All refs are crap, but the FIBA refs for the most part are all-around crap. The NBA refs do worse than their skills would allow by giving star treatment. I think the FIBA refs are not as skilled, but are doing their best to call the game straight.
Yes, for international competitions FIBA chooses their refs from a smaller talent pool than the NBA, and takes geographic consideratins into play which probably hurts quality. In soccer I have noticed that the refs from what is arguably the biggest and best league, the EPL - though its not as dominant in Soccer ast he NBA is in basketball - tend to be better than the referees from World cup play, IMO. I also think that while the "star system" is absent in Int'l play, for the most part, nationalism and politics are more likely to be present.
There's also that small matter of doping control and the different way it is enforced (or in the case of the NBA, not enforced )
You mean FIBA NOT enforcing it; unless you can name for me 1 player who has ever been suspended for failing a drug test in an international match. I can't think of any....ever....in history. Not that it matters much, ifthe domestic leagues test it will be much more effective given that they're better equipped to do so.
Didn't this just happen like 2 weeks ago? Some Aussie or New Zealand bballer got banned for doping? I swear I remember reading something like this.
Looks like you're right and I'm wrong, but it wasn't "doping" it was smoking weed: http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news?slug=ap-worlds-newzealand-dickel&prov=ap&type=lgns I don't know why FIBA feels empowered to suspend players for smoking mar1juana considering that is 1. NOT illegal in all countries, and 2. NOT performance enhancing in any way shape or form, and is probably be the opposite. Lame, I guess they must be folllowing the NBA's lead with zero tolerance on mar1juana? Lame! Get andymoon over here....
