Dude, it's meant to illustrate a point, not specifically pimp Kobe and LeBron for the USA national team. They are just the two most recognizable basketball players, that's all. If you want to get technical, let's go with Chad Ocho Cinco and Rajon Rondo, or something along those lines.
LOL @ Germany vs England game. ....guess it was somewhat entertaining. Looking forward to the MEX game.
I don't think anybody is assuming that Kobe and LeBron, as is, would dominate in soccer. It's people trying to make the point that our best athletes aren't playing soccer, that's all.
exactly. that is all i meant. it's all about what you are raised on. and another point. when your an American, and black, and 6'3 in junior high, your probably are not gonna want to play "soccer" NBA/Football is much more appealing.
Darrius Heyward-Bey sounds like a soccer name. He's got world class speed and his hands rarely make contact with the ball, so he'd probably be a good striker.
this does however make for a great thread. that should probably be started in another thread, so we don't screw the world cup one up.
That is interesting, but speed and creativity kill in soccer and when you have both, you get a superstar player.. We need that ONE guy to really raise the level of everyone else. DD
Too big for some positions, yes. But there was a certain seven footer with the amazing reflexes and silly agility that made a pretty kick-ass goalie in his day. Although shots might go through his legs more than other goalies :grin:
I can buy that point if you would also agree to the point I try to make that having the best athletes playing the game dose not automatically mean anything like the original post that I replied to implied.
Well actually rockets pride said literally: That was what I was responding to. I agree that if Soccer will become popular (or primary sport) in the USA that you guys will be very good. You have the culture in which Athletes succeed, you have the money to have the best training, and you have a big population. But IMHO that is clear as day, so why discuss that? However Soccer isn’t the most popular sport in the USA, so why discuss what will happen if it is. Like I said we can say the same about what if basketball is the most popular sport in Brazil. Or let’s use baseball as example it is not popular in the Netherlands (maybe 6th sport) but we are top 8 in the world, what would happen if all our athletes started playing Baseball. Can you imagine how good Robben would be at stealing basses. You see how useless these discussions are?
I agree Hakeem is an amazing athlete. I know he grew up playing soccer and being a goalkeeper, but was he the best goalkeeper in Nigeria? Would he be a great goalkeeper? we do not know.
All we ever heard was that he played keeper when he was younger in Nigeria. We also know that he did not play at a high level. Whether he could be any good is just an assumption, the same one that I argue against in other posts.
Like DD said, Hakeem, literally, outgrew the sport. At a certain point, height does become a disadvantage in soccer. Height is a plus in some situations, but a liability in others. The sport itself doesn't lend itself to tall equaling an advantage. But anybody who saw him flying around swatting stuff in his heyday knows that he could cover amazing amounts of ground while standing flat footed and had amazing hand-eye coordination and terrific reflexes. Problem, of course, is that the goal isn't situated off the ground, heh heh.
no, I'm convinced that Lebron and Kobe would be amazing at soccer if they grew up playing it at a young age, and nothing else. yes its impossible to really know... to many what "if's" .. but hell dude, it's the offseason... gotta talk about something?
I heard on Dutch tv that Fifa has stated after this game that they will NOT start using electronic help (video replay for refs). All the coaches are inn favour of using video replays for refs, but only Blatter is against it. Blatter has to go.
Seems like the simple solution is to only use replay for goals scored. That would be rare, and wouldn't take more than a few minute break or so.
I completly agree, and that was also the point I was trying to make, Height is not an advantage in soccer, that is why there are so few Tall soccer player. I think we both agree with each other. Why? how many 6"8 great soccer players do you know? It is not like there are only above 6"7 people living in the USA. If those tall players do not succeed in other countries why would Lebron or Kobe succeed? Of course they are freaks, but Like I stated before there are a lot of differences in the skills needed for soccer or Basketball. Bryant grew up in Italy, didn't he. Have we ever heard that he was a talented soccer player?
