I just don't see why it has to be a competition between nations, nothing of that sort is implied in the phrase "World Champion". If the best players in the world play in a league - then the team that wins that league is the best team in the world.
Okay okay, I think we have exchanged our views often enough by now...I think I have stated the same thing five times, and so have you . Let's just agree to disagree .
The best players in the world play for the NBA. World Champs. Period. All of you guys are comparing an NBA team with the best players a COUNTRY can produce. A lot of the great Euro players are already in the NBA. They are the world champs. Period.
I agree that it doesn't have to be a competition amongst nations. But it should involve more clubs than those from North America. If i recall from a previous thread on this discussion, WizKid's correct that the actual term used by the NBA is "NBA World Champs." "World Series" is a little harder to justify .
LOL. What's the point of "NBA World Champions"? Is there any "English Premier League World Champions"? Or "XYZ Kindergarten School Crying World Champions"?
I think it's just no use arguing about this. World championship is not about having the best players in the world. It's about a competition of world teams. China had all the top table tennis players in the world. They didn't call their national champ world champ. They were called world champs only when they won in world competitions. It's no big deal. I am not losing any sleep over it. Now, let's start a thread agruing whether Sumo wrestling champions in Japan should be called World Sumo champions.
It's your perception. And to be very honest I agree with your perception. But it's also my perception that there's no way Pistons would beat Lakers in the Finals. There's no way Puerto Rico would beat USA, not to mention by 19 points. The point is "World Champions" should not be produced by perception. It should be produced by an organised system which is generally accepted by the world.
It is quite ironic. Basketball is a game that has it's roots in America and the NBA is the reason that the love of basketball has spread throughout the globe. Without the NBA and all of it's great American players, there wouldn't have been a Nowitzki, Gasol, Parker, Kirilenko, or Yao Ming. Who do you think all of these players looked up to when they began playing anyways? Semantically, it may be wrong to label the NBA champs the world champions, but I have no problem with it. The league that started it all has earned the respect to dub it's champs the world champs. If you have a problem with that, then I suggest you stop watching, otherwise don't complain.
Here's my question, what ever happen to the mcdonald world championships that pits the NBA champs against champs of euroleagues? I think it started folding after the NBA champs started to decline invitations and we were sending teams that were in the semis and stuff. I definitely would like to see more international league play (like soccer). Like I've said it before, it will happen as soon as it become financially viable. Just make a seperate world tournament with a significant portion of the revenue going to the teams that win. Give them financial incentives and they will play, I guarantee you.
I remember seein the Mcdonald's Championships. I believe one of them took place in France. The bulls won the mcdonalds championship that year.
No NBA team has lost when competing in the McD Championship. The McD C was considered the world club championships.
No deal. There is a saying in sports ..."that is why they play the game" and it applies here. I understand your premise and trust me it makes sense. But it is arrogant to just walk around and proclaim that what makes sense should be the rule. We lived in a civilized world where there are orders and norms. In this case, the norm is that for you to be named the best in the world even when logic and the oft eraneously used "common sense" permits it, you have play the whole field i.e. other teams around the world. The sad this is that there is a basketball tourney that serves this purpose but no one has mentioned it. The current basket ball world champion is SCM that was knocked off the yesterday by Yao and China. This game was supposed to be a blowed out but "that is why they play the games". Serbia and Montenegro are the true World Champions [QED] and they deserve an aplogy from the NBA (maybe not). The world is comprised of countries while America & Canada is made up by states and provinces. No matter how good the NBA players are and how many other great foreign nationals come here to ply their trade, I consider it intellectual lazyness and logically puerile to call an NBA champion anything other. The NFL's case is just stupid and does not even deserve response. I mean good ol 20 gallon country hat stupid. PS. Talking about the Canadian NBA teams, it is just pure business. The Raptors currently don't even have a Canadian on their team (go figure) and treats of moving the team back stateside still looms over the franchise. Yes FRANCHISE folks. Currently there are only 3 Canadians in the NBA that I can recall - Steve Nash, Rick Fox and Jamal Mcgloire. When was the last time you heard the Brazilian national team or their English counterpart being called or refered to as a Franchise? A world champion CANNOT be a Franchise unless it is playing in a league that includes other "Franchises" around the world in a defined tournament. Btw where did MacBeth go to?
I had no idea of the geopolitical significance in the NBA calling its team the world champion. I suppose an official sanction from Kofi Annan is required, anything less is pure american arrogance.
what about the World Series? Also aren't the champions of all the major sports in American called World Champions. have you ever heard of a major sports team being called the U.S. Champions? I think you guys are looking way too into this.
No sanction needed. Just keeping calling the NBA title a "World Championship." And see how foolish it will seem in few years. "NBA Champion" is more appropriate considering the current basketball landscape *has* become a global game. And the world is actually competing and winning. Not just a bunch of pushovers "dominated" by us which used to validate the "World Champion" title. This is especially true if NBA trends keep going in the same direction they are now. So, keep calling the NBA title a "World Chamionship." Ok fine...it will just mean less and and less as time goes on (caveated with an International "snicker.").
