I dont think the NBA is allergic to White players, I just feel they are not good enough. If you take a look at college basketball , there are PLENTY of white players . So, the desire and passion is definitely present, however when it is time for the next level.....they are not just talented enough. If you got talent your in, if not your out. The NBA is the best of the best. PS: Is it me or are there a lot more Black offensive lineman in the NFL then ever before?
I believe it is what you "ubigred" said and a little need for the extra-step of quickness, explosion, and power. I think the "athletic" thing is a bit worn out, because the NBA has been littered with players who aren't necessarily gifted physically or all that quick and strong, but yet are pretty important players and often times pretty skilled. Shane Battier and Bruce Bowen are probably not the greatest athletes in the world, but they are outstanding defenders. While, Duncan is probably nowhere near as physically gifted as say K.G., Webber, or Karl Malone, but he trumps them in intangibles, defensive acumen, and etc. Jeff Hornacek, Sam Cassell, Mark Price, Vernon Maxwell, and etc. I could say all of those guys out performed their physical limitations and were very important players or NBA all-stars. Bird never possessed Lebron's power or speed, Pippen's quickness and explosiveness, or Dr. J's dunking factor. But, he was shifty, iron-willed, and optimal shooter.
I also think "white" players often pursued other opportunities (or are steered away from basketball), like other posters have pointed out. Since, basketball does come with certain connotations or stereotypes, even though I think European and South American players are disproven them somewhat.
Why doesn't this guy just go to Europe?...No one is saying you can't have a career in basketball...just not in the NBA.
Fair enough, but there's got to be a reason for it. I think it's pretty obvious that blacks are better than whites at basketball. To be fair I'd say there are just as many clueless black guys who can jump high as there are white guys who feel the game better but can't jump. The former is simply more highly coveted by NBA managers. (Before someone cries "racism", that wasn't my intent. Whoever is better at something should be the one who gets paid to do it.)
No one seems to be considering the environmental aspects. Most white kids in the united states grow up in suburban and rural environments. Even those who live inside the inner city tend to live in the nicer areas with things like country clubs. Thus they have access to sports like golf, tennis, baseball, swimming, and soccer. This is on top of the fact that a great deal of them have their own personal lap tops, televisions, video game systems, and cars. Obviously there are African Americans with access to all of these things - but I don't think anybody would try to argue that most African Americans have these options or distractions. As for Europeans - I've lived in Europe. And we in the United States don't even really understand the concept of the European city. The only cities we have that are really even close are cities like New York and San Francisco. Most of our cities have been built in large part since the invention of the car. Houston is, of course, the best example of this. A city like Barcelona, where Pau and Marc Gasol came from, has a population comparable to Houston. However, whereas Houston city proper now encompasses over 600 square miles - Barcelona is a mere 35 square miles. The greater Houston area is over 10,000 square miles. That is larger than the state of New Jersey. The greater Barcelona area is 184 square miles (less than 1/3rd the size of Houston city proper). Quite simply, they don't have room for golf courses or baseball fields. So, much like the population of inner cities in the United States, they play basketball (and like Football here, they have stadiums that allow them to play soccer). There are also economic considerations. Those who have greater economic opportunity tend not to give extra-curricular activities their all. It isn't an escape from a harsh reality. It isn't a ticket to a better world. It's just a hobby. Obviously, this isn't the case for the poor inner city populations, whether here or in Europe.
I do have a Doctorate in the area. First off nothing is 100% there are always exceptions. Those fields above do not require the same athletic ability too perform well as the others I listed. Yes it may help, but it is not a requirement. Athletic ability and Speed can be improved by fast twitch mucles, but they will burn through your energy faster, so you have to pace differently with burst and stops ect. Therefore QBs in general don't have to have as high of athletic ability as say a wide receiver or a running back and are represented more in % wise as the population %s. Baseball many positions do not require as high level of athletic ability either; therefore, it reflects similar %s as the general population. Now with swimming (in general) fast twitched muscle people would burnout of energy and start cramping within 50yards, because of the intense level of the amount of muscles burning the energy. That is why it is dominated by slow twitched people. Fast twitched people can not pace as well as slow twitched people over a long time. They can HVY burn and slow down better and slow twitched can burn for longer time, but not as intense. So you are right they aren't slow, but they are slower paced than the others, and endurance is a major part of swimming.
/end thread. This really isn't a nature versus nurture debate. Jeremy Wariner didn't win a 400m gold medal because he was a white boy who thought he was black. He had the fast twitch muscle fibers necessary to succeed at the highest level. Fast twitch muscles are an extreme rarity for Caucasians and abundant in African-Americans... and can make or break you in an agility based sport like basketball. Almost all of the white guys in the NBA are 6'9 or up with wide frames and very, very consistent jumpers. Kevin Love, Troy Murphy, Brad Miller, etc. I think Dirk's versatility comes from a European upbringing.
It's an interesting point, but do you have any sources to back that up? Or could you elaborate on your theory... I personally think Asians have the most evolved craniums (based on shape) with a steady gaze and a superior ability to focus. Unfortunately a small stature and unintuitive personality often translates to a lack of confidence, which prevents you from realizing your true potential. I think testosterone levels are important as well (in sports more than a field like finance), and Asians come last in that category.
That makes sense, although you'd think the 50 meter event in swimming would be a fast twitch event. Interesting that baseball, specifically pitching, isn't a fast twitch event. You'd think fast twitch people could be dominant closers / setup men.
I always thought Blacks are more physically blessed because they used to be slaves, only the fittest survived and so on.
You guys are really missing the point; it isn't about blacks vs. whites. It is about American vs. European. Things you should be discussing: -NCAA limits amount of practice -American players influenced by "black style" of me first high flying basketball and one streetball. While europeans focus on team first fundamental basketball and shooting. -americans have more opportunities so they get into other stuff before basketball. etc
