International Players pressured

[M.Balla]

^^ China is an awful country... But what's your image of Europe? Over here, at least on the western European Union, NOBODY forces a man to play for the NT.

Garbajosa played with Spain, because he wanted to. How can you say no to the oportunity to win a European championship, after the World Championship, in front of your home crowd, with a team that you have been playing for years, throught the good and bad? Plus to a lot of young players is the best showcase they will probably have to make the jump to the NBA. I'm not by any means a nationalist, and I don't have a specially strong feeling for my country, but I would be DYING to play on the Worlds, the Europeans or the Olympics, as I would KILL to play on the NBA playoffs.

[aznkillabeezZz]

I dont know how many euros/chinese fans are there in this realgm. But does the country really pressures the players to play for their national team. As you can see in the wiretap of yao playing in the Olympics. He is supposed to be resting. Are these "Hooligans" fans really chase them till their throats to play for some useless games in the olympics. NBA is wht , that is more important, since they pay you the big Bucks$$, You have to be loyal to the ones that pay you big!!

Last year it was Garbojosa after he fell and broke his ankle and now its Yao. Look at Steve Nash, he takes rest during his summers and works extremely efficient during the regular season. Even though some stupid Canadians really hate Steve, just for the sole purpose of him taking rest during summers.

Olympics isn't just ANOTHER sports event. Its the biggest sports event in the world. And China is hosting it and Yao is also a representative. For Yao, it really comes down to National Pride, as do most professional athletes. So I don't know where you get "useless games in the olympics from". You're an idiot if you think its useless.

No one will force Yao into playing if his foot is still broken.

[aznkillabeezZz]

The fact that the USA will be playing the olympics baffles me. China's bullying humanitarian actions are so far from the values that are meant to be the byproduct of the celebration of the olympics. It really makes me sick and not want to watch it.

It is scary to think that Yao Ming's best year might have been during this year before the injury, because they will pressuring him to comeback, and that will severely limit his potential due to an improper recovery.

You are so full of it. And Western Countries set up their billion dollar merchandise and oil factories in 3rd world countries to take advantage of the cheap labor and get maximum profits.

It's funny when Americans bash other countries about humanitarian standards, when their own government take a large part in taking advantage of it and also mislead their own people and occupy nations in war where half a million innocent dies. Humanitarian conditions are a million times worst in Iraq before they set foot on it. And you're in here criticizing a player who wants to play for his country.. pretty pathetic

[maradro]

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in european countries the fans might get pissed at you but the government doesn't.

if yao refused not only will the fans get pissed at you, the government does too. even if yao hated playing for china, he doesn't want his mom to 'disappear' so he'll have to play.

there lies the difference.

if you are going to lie, then i wont continue this discussion. Im argentinean, but i lived in china for 5 years and if you think yao's mom is going to disappear you have no idea what you are talking about. nobody is going to hold a gun at yao's head. they are going to put a box of money in front of him, and he's going to take it. just like lebron, just like david beckham in 02 WC, or just about anyone else would in the same situation. if you dont have any proof of that kind of pressure happening in the last 10 years you shouldnt make that kind of serious allegation, besides, it is just as easy to find human rights violations in the western, democratic world, including europe.

professional sports are a meat market where young kids habitually break their bodies as they strive to get out of poverty. it happens in many sports and many countries and most of the cases you dont even hear about becuase the worst ones are the ones that dont even make it to the second contract. the ones you hear about are the guys that already made it who still want to cash in on the fame they earned on the court.

[aznkillabeezZz]

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in european countries the fans might get pissed at you but the government doesn't.

if yao refused not only will the fans get pissed at you, the government does too. even if yao hated playing for china, he doesn't want his mom to 'disappear' so he'll have to play.

there lies the difference.

You are worst than Duiz. Thats got to be the dumbest and baseless ignorant allegation ever. Where do you get these things? You watched too many triad movies or you're on drugs.

[prekazi]

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I hope you guys are ready for a war if we see you again.

Be careful Spain is not just a great basketball team. They're also an outstanding drama club.

[Fran Vasquez]

at least our players dont fight with each other to see wich one has a bigger wee wee
Fran wee wee > Kutluay mini wee

[AdamTheGreek]

I remember with our Greek NT back a few years before we were any good and competing to win EuroBasket '05 when Jake Tsakalidis had just completed his rookie NBA season and we wanted him to play for our NT. He said 'no' and we were most disappointed in him.

Then after we won EuroBasket in 2005 Tsakalidis said he wanted to play for us in the '06 World Championships.
We told that stiff to go f*ck himself.

[Diaper Dandy]

If people in the rest of the world understood that Americans don't really care alot about the Olympics (and especially not Olympic basketball), this would go a long way.

And if Americans understood that the rest of world cares more about Olympic basketball than they do any pro league, that would also go a long way.

There's no right or wrong here. I'm an American- I'm not going to watch Olympic basketball or even read about it- just as I never have in the past. To me, it's an exhibition game, and I don't care at all whether the US wins or loses. Simply not important to me. NBA though...that's another story. To me, that's what's important.