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ToughJ.Riggins
Hall of Famer
They also have Tim Olbechet who could play SF for Germany and may become a future 1st round NBA draft pick. He is compared to a more athletic slightly smaller Dirk Nowitzki with a less effective pull up jumper. I don't know anything about how Germany's guards measure up, but they could be a team to root for. I will cheer for Canada, but the Canucks don't have much of a shot in basketball even with Nash. Other than Nash there isn't much top talent there (Jamal Magloire, Todd McCullugh?). Argentina, Spain, Greece, Croatia, Serbia Montenegro also have a good shot at Gold, maybe Brazil too.
celticdb15
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Spain, Italy, Greece, Argentina, and maybe Russia i expect to make some noise. Now Dirk and Kaman are a formidable tandem as well.Edited by: celticdb15
ToughJ.Riggins
Hall of Famer
Russia, I never thought about them, yeah they have Kirilenko and some good young guards, I think Andeis Beidrins is Latvian not Russian, so I'm not sure who their Center is. Italy is too young all around though. There best players will likely be Gillarani and Belinelli, I'm sure they have some other veterens, but no one that impressive. I think Greece, Spain and Argentina have a great shot.
GO EURO!
Or Canada my homeland that I am longing for now!
GO EURO!
ToughJ.Riggins said:
I hate to nibble at a otherwise fine post from one of my favorite posters but I object to Tim Olbechet being referred to a more athletic Dirk. Dirk is a fine athlete and one can say he is a freak of nature. How many 7-footers can bring the ball up the court like a point guard, shoot lights out from the perimeter(including threes), post up, 90% free throw shooter, play decent defence, blocks 1.5 shots a game, break down his defender off the dribble and create his own shot at will, above average assist man and at one time earlier in his career with the unconventional Don Nelson who actually played Dirk at times all five positions on the floor. Dirk is a great athlete unless 40 inch verticals are all that matters.
celticdb15
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How easy is it to become a citizen of another country in order to play in the olympics??
Tough J Riggins, i would be happy if any of the teams that we both mentioned take the whole thing. GO EURO is right!!
Tough J Riggins, i would be happy if any of the teams that we both mentioned take the whole thing. GO EURO is right!!
ToughJ.Riggins
Hall of Famer
Dirk is very quick, I'll give you that, and he has very good finesse and footwork with the ball. He's also got phenomenal hands coordination etc. and has a lights out jump shot. Dirk is a great athlete for a 7 footer no doubt Guest 301. But Olbrecht jumps better, has more speed and has better lateral quickness from reports I've read.
Dirk can get caught flat footed at times playing defense and can occasionally be soft or should I say a more polite version; not mentally tough. Dirk is a very underrated athlete, but I would say his vertical is probably only around 33 inches which is still very impressive for a fleet of foot 7 footer. Olbrecht's vertical is probably 36, 37 inches.. Dirk is Kevin Durant with a better 3 quarter court sprint and more size, strength and passing ability. But Durant has better lateral/ backpedal quickness for defense.
Dirk can get caught flat footed at times playing defense and can occasionally be soft or should I say a more polite version; not mentally tough. Dirk is a very underrated athlete, but I would say his vertical is probably only around 33 inches which is still very impressive for a fleet of foot 7 footer. Olbrecht's vertical is probably 36, 37 inches.. Dirk is Kevin Durant with a better 3 quarter court sprint and more size, strength and passing ability. But Durant has better lateral/ backpedal quickness for defense.
ToughJ.Riggins
Hall of Famer
The other thing about Dirk, is that he hasn't shown the mental fortitude to take over games in the 4th quarter of the playoffs the way other white stars like Steve Nash have. Dirk could be a lot better if he improved his mental toughness. BTW Tim Olbrecht is only 6'9, 6'10 from reports I've read, so he will play SF for Germany and Dirk will be the PF, Kaman the Center. Any info on the German guards anyone?
I agree that Dirk should be a more vocal leader on his team and mentally tough in the sense that he stops deferring to the other stars on the team because he's the only real star they have. Kidd and Stackhouse are past their primes and Howard and Terry are pretty good players but not great like Dirk. but Dirk's athleticism is freakish for his size and you may be right about Olbrecht but I hate for people to forget how Dirk is the most unique big man with the nastiest offensive skill set for a seven footer the NBA has ever seen. But I concede the larger point you were making.
