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[ESPN] Cuban: "Players and owners should get together and create our own World Cup of Basketball"

Discussion in 'NBA Dish' started by Richie_Rich, Aug 2, 2014.

  1. Richie_Rich

    Richie_Rich Member
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    Mark Cuban wants 'own World Cup'

    <script src="http://player.espn.com/player.js?pcode=1kNG061cgaoolOncv54OAO1ceO-I&width=576&height=324&externalId=espn:11301586&autoplay=false"></script>
    Quote:
    In the wake of Paul George's gruesome leg fracture suffered Friday while on Team USA duty, Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban has renewed his call for the NBA and its players to organize their own quadrennial competition separate from the sport's international governing body.

    Long known as the NBA's most outspoken critic of international basketball, Cuban has again questioned when NBA teams allow their players to play for their national teams while taking on the bulk of the financial risk in the event of injury.​

    Rest of story:
    "My thoughts go out to Paul," Cuban told ESPN.com on Saturday. "I really feel for him."

    Cuban then reiterated his longstanding criticism of the NBA's agreement with FIBA, which stipulates that only players themselves can refuse their country's invite to play for the national team except in the event of a "reasonable medical concern." The San Antonio Spurs invoked that clause this week to prevent Manu Ginobili from representing Argentina at FIBA's upcoming Basketball World Cup thanks to the lingering effects of a stress fracture.

    "The (International Olympic Committee) is playing the NBA. The IOC is an organization that has been rife with corruption, to the point where a member was accused of trying to fix an Olympic event in Salt Lake. The IOC (pulls in) billions of dollars. They make a killing and make Tony Soprano look like a saint.

    "The pros in multiple sports are smart enough to not play when they are eligible free agents. But teams take on huge financial risk so that the IOC committee members can line their pockets.

    "The greatest trick ever played was the IOC convincing the world that the Olympics were about patriotism and national pride instead of money. The players and owners should get together and create our own World Cup of Basketball."

    Cuban is hardly alone among NBA owners who wish their players skipped international competition in the summertime, but he's been on a virtual island in terms of his willingness to make that position public.

    He has repeatedly railed against the inequities of a system that sees the NBA realize little tangible profit from competitions such as the Olympic basketball tournament or this summer's FIBA World Cup while absorbing all of the financial risk if the stars NBA teams furnish get hurt.

    The Indiana Pacers themselves, though, have refused to lash out after potentially losing George for the entire first season of his the new five-year, $92 million max contract that kicks in this coming season.

    In a statement issued Saturday, Pacers president Larry Bird said: "We still support USA Basketball and believe in the NBA's goals of exposing our game, our teams and players worldwide. This is an extremely unfortunate injury that occurred on a highly-visible stage, but could also have occurred anytime, anywhere."

    Cuban has been making his pitch for years, having watched the Mavericks' face of the franchise -- Dirk Nowitzki -- tax his body summer after summer carrying Germany's comparatively undermanned national squad.

    In January 2012, Cuban told ESPNDallas.com: "It's just the epitome of stupidity that we would allow ourselves to be used so other corporations can make tens, if not hundreds of millions, of dollars. There's some guys sitting at the Olympic headquarters going, 'Those dumb-asses, we're taking all their best guys for nothing.' "

    Cuban said at the time that he will continue "fighting so that we'll pull (our stars) out."

    "I understand from Dirk's perspective," Cuban said then. "We should never put our athletes in that position. For some sports the Olympics are very, very important. For basketball, it's meaningless. It's not that they're not decent games. All things being equal, it's fun to watch us play Argentina and Spain, but it would be just as fun if they were 21 and under."​
     
  2. DrNuegebauer

    DrNuegebauer Member

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    So Cuban lets his players play uninsured?? If they get injured, does he have to pay compensation himself? Does he pay his players to the extent that he owns them and can direct every off court minute so they never get injured?

    Classic knee jerk reaction from someone who wants to get on their hobby horse.
     
  3. oogie boogie

    oogie boogie Member

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    Did Les ever have a HUGE problem wit Yao playing for China?
     
  4. REEKO_HTOWN

    REEKO_HTOWN I'm Rich Biiiiaaatch!

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    Do you see Barça b****ing about Neymar and the World Cup?
     
  5. IzakDavid13

    IzakDavid13 Contributing Member

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    Cuban is an attention w****...
     
