2010 Basketball World Championships

[Liverlips]

The basketball world championships are slated for late August in Turkey. All-white Spain won last time in 2006. Let's hope one of our teams can win it again.

As for a squad that is certainly not our team, the racist U.S. side may actually have one paleface (Kevin Love) in the lineup this year:

"That leaves 15 players for the New York camp. They are Denver guard Chauncey Billups, Dallas center Tyson Chandler, Golden State guard Stephen Curry, Oklahoma City forward Kevin Durant, Memphis forward Rudy Gay, Clippers guard Eric Gordon, Indiana forward Danny Granger, Oklahoma City forward Jeff Green, Philadelphia swingman Andre Iguodala, New Jersey center Brook Lopez, Minnesota forward Kevin Love, the Lakers forward-center Lamar Odom, Boston guard Rajon Rondo, Chicago guard Derrick Rose and Oklahoma City guard Russell Westbrook."

http://nba.fanhouse.com/2010/07/28/team-usa-cuts-four/

Of course, there are still 3 cuts to be made so it may still be the DWFs dream of an all-black, all-racist U.S. team again.

 

[icsept]

Kevin Love looks like a token, even though he's damn good. Hell, he didn't even start for Minnesota last year. They won't cut him because zero whites among this group of second rate stars would be too blatant. I will look forward to heartily rooting against this team. If the U.S. thinks they can win without their dream team, they're mistaken.

 

[white wr]

What about david lee i heard he was suppose to be in the mix

 

[FootballDad]

David injured his middle finger on his right hand during his first practice with the National Team. It may require surgury, so he's out.

 

[guest301]

I consider Brook Lopez white as well, so possibly two white players on the USA team.

 

[pistol pete]

Kevin Love is the best power forward available.
Every one says he is the best rebounder at the camp.
He is the best big man there.
Brook Lopez (what is he? White?) has mono and has under performed but should still make the team.
So that would mean that the top two big men are white. If Lee wasn't hurt then he would make it.
Actually, there are lots of good white power forwards and centers compared to 10 or 20 years ago.
There is still a lack of that white LeBron or the white D-Wade. That is the major difference between today and the Larry Bird era.

Finally this team still needs shooters and has too many combo guards.
JJ Reddick should have been invited.

 

[celticdb15]

Lithuania kept it close with the USA for most of the game, but they were really hurt by their poor outside shooting. I watched 3\4 of the game and I don't think they knocked down more than 3 outside shots.. They had great defense and they flashed some athleticism though!! Martynas Pocius's tip dunk was a display of pure athleticism and he really showed off his hops. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OWheyHWMU6U (18 second mark!!)

Edited by: celticdb15

 

[foobar75]

Excellent game today by Spain, and they almost pulled out the victory. If Paul Gasol plays, they win that game. Of course, the US team isn't the same as 2008, with guys like Kobe, Wade, and Lebron missing, but in any event, Spain is a legit team by any measure, and should be among the favorites to win the World Championship.

According to Fiba rankings, the top 4 teams are Argentina, US, Spain, and Greece. I haven't yet checked the brackets, but I do hope that things play out in such a way that the US has to face each of these teams from quarter-finals onwards, and hope that one of them can knock them out. Serbia and Lithuania also have an outside shot, but more than likely, the winner will come from one of the top 4.

Watching the game against Spain today, it was funny how the US players kept looking to the refs for a call everytime they thought they were fouled or whistled for travelling. The quality of play in the NBA is so low now thanks to what amounts to a somewhat glorified version of street/thug-ball that when these guys play in international competitions when true skill, team-play and fundamentals come into play, they are like fish out of water. Edited by: foobar75

 

[icsept]

I watched most of the Spain/USA game. Although USA did not have LeBron and Kobe, they were still a team of NBA "all-stars" such as Durant, Rose, Billups, Iguadola, and Odom. The Spanish team was made up of primarily NBA substitutes like Rudy Fernandez, Juan Carlos Navarro,and Jose Calderon; NBA rejects like Garbajosa; and guys that don't want to play in the NBA because they won't get any minutes - Ricky Rubio. Anyway, the Spanish team played them to the wire and had a chance to win with the last shot. Kevin Durant (who was the best player on both ends of the floor) blocked two three pointers to seal the win. Rubio looked great with some amazing play-making.