Dirk has been a clutch performer in the playoffs. Remember a few years ago how he torched San Antonio in the conference finals? He's had several huge performances in elimination games and game sevens. He's usually the player who hits snd misses the shots in the last minute. His team hasn't been as good the last few years. It's like how Kevin Garnett was missing something before this year. Yeah, he was missing a team. That's what Dirk was missing in the playoffs this year. He could have been "vocal" towards Kidd and Terry all he wanted to and they still couldn't guard Paul and Pargo. They were too slow. And Avery "close out on the shootahs" Johnson was too dumb to take Kidd off of Paul excepting the game they won. Dirk also couldn't make Dampier a decent offensive player. Howard didn't show up etc. Dirk has been the whole team the last few years. He doesn't have Nash and Finley to punish teams for double and triple teaming him anymore.
white is right
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For somebody of partial German ancestry it's very easy. Under the constitution adopted after WWII the constitution allowed all ethnic Germans to return to Germany and get full citizenship. This has been abused to a point ie see the Soviet Germans(many were barely German as there ancestors migrated to Asian territories controlled by the czar in the 18th century).celticdb15 said:
celticdb15
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Thanks White is right, I think more american whites should take advantage of their ancestry. Although many consider themselves americans, if they want to play, im sure European teams would make room as they did for Kaman.
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Guest
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Chris scored 10 in his first game for Germany.
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Chris scored 12 points and got 14 rebounds in a win against Brazil.
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Chris had 10 points and 12 rebounds in a win over Puerto Rico. Germany qualifies for the Olympic tournament.
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Great article on Chris. This is causing a lot of controversy because people know he is the best American center, yet wasn't invited to the team. Interesting comments at the bottom of the article too, including some people noticing the racism involved in his lack of selection.
Kaman living the Olympic dream, even as a German
by Greg Johnson | The Grand Rapids Press
Sunday August 03, 2008, 12:10 AM
AP File PhotoWyoming native Chris Kaman has played five seasons in the NBA with the Los Angeles Clippers.
Chris Kaman wondered what it would be like to be part of the Olympic Games.
He never thought it might mean being called a traitor when Germany and its greatest player -- NBA star Dirk Nowitzki-- came looking for help.
"I thought it was about the basketball," he said. "I would have played for my country if my country needed me.
"It was sort of a joke at first, then Dirk talked to me about my family being from Germany, a German federation guy got involved and it turned into this -- I'm going to the Olympics."
Kaman, a 26-year-old Wyoming native from Tri-unity Christian High School, starred at Central Michigan and enters his sixth NBA season with the Los Angeles Clippers. He is a member of the German national team.
That team, with his contributions, won a recent Olympic qualifying tournament in Greece and left Germany Saturday for the Games in Beijing, China. Basketball competition starts Aug. 10.
Kaman, declared a German citizen and presented with a passport per the request of its Olympic federation, doesn't speak German and had never visited the country until this experience. He also never met his German-born great-grandparents, who passed away long ago.
Kaman said he never gave much thought to being of German descent. He never dreamed his ancestry might make the Olympic dream come true.
"I look at this as a great opportunity to live a dream," he said. "I play basketball, and I'm getting this chance to be part of the Olympics. It's about the basketball for me, not politics, not anything else. I was going to play basketball this summer, and this seems like a great way to do it.
"People calling me traitor on the radio and stuff, I don't understand that. It's basketball. I love my country."
Pamela Kaman, his mother, and Leroy, his father, are dismayed that their son has been called names. To them he's a son, a Christian, a basketball player, a role model and an American.
"It's scary that people get so carried away with politics when it's supposed to be about the sports," Pamela said. "This isn't war."
The Clippers, who are not commenting on the subject, didn't want him to go. Management asked him to reconsider, but Kaman said eventually signed off on him being insured by the German team through the International Basketball Federation.
Kaman missed 26 NBA games last year with back troubles and a sprained ankle late in the season. He set career highs in points (15.7 per game) and rebounds (12.7 per game).
"They were concerned about my ankle, about getting injured," he said. "I understand that, but I could get hurt in the summer league, or just about doing anything."
Nowitzki is the only German-born player in the NBA, and Kaman said he has talked in recent days with the Dallas Mavericks star about waiting through 12 years of play with the German team to make the Olympics.
"It's very emotional for him," Kaman said. "After that last game in Greece he sat on the floor just crying. He thanked me for helping.
"I mean, I felt great for him. He has been trying to do this for 12 years, and I had been there for 12 days. It means so much to him."