  6. vlaurelio

    vlaurelio Contributing Member

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    him and CP25 is a match made in heaven
     
    #6 vlaurelio, Aug 2, 2014
    Last edited: Aug 3, 2014
  7. TheRealist137

    TheRealist137 Member

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    The Mavs got Chris Paul?
     
  8. Carl Herrera

    Carl Herrera Contributing Member

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    The NBA should send this ass clown back to Cuba and sell the Mavs to Mark American instead.
     
    1 person likes this.
  9. cheke64

    cheke64 Member

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    It's called the NBA finals
     
  10. WinkFan

    WinkFan Contributing Member

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    Yeah, okay. That way if someone does get hurt, they either have never gotten an NBA contract, or are rookie scale. Too bad Paul George didn't have the decency to get hurt before he took all that money.:rolleyes:
     
  11. Richie_Rich

    Richie_Rich Member
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    Interesting views from two vastly different NBA personalities:

    Pacers president Larry Bird: "We still support USA Basketball and believe in the NBA's goals of exposing our game, our teams and players worldwide. This is an extremely unfortunate injury that occurred on a highly-visible stage, but could also have occurred anytime, anywhere."

    Mark Cuban: "The (International Olympic Committee) is playing the NBA. The IOC is an organization that has been rife with corruption, to the point where a member was accused of trying to fix an Olympic event in Salt Lake. The IOC (pulls in) billions of dollars. They make a killing and make Tony Soprano look like a saint. It's just the epitome of stupidity that we would allow ourselves to be used so other corporations can make tens, if not hundreds of millions, of dollars. There's some guys sitting at the Olympic headquarters going, 'Those dumb-asses, we're taking all their best guys for nothing.'"

    First, he openly questioned Sterling's removal ('slippery slope' comment) and now this. It seems Cuban has been appointed as the 'unofficial' mouthpiece of the billionaire, disgruntled NBA owners club.

    In this case, NBA owners (by way of Cuban) may be protesting their lack of asset protection, as well as the millions in revenue generated for FIBA & the IOC since the 1992 Dream Team in Barcelona. Larry Bird is absolutely right. This freak injury 'could have occurred anytime, anywhere.' Correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't the Vegas Summer League also play its games at the Thomas & Mack Center? The same arena where PG's gruesome leg fracture occurred?

    What's really at issue here is Mark Cuban wants greater influence and control over his players and their global marketability (i.e. revenue). The Pacers organization (via Larry Bird) is on record as supporting USA Basketball. That much is clear. But what is more interesting is what Bird didn't say. Not one mention of support for FIBA. Perhaps he did say more in an extended interview, but I have yet to hear any NBA executive or owner come forward and publicly endorse FIBA or the IOC in the aftermath of PG's injury.
     
  12. RoxBeliever

    RoxBeliever Member

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    Why blame FIBA? No one is forcing the NBA players to play on the world stage. That's why several have opted out of playing for the national team.

    USA basketball got NBA players to play after international teams started routinely beating US college players.

    Note also this injury took place on an American court.

    If NBA starts its own World Cup, you think the players won't want additional compensation for those games? Just don't play in the international competition.
     
  13. CometsWin

    CometsWin Breaker Breaker One Nine

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    He's saying the NBA teams take all the risk while FIBA gets all the reward. He's right.
     
  14. vlaurelio

    vlaurelio Contributing Member

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    Haha just fixed it
     
  15. Rox11

    Rox11 Member

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    not quite
     
  16. Blurr#7

    Blurr#7 Contributing Member

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    Expected douche move by Cuban. Never miss a chance to use someones tragedy as a way to get some air time for yourself.
     
  17. DREAM ON!

    DREAM ON! Member

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    To be fair, the Paul George injury was way more catastrophic. Neymar will be ready for the start of the spanish La Liga later this month.

    I know Real Madrid was uneasy about Ronaldo playing in the world cup.

    Players should be allowed to play for their country injury or not. Should Yao ming have played only for China and not Houston? Injuries are freak occurrences
     
  18. cebu

    cebu Member

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    exactly.
     
  19. wreck

    wreck Contributing Member

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    He would never admit it. There would be financial ramifications and his relationship with china would suffer.

    So when he drafted him, he knew he had no choice but to let him play. Skipping international games may have prolonged Yaos career. Then again I believe that if the nba better officiated Yao( letting players guard him by pushing him as hard as they can for 40 minutes a game) may have really prolonged his career.
     
  20. ptealixpaint

    ptealixpaint Member

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    impossible to watch because this reporter has disgusting jowls.
     

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