 

[pistol pete]

Yeah Pau didn't play.I don't think Jose Calderon played either. So they were missing two of their top guys.
The USA supposedly brought it's B team but the best scorer (Durant) went as well as several of the top point guards, Rose, Rondo, Billups, and Westbrook. Our big men aren't good but that just show that there aren't that many good black post players -- and that is what the team wanted, not Kevin Love. Kevin Love should start; the fact that he doesn't means that the team is racist. Love is the team's best rebounder and probably the team's best passer.

I saw several references to our "ghetto street ball" by posters on espn.com and other places so people
are catching on.

 

[referendum]

Pau Gasol won't be playing for Spain in the World Championships, leaving his brother in charge. Calderon injured himself in yesterday's game. It will be interesting to see how Spain does against the US in the real tournament, assuming they meet in the finals or semi-finals. David Lee would likely have been on the US team but was injured.

 

[ToughJ.Riggins]

Add to the above two other devastating injuries for top white ballers. Ginobili or Nocioni won't be playing for Argentina. I doubt any team beats the U.S. Our best hope is for a healthy Spain (Spain actually just got beat in a close one by France), Argentina or an up and coming younger Euro team to beat the U.S in London. Let's hope it happens- and simply enjoy the white teams really challenging the U.S in this tournament even if the U.S wins.

 

[celticdb15]

Overall this whole tournament is basically second tier players.. I just enjoy watching the international competition and how physical it is. You really do have to have a great team chemistry to win, can't skate by on talent alone..

 

[Deadlift]

Spain lost their 1st game against France, but won handily today against New Zealand, I think.

It can be hard to support some of these Euro teams.. because I see EVIDENCE that some of them do, in fact, "coast" and lack hunger. Spain may be the lone exception.

Lithuania seems to have regressed in recent years. I've seen White beasts from Ukraine and such, but I don't think Ukraine is in this Tourny.

Bottom line: In Basketball, I'm not seeing the Euro hunger that I'm seeing in Boxing. It might be an economic "thing." Some Euro ballers' are certainly pampered...

 

[pistol pete]

Kevin Love had a double double in only 13 minutes.He is the best big man on the team.
Congrats to him!

 

[ToughJ.Riggins]

Some of the U.S's biggest star players aren't playing- and it's the same on some of Europe's teams, but I still think the U.S depth is better. After looking at the U.S roster, I think it's possible someone beats them, but I still see them as the clear favourites.

 

[referendum]

I've been wondering if Croatia, Slovenia, and Serbia were still united as Yugoslavia, how much better their team would be. Most likely they'd be up there with Spain as one of Europe's best teams.

 

[foobar75]

I've been wondering if Croatia, Slovenia, and Serbia were still united as Yugoslavia, how much better their team would be. Most likely they'd be up there with Spain as one of Europe's best teams.

That's a valid point referendum. If we go back to the 80s, you'll note that the former USSR and Yugoslavia were legit world powers of basketball. The USSR teams always had good Lithuanian representation along with players from Russia, while the Yugoslavian teams were mostly made up of Croatians and Serbians, with some Slovenians also taking part.

The break-up of those nations has now resulted in watered down versions of these indepedent countries who are now playing with a thinner talent pool. There's no doubt in my mind that if those former nations existed today, along with Spain, Argentina, and possibly Greece, there would be a far bigger challenge looming for Team USA.

As for this Championship, with all the various international teams missing key players, this "B" US Team is clearly the best in the tournament and they should win it without much difficulty. They could get some competition in the medal rounds, but that's about it.

Kevin Love is far from being a token player. He's the best big man on that team, and should be starting at either PF or C. He is a very skilled athlete, great rebounder, passer, outside shooter, who can also mix-it up down low. That's the main reason he's been getting some decent playing time in this tourney so far, and he's responded by producing solid numbers.