Kaman's mother went to the qualifying tournament in Greece with her daughter. She said German census records were used for verification of ancestry.
The Olympic Charter's Rule 42 declares team members must be "a national" of the country. International Olympic Committee media representatives said individual nations decide citizenship.
Kaman said he was asked by USA basketball to be a practice player, but that was after he had committed to going through the process with the German team.
"I gave my word to Dirk, to the German officials," he said. "And I knew I wouldn't be going to the Olympics with the U.S. team."
As for the basketball part of it, Germany could meet Team USA. Kaman said he would play just as if it was the Clippers against the Pistons.
"I would do my best to help my team win because it's basketball, and that's what you do," he said.
Kaman struggled the first few days with the German team to learn a large number of new plays, but all of his teammates speak English.
"A couple of the games have been strange, especially with the officials calling things and the ball being slippery, but you live and you learn," he said. "A pick-and-roll is still a pick-and-roll, and a post-up is still a post-up.
"Besides on this team, you can go to Dirk. He's one of the best players in the world, and he's just been unstoppable."
Kaman has been most surprised by the team chemistry.
"It reminds me of playing at Central Michigan--where everybody was like a family, and you hung out and stuff," he said
As for the Clippers, Kaman is aware the team has changed dramatically in a free-agent whirlwind that includes the loss of Elton Brand and the addition of six new players, including Baron Davis and Marcus Camby. Kaman is entering the third year of a five-year contract extension worth $52 million.
"I'm not worrying about it now because I can't control it," he said. "It sounds like we will have different guys. I know I just want to win. I hope we have guys who want to win. That's what basketball should be about."
Kaman has arranged for flights and lodging for some family members in Beijing. He also invited Tim Royer and Brad Oostindie of Hope 139, the Grandville company that helped him in the last year with his well-chronicled and alleged attention deficit problems.
"He asked me to bring my equipment, too," Royer said. "He wants to show some of the other athletes what it is because he is telling them what it has done for him."
Kaman's mother said her son is blessed to be part of the Olympics.
"That's what we believe, and we find comfort in that even when we hear the criticism," she said. "We believe it will be a great experience."
Kaman living the Olympic dream, even as a German
by Greg Johnson | The Grand Rapids Press
Sunday August 03, 2008, 12:10 AM
AP File PhotoWyoming native Chris Kaman has played five seasons in the NBA with the Los Angeles Clippers.
Chris Kaman wondered what it would be like to be part of the Olympic Games.
He never thought it might mean being called a traitor when Germany and its greatest player -- NBA star Dirk Nowitzki-- came looking for help.
"I thought it was about the basketball," he said. "I would have played for my country if my country needed me.
"It was sort of a joke at first, then Dirk talked to me about my family being from Germany, a German federation guy got involved and it turned into this -- I'm going to the Olympics."
Kaman, a 26-year-old Wyoming native from Tri-unity Christian High School, starred at Central Michigan and enters his sixth NBA season with the Los Angeles Clippers. He is a member of the German national team.
That team, with his contributions, won a recent Olympic qualifying tournament in Greece and left Germany Saturday for the Games in Beijing, China. Basketball competition starts Aug. 10.
Kaman, declared a German citizen and presented with a passport per the request of its Olympic federation, doesn't speak German and had never visited the country until this experience. He also never met his German-born great-grandparents, who passed away long ago.
Kaman said he never gave much thought to being of German descent. He never dreamed his ancestry might make the Olympic dream come true.
"I look at this as a great opportunity to live a dream," he said. "I play basketball, and I'm getting this chance to be part of the Olympics. It's about the basketball for me, not politics, not anything else. I was going to play basketball this summer, and this seems like a great way to do it.
"People calling me traitor on the radio and stuff, I don't understand that. It's basketball. I love my country."
Pamela Kaman, his mother, and Leroy, his father, are dismayed that their son has been called names. To them he's a son, a Christian, a basketball player, a role model and an American.
"It's scary that people get so carried away with politics when it's supposed to be about the sports," Pamela said. "This isn't war."
The Clippers, who are not commenting on the subject, didn't want him to go. Management asked him to reconsider, but Kaman said eventually signed off on him being insured by the German team through the International Basketball Federation.
Kaman missed 26 NBA games last year with back troubles and a sprained ankle late in the season. He set career highs in points (15.7 per game) and rebounds (12.7 per game).
"They were concerned about my ankle, about getting injured," he said. "I understand that, but I could get hurt in the summer league, or just about doing anything."
