FIBA World Championship

[Opera Prima]

Is anybody following the Basketball World Championship played in Japan?

I think the US team is much stronger and better that the one in the last Olimpics, so they probably will win the gold medal... this time you won't suck like in soccer [:p][;)]
I think the only teams that might beat the US are Argentina and Spain... Which team do you think will win?

Mechi, are you watching Argentina games? I think they are superb.

[dcs84]

I'm somewhat of a hoops junkie and have been following the 'worlds'. Australia went with a real ecclectic team and was completely up and down, coming close to beating Greece one minute, then having it handed to them by the USA in the round of 16 the next. It has been a very interesting World Championships and a final between Argentina and the USA would have great interest.

[Opera Prima]

Yes, Australia played some nice games. Honestly, I didn't expect them to defeat Brazil in the first round of the tournament.

And about the final... I'm not so sure that it's Argentina that plays against the USA.

[hutter]

USA all the way. Unless Argentina or Spain cheats. [;)]

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[Opera Prima]

[quote][i]Originally posted by hutter[/i]
<br>USA all the way. Unless Argentina or Spain cheats. [;)]

http://nealsnow.multiply.com/
[/quote]


No, these teams play clean (not like F. Landis [}:)][;)])

[Mechi]

Yes, we have a good chance. And not only cos our players that are in NBA teams but have you seen Carlos Delfino??? He's great and he doesn't play in any major team.
And Hutter.. we don't cheat... we don't have enough money to arrange the results. [:p]

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[Opera Prima]

Sure, Delfino has played great in today's game. I would have loved to see a final between Spain and Argentina because the latter is my second team. Most of the Argentinian players have played or are playing in the Spanish basketball league, so I see them playing regularly (Scola and others have been here for many years, so I really appreciate them).

Well, we'll see what happens next friday in the semifinals and who plays against the USA... to beat the Yankees, of course [}:)][:D]

[hutter]

[quote][i]Originally posted by Opera Prima[/i]
Well, we'll see what happens next friday in the semifinals and who plays against the USA... to beat the Yankees, of course [}:)][:D]
[/quote]
Heh heh...yeah, right. USA! USA! USA!

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[phillyidol]

If you want real basketball, watch a pro team. There is a reason they get paid millions. Because a pro usa team could beat any team in the world.

[Opera Prima]

[quote][i]Originally posted by phillyidol[/i]
<br>If you want real basketball, watch a pro team. There is a reason they get paid millions. Because a pro usa team could beat any team in the world.
[/quote]

Excuse my ignorance Philly but, what do you mean with a pro usa team?

[Mechi]

Pro USA team= NBA
Yeah, yeah... Tony Parker, etc...
Our players can be as good as them so we'll see.



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[Opera Prima]

Thanks for the information Mechi. Maybe Philly is thinking of an NBA team with Oberto, Ginobili and Nocioni... and also Herrmann is leaving Spain to play there. [}:)]


So Philly, in your opinion (and be honest), who's the best player in these teams?:

Dallas Mavericks
Memphis Grizzlies
San Antonio Spurs

And what would be of the NBA without foreing players?

[phillyidol]

Once they come here and sign up, they are not foreign anymore. They are playing for a us team and that is not toyed with. If they had a player waving his homeland flag, he would not last very long.
My point with the post was that an american pro team could take on an olympic team from any country and wipe them out. The olympics are ok but do not compare with pro sports. The reason would be money. Huge money. Its an entire industry. Scouts looking at high school players and signing them. Our country wont pay millions for an olympic hopeful.Its sort of, your on your own and if you win we might talk. We used to laugh at when we would win against a country that Bred their players for the olympics. Here, if you want the olympics, train in your free time. Its not your job to be an olympic champ.

[Mechi]

Hey, got a funny anecdote related to Ginobili. One day, I was sleeping when I hera my cell phone ring and it's my feind Brenda saying "Mechi, get dressed.. we are going to follow Ginobili so I can meet him" (my friend has a huge crush on him). I ended up an entire day following his steps as if I was a groupie. Finally, my friend got a pic with him and an autograph... also got one with Nocioni. But I'll never forget the fact that I spent a day follwoing a Basketball player and not a musician and the amount of blocks that I walked that day.


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[Opera Prima]

[quote][i]Originally posted by phillyidol[/i]
<br>Once they come here and sign up, they are not foreign anymore. They are playing for a us team and that is not toyed with. If they had a player waving his homeland flag, he would not last very long.
My point with the post was that an american pro team could take on an olympic team from any country and wipe them out. The olympics are ok but do not compare with pro sports. The reason would be money. Huge money. Its an entire industry. Scouts looking at high school players and signing them. Our country wont pay millions for an olympic hopeful.Its sort of, your on your own and if you win we might talk. We used to laugh at when we would win against a country that Bred their players for the olympics. Here, if you want the olympics, train in your free time. Its not your job to be an olympic champ.
[/quote]

I agree with you that an american pro team (the whole team, with USA and non USA players) would beat any national team from any country (though I'm not so sure about the "wipe them out" part)
And about the money... sure it's the pro teams that pay their players and if a player gets injured while playing or trainning with his national team, it must be really annoying for the pro team (San Antonio mustn't be very happy with Tony Parker's injury with France), so players must be conscious of that, but... in your country, where everyone feels proud of being American, where you can see the USA flag almost everywhere and you can hear your national anthem in almost every event and place (like in every basketball match)... wouldn't USA players feel proud of representing their country in an international competition? Or saying, hey, you can beat us in soccer, tennis,... but we're the best in basketball and you all are still light years behind us.

And IMHO, I think your country cares about winning medals in the olimpics or in a world championship... in the past, your country was represented by university players, and that was enough to beat the USSR, Yugoslavia,etc. When these young players could win no more, 2nd class NBA players were selected for representing the USA, afterwards 1st class players were added to the team but they met just few days before the competition or tournament started; now that has changed too because in the last world championship and olympics your country didn't do well, and for the current world championship the players have trained together quite a few days before it started.