team. And I expect many more of those efforts (or the lack thereof) to come.
the europeans are the one of the few POSITIVE
elements of the NBA today, I was glad to see the US lose this week... Lets face it, since jordan, barkley, thomas, johnson, bird
and erving are gone its not the same,,,if you lived here and went to a game vs going 10 years ago you would know the difference.
stern and the NBA have whored themselves out so bad that it may never recover.....this the tip of the iceberg about what the nba is all about today.. http://msn.espn.go.com/nba/news/2002/0908/1429026.html
Let's face it, after reading that article I am more convinced than ever that they just don't get it. There is this strange notion that developmental skills are missed without earlier approaches from the college ranks. The skill of outstanding one-on-one play is all they desire. They believe that the real fan draw is how high the kid can get above the rim. Is he really a dominant force and can he lead a team to the finals and the championship?
I marvel when I hear the young guys complain when the oldtimers get together and do things like pick & roll, high screens, back door plays without dunks, and pass more than six times without doing your own personal signature move. They can't wait to show their individual ability and fail to understand that it truly is a team sport.
A player should be ashamed to call himself a pro and have a free throw shooting percentage of less than 70%. Especially later in their careers. The league is full of guys who really don't need to have the ball in their hands during crunch time because the other team might foul them.
I remember when the coaches used to complain and demand no fouls because it gave the other team free points. I remember when there was a shot called "bank" and you really did mean to do it. I am a dinosaur.
I wonder if this USA Team defeat will have any effect on NBA prestige and how players continue to remunerated....it is worth mentiong that Dirk Nowitzki, the best player of the tournament makes $2.5 million per year for the next 3-4 yrs compared to for example Bibi of Sacrameto who signed for $85 MM for 6-7 yrs...same applies to Stojakovic (believe $3MM per year)...wonder if foreign players salaries are going to catch up with their counterparties...any thoughts?