Nowitzki is the only German-born player in the NBA, and Kaman said he has talked in recent days with the Dallas Mavericks star about waiting through 12 years of play with the German team to make the Olympics.
"It's very emotional for him," Kaman said. "After that last game in Greece he sat on the floor just crying. He thanked me for helping.
"I mean, I felt great for him. He has been trying to do this for 12 years, and I had been there for 12 days. It means so much to him."
Kaman's mother went to the qualifying tournament in Greece with her daughter. She said German census records were used for verification of ancestry.
The Olympic Charter's Rule 42 declares team members must be "a national" of the country. International Olympic Committee media representatives said individual nations decide citizenship.
Kaman said he was asked by USA basketball to be a practice player, but that was after he had committed to going through the process with the German team.
"I gave my word to Dirk, to the German officials," he said. "And I knew I wouldn't be going to the Olympics with the U.S. team."
As for the basketball part of it, Germany could meet Team USA. Kaman said he would play just as if it was the Clippers against the Pistons.
"I would do my best to help my team win because it's basketball, and that's what you do," he said.
Kaman struggled the first few days with the German team to learn a large number of new plays, but all of his teammates speak English.
"A couple of the games have been strange, especially with the officials calling things and the ball being slippery, but you live and you learn," he said. "A pick-and-roll is still a pick-and-roll, and a post-up is still a post-up.
"Besides on this team, you can go to Dirk. He's one of the best players in the world, and he's just been unstoppable."
Kaman has been most surprised by the team chemistry.
"It reminds me of playing at Central Michigan--where everybody was like a family, and you hung out and stuff," he said
As for the Clippers, Kaman is aware the team has changed dramatically in a free-agent whirlwind that includes the loss of Elton Brand and the addition of six new players, including Baron Davis and Marcus Camby. Kaman is entering the third year of a five-year contract extension worth $52 million.
"I'm not worrying about it now because I can't control it," he said. "It sounds like we will have different guys. I know I just want to win. I hope we have guys who want to win. That's what basketball should be about."
Kaman has arranged for flights and lodging for some family members in Beijing. He also invited Tim Royer and Brad Oostindie of Hope 139, the Grandville company that helped him in the last year with his well-chronicled and alleged attention deficit problems.
"He asked me to bring my equipment, too," Royer said. "He wants to show some of the other athletes what it is because he is telling them what it has done for him."
Kaman's mother said her son is blessed to be part of the Olympics.
"That's what we believe, and we find comfort in that even when we hear the criticism," she said. "We believe it will be a great experience."
Nice article, Dirk and Kaman are my sentimental picks for this tournament. I hope they at least make it to the medal round. What's this traitor crap anyway? We are not in the midst of a Cold War anymore, if a American athlete had twenty years ago defected to the Soviets then yes that would be a traitor but the world is kinda changed now and the rules have loosened and why shouldn't athletes like Becky Hammon and Chris Kaman get a chance to fulfill their dreams. It's only because of the caste system that both are not on the American teams right now.
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Guest
As we've noted before, it is ALWAYS acceptable for foreign nationals to become "Americans" so they can play sports for the US, but the reverse is NEVER ok.
As a broader issue, it may simply be just another "blacks good, whites bad" thing. Adult third worlders changing nationality so they can play for a white country? Good good good! White citizens changing allegiance to play for a different nation? Bad, very bad, probably the kind of thing a traitor would do in fact.
As a broader issue, it may simply be just another "blacks good, whites bad" thing. Adult third worlders changing nationality so they can play for a white country? Good good good! White citizens changing allegiance to play for a different nation? Bad, very bad, probably the kind of thing a traitor would do in fact.
white is right
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I agree, the only instances I have seen it viewed as good are when coaches go over to third world country X and the US media and fans view them as ambassadors to the game. Also that country can't be a threat to American domination of an event/sport. Help Pakistan in track good, help Russia in basketball bad.....
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Dalembert? Bernard Lagat in track is exhibit A here. The guy won medals for another country for crying out loud. Now people think it's great that him and Lopez Lomong, another "American", are running for the US instead of Alan Webb. Meanwhile, the US women's basketball coach is bashing the sh_t out of Becky Hammon for daring to play for Russia when she only did that because she deserved to be on the American team in the first place.
It would be funny but completely predictable if Alan Webb decided to run for Canada for example, and was smashed as a traitor in the US sports media.
It would be funny but completely predictable if Alan Webb decided to run for Canada for example, and was smashed as a traitor in the US sports media.