 

[accesscrimea]

Europe vs US would be fairer in terms of population. Countries like Lithuania and Croatia with tiny populations are always going to struggle. In popultion terms, they whould be playing against individual US states.

 

[itsme]

what a great game between Brazil and the USA.

Brazil almost beat them.

 

[ToughJ.Riggins]

Europe vs US would be fairer in terms of population. Countries like Lithuania and Croatia with tiny populations are always going to struggle. In popultion terms, they whould be playing against individual US states.

Not exactly b/c the "Dream Team" mostly picks from just an ethnic pool of 38-40 million or so. They are more like Raheem's Dream Team, but for basketball instead.

 

[Liverlips]

When I tuned in I saw that Brazil had 4 whites on the floor. Not "white-ish" but white like Demian Maia.

How can a nation that is almost half black have 4 white starters yet the "good ol' boys" who run Amerikan basketball only allow one whitey on the whole team?

God, do I hope the black supremacist U.S. squad doesn't even medal (just like in 2006).

 

[TorontoArgos]

Having been to Croatia many times (being half Croatian myself) I strongly believe that Eastern Europe produces the best athletes in the world, coming from the Slavic ethnicity. The problem is because of so much historical political tension none of these countries has managed to survive as a united force and we have a bunch of countries in Eastern Europe that collectively produce thousands of amazing athletes but individually have little power.

In my observation, Slavic people, which is 90% of the Eastern European population are very tall (average height in Croatia is 6'1), have extremely broad shoulders, as well as thick and powerful legs. This is seen in World's Strongest Man, where most of the top competitors are from Slavic countries such as Poland, Ukraine, Latvia, Lithuania, Croatia, etc. USSR and Yugoslavia dominated international basketball before the fall of communism. Croatia is still one of the top 10 soccer powers in the world.

Croatia, with a population of 3 million, managed to finish 3rd in the 1994 FIBA Championships in my home town of Toronto (Russia finished 2nd).

The problem is how can a country with less than 5 million people with many political problems and a small economic base like Lithuania or Slovenia or Croatia produce 12 players that are better than the USA with about 45 million black people with billions of dollars invested in their training and many political and social forces pushing them into athletics, especially basketball.

In Croatia, almost every single person is athletic. The average Croatian or Serbian is easily better than the average Black American at basketball. The problem is when you have a country with 3 million people and a very small economy, you just cannot produce the same number of elite, world-class athletes as the USA, no matter how athletic the population is genetically.

Bottom line is even international sports, especially at the highest level, are greatly influenced by politics and even though the USA might win the FIBA Championship it certainly doesn't mean they have the best basketball players on average or the best training or afro-centric mentality.


EDIT: Come to think of it, there are very few ethnic Western Europeans in the NBA. The only elite Western European I can think of is Dirk Nowitzki, who carries a Russian surname.

Cole Aldrich has always struck me as Yugoslavian last name and he embodies many of these traits...is anybody aware of his background?Edited by: TorontoArgos

 

[Matra1]

I strongly believe that Eastern Europe produces the best athletes in the world, coming from the Slavic ethnicity.

There is a Slavonic language group but not an ethnic group - though many of the different Slavic nations are ethnically related.

This is seen in World's Strongest Man, where most of the top competitors are from Slavic countries such as Poland, Ukraine, Latvia, Lithuania, Croatia, etc.

There are Slavic minorities, mostly Russian, in Lithuania and Latvia but neither country is Slavic.

The problem is how can a country with less than 5 million people with many political problems and a small economic base like Lithuania or Slovenia or Croatia produce 12 players that are better than the USA with about 45 million black people with billions of dollars invested in their training and many political and social forces pushing them into athletics, especially basketball.

I've wondered about this myself. And why are there so few elite WHITE American basketball players? It is quite astounding.

 

[Matra1]

The Canadian team has lost all three games thus far, including to Lebanon. Canada is rubbish at anything not played on ice or snow. Even at the World Baseball Classic they lost to Italy at the Rogers Centre (Sky Dome)!