Good find Truthteller and excellent posts from 2012, though we also discussed the short-lived influx of Euros into the NBA via the draft when it was happening back in the mid-'00s.
Anyone can start an "NBA News, Rumors and Musings" thread. I'm not a good candidate since I follow the league only on a casual basis these days.
Thanks, Don. I, also, only follow the league on a very limited basis. Usually check out the box scores at night to see how the few whites allowed to play fared that day/night. I plan to watch a Philly, Portland, Cleveland or Dallas type teams this season for a few minutes at a time.
By the way, again, I think the year was
2004 when the media went totally crazy about the "euro influx". Couple reasons: One, there had been a couple consecutive drafts where a lot of whites where drafted. Secondly, the all-black 'Dream Team', led by Kosher Larry Clown was destroyed prior to the Olympics and at the Olympics. Italy and Argentina I remember crushed the US team. I think Lithuania, which is the size of Wisconsin, also pounded Lonsman Larry's afflete's, who played without Kobe Bryant due to his "alleged" raping of a Jewish female in Colorado.
So Interesting!! Imo this league could easily be about 50% white if the NBA would actually recruit the most talented/skilled players. Instead most NBA scouts and gms would rather drool over a guy that can jump 40 inches. It's clear the NBA didn't want too many whites in the league from the Euro influx (probably to maintain their black quarterback of roughly 25% whites spread through the league) so they turned the pipe-line down a little by easing off on their scouting. For me White American players just don't get the same exposure and PT as Euro's early in their career, because most Americans are usually buried behind over-hyped blacks and there street ball game.
Yes, and as the fine, ex-poster BigUnreal noted in 2012, the number of American whites plummeted when the larger influx of Euro's started. Just a coincidence? Had that not occurred, the percentage of whites in the NBA would've increased to about 40% of the league. As you noted, it could be even higher...Talk about "street ball", anyone notice
how bad the games are now with all the 3 point attempts? Even 7' foot (plus) centers and forwards hurl up unlimited 3 pointers and most miss at about a 70% clip. Other night Portland's two star, black guards shot 3 for 19 from 3 point land. That's quality ball?
Right on cue, here is an article about "5 Foreign players who could be in the NBA soon." 2 of them are "French" Africans. Another is an "Italian" African. One is a real Croatian, and one is from the Republic of Georgia. The type of Europeans the (((NBA Leadership))) wants.
https://www.foxsports.com/nba/story/the-next-wave-5-foreign-players-who-could-be-in-the-nba-101218
Yes, in the 2012 posts I noted how the influx of Italian players had suddenly disappeared from Italy and Argentina. Not a huge surprise that Adam "israel Cohen" Silver's league would eventually return to Italy, only when the "Italian" is a full-blooded African from Cameroon?