In the NBA wheN the basketball team wins the NBA championship they are considered "World Champions" I have never really understood this concept. Why call the NBA champs world champs? There are so many leagues in this world and the NBA happens to be one of them. It's the best league. Or is it? I happen to love european basketball. They way they play over there is so different to the NBA that it makes us look slow in passing and shotting. So we play defense . A tight game low scoring basketball. Why are the Kings and the Mavs one of the favorite teams to watch? Sure the kings and the mavs dont win championships but if you switch the game from 48 mins to 40 mins things change. Isnt if funny how yao ming has to adapt to the nba but our basketball players have to adapt to international level? I would like to see the Detroit pistons take on Lithuania, Spain, Italy, Serbia, Argentina to see if they are really "World Champs" Not only in basketball but in baseball as well. "Marlins are world champs!!! Ok if they are world champs. I want to see them play Dominican Republic, Cuba, Japan, Puerto Rico, Venezuela.
I'd be all for more basketball. But to say Pistons vs Lithuania is tough, they can learn from soccer, and it'll be the top Lithuanian team as opposed to the whole country.
Now, let's not get carried away. The NBA is by far the best basketball league in the world. And it will be in the foreseeable future. But I agree. Calling it "world championship" is pretty disgusting. What I'm curious about is, how well would players like Richard Jefferson do in the Euroleauge.
Twelve years ago, calling NBA champions "World Champions" wouldn't have raised any eyebrows. But how time has changed. Now US national team keeps losing in the Olympics, a mere 2-2 record so far. Calling NBA champsions "World Champions" sounds SO rediculous... Aside from Duncan, Odom, and Iversion, the rest of the "Dream Team" members wouldn't even find a starting job in the good Euro national teams or clubs. Cuz they couldn't even shoot some wide open jumpers and free throws and would get killed night in and night out.
No, I disagree. It doesn't matter how far better the NBA is than all other leagues, if they are not a competition of world teams, they should not be called "world championship." It's just mindless arrogance.
The full title is "NBA World Champion," it still works even though there are only two nations with NBA teams.
I don't understand why people give a sh-t and get so irked by it. World Champions is perfectly fine and perfectly appropriate. The NBA is the best league in the world with the best athletes in the world. If Lituania or Argentina joined the NBA as an expansion team, I'd put their over-under at about 10 wins. They couldn't handle the athleticism and the inside play that NBA rules favor. You can call it mindless arrogance, I call it the result of 60 years or so of tradition.
I agree that it's no big deal, though I don't see why the onus is on the Lithuanian team to adapt to the NBA rules and not the other way around.
Because we have the money and the power like Tony Soprano. I don't see why people somehow think Int'l rules were somehow handed down on stone tablets by James Naismith.
the NBA is the best league in the world. that's not up for debate. even if it were only americans playing here, it still would be, but not only do all the best in america play here, all the best from almost every other country play here. just like major league baseball has all the best players from other countries. they are the best leagues in the world and thus their champions are world champions. if some league team from the dominican republic would like to face the yankees or whoever wins this year or some league team from europe (no national teams here, this is about leagues) wants to play the pistons or even the rockets after this year ( ) then they can. but it's not like it's ever going to happen. i do find it funny that Easy is "disgusted" by it. do you lose sleep each night over how terrible it is that we would say NBA world champion? THE HORROR!
They are world champions according to NBA rules*, hence "NBA world champion*" *: NBA rules include star calls, dunkfest, defensive 3 sec, etc.
Please let's not confuse Sham Fisher with the typical American... I am somewhat disappointed that Sham Fisher needs to resort to low-level name-calling as a last resort when it is obvious that his intellect fails him (again)...I had not given up hope that at least, he would be able to come up with a somewhat clever and original insult.
A typical arrogant American? Yeah, I regularly wrap myself in the flag and scream the pledge of allegiance. USA USA USA!!!!!!!!!!! I know you and jack-o want to stereotype me as a 10 gallon hat wearing cowboy, but trust me, I've been to and know about a good portion of the world and have great respect for it and its citizens,american and non. I know that such a thing is difficult for europeans with an inferiority complex to accept, but is something you will have to do. Jackie: I thought you had lost your little hard-on for me and weren't going to stalk me much longer, but I guess with MacBeth gone you must be feeling a little "pent up" as you're sporting some wood once again; regardless, I've had enough of your crap. See you later.
You forget the extra steps allowed for the star players in the NBA. The expression on Brownie's face after he got called for travelling (deservedly so) was priceless.
