Gold Medalist Questions the NBA Champs Being Deemed "World" Champs

[the sea duck]

And the nba could change their name to world basketball association and the same would apply. It would be the same teams and players playing.

Is the nba the only major basketball league that doesn't restrict players based on their origins? The nba could have 100% non-American players according to the rules. I know many other leagues restrict how many Americans can be on the team. Any such league cannot be a world champion league.

No it is not. Just off the top of my head.....

EuroLeague
FIBA Basketball Champions League
EuroCup
FIBA Europe Cup
VTB United League
ABA (Adriatic League)
FIBA Basketball Champions League Americas
Basketball Africa League

As far as I know, none of those leagues has any restrictions at all on player origins.

Also, all of this talk about how many players in the NBA are from different countries and different continents, somehow makes it a "world championship". Well, if that is the case, then any important league in the world is also a world championship.

All the relevant leagues in Europe, the NBL in Australia, the BCL Americas league, they all have players from many different countries and several continents. The European leagues probably have more countries represented than the NBA does.

So based on this logic, there are several "world leagues", and the European-wide leagues are probably even more "global" than the NBA is.

There isn't a single argument that has been made here in favor of the NBA champions being called the world champions that holds up under even the slightest tiniest bit of scrutiny. Just applying the same logic and criteria to other leagues around the world, and numerous other basketball leagues have the same claims to being so-called "world leagues", or "global leagues", or "world championships", as the NBA does.

major league. not all of those all major leagues. we need to parse the list down so we can arrive at any possible contenders to the world champ crown.

[Mirotic12]

And the nba could change their name to world basketball association and the same would apply. It would be the same teams and players playing.

Is the nba the only major basketball league that doesn't restrict players based on their origins? The nba could have 100% non-American players according to the rules. I know many other leagues restrict how many Americans can be on the team. Any such league cannot be a world champion league.

No it is not. Just off the top of my head.....

EuroLeague
FIBA Basketball Champions League
EuroCup
FIBA Europe Cup
VTB United League
ABA (Adriatic League)
FIBA Basketball Champions League Americas
Basketball Africa League

As far as I know, none of those leagues has any restrictions at all on player origins.

Also, all of this talk about how many players in the NBA are from different countries and different continents, somehow makes it a "world championship". Well, if that is the case, then any important league in the world is also a world championship.

All the relevant leagues in Europe, the NBL in Australia, the BCL Americas league, they all have players from many different countries and several continents. The European leagues probably have more countries represented than the NBA does.

So based on this logic, there are several "world leagues", and the European-wide leagues are probably even more "global" than the NBA is.

There isn't a single argument that has been made here in favor of the NBA champions being called the world champions that holds up under even the slightest tiniest bit of scrutiny. Just applying the same logic and criteria to other leagues around the world, and numerous other basketball leagues have the same claims to being so-called "world leagues", or "global leagues", or "world championships", as the NBA does.

major league. not all of those all major leagues. we need to parse the list down so we can arrive at any possible contenders to the world champ crown.

What do you mean by major league?

[Mirotic12]

Sure, they've gotten closer, close enough to matter? Not really. And a friendly game with a minutes restricted Kobe isn't exactly inspiring evidence otherwise.

The Lakers were trying 100% to win the game. Why else would they have Fisher, Kobe, Artest, Odom and Pau on the floor in the 4th quarter? And it's not even a friendly game. Those were actual tournaments. It wasn't just a random game the two teams decided to play. It was a tournament organized by the NBA, played under NBA rules.

[CP3nthusiast]

Americans megalomania at it's finest. Yes, the NBA champion could easily beat any other team in the world but that doesn't mean they're world champions. Manchester City could probably beat any club in Brazil or Japan, yet they don't call themselves world champions. Words mean something.

[SweaterBae]

Americans megalomania at it's finest. Yes, the NBA champion could easily beat any other team in the world but that doesn't mean they're world champions. Manchester City could probably beat any club in Brazil or Japan, yet they don't call themselves world champions. Words mean something.

More international fans resorting to the laziest of insults because they don't have what it takes to call it like it actually is.

[eminence]

Sure, they've gotten closer, close enough to matter? Not really. And a friendly game with a minutes restricted Kobe isn't exactly inspiring evidence otherwise.

The Lakers were trying 100% to win the game. Why else would they have Fisher, Kobe, Artest, Odom and Pau on the floor in the 4th quarter? And it's not even a friendly game. Those were actual tournaments. It wasn't just a random game the two teams decided to play. It was a tournament organized by the NBA, played under NBA rules.

It was an exhibition tour tune-up during the first few weeks of training camp. It wasn't a tournament at all.

Alternatively the Lakers/Barcelona lost a tournament (while totally really trying 100%) to the 2010-11 Wolves (17-65). C'mon now.

[JDR720]

Calling US sports champions "world champions" is just the normal US-centric wording that US leagues have. Everything from NFL to WWE does it.

It has nothing to do with quality of the leagues.

[Mirotic12]

Sure, they've gotten closer, close enough to matter? Not really. And a friendly game with a minutes restricted Kobe isn't exactly inspiring evidence otherwise.

The Lakers were trying 100% to win the game. Why else would they have Fisher, Kobe, Artest, Odom and Pau on the floor in the 4th quarter? And it's not even a friendly game. Those were actual tournaments. It wasn't just a random game the two teams decided to play. It was a tournament organized by the NBA, played under NBA rules.

It was an exhibition tour tune-up during the first few weeks of training camp. It wasn't a tournament at all.

Right, right, whenever Team USA or an NBA team loses to an international teams it's always, "they didn't care", "they were not even trying", "of course they purposely lost the game".......

You guys REALLY need to get some new material, because that schtick was already stale like 15 years ago. How hard is it to actually think up a new fake made up excuse?

[AussieCeltic]

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[eminence]

The Lakers were trying 100% to win the game. Why else would they have Fisher, Kobe, Artest, Odom and Pau on the floor in the 4th quarter? And it's not even a friendly game. Those were actual tournaments. It wasn't just a random game the two teams decided to play. It was a tournament organized by the NBA, played under NBA rules.

It was an exhibition tour tune-up during the first few weeks of training camp. It wasn't a tournament at all.

Right, right, whenever Team USA or an NBA team loses to an international teams it's always, "they didn't care", "they were not even trying", "of course they purposely lost the game".......

You guys REALLY need to get some new material, because that schtick was already stale like 15 years ago. How hard is it to actually think up a new fake made up excuse?

The Wolves should hang the banner then I guess.

[Mirotic12]

It was an exhibition tour tune-up during the first few weeks of training camp. It wasn't a tournament at all.

Right, right, whenever Team USA or an NBA team loses to an international teams it's always, "they didn't care", "they were not even trying", "of course they purposely lost the game".......

You guys REALLY need to get some new material, because that schtick was already stale like 15 years ago. How hard is it to actually think up a new fake made up excuse?

The Wolves should hang the banner then I guess.

The Wolves were not even playing. You can come up with better material.

[the sea duck]

No it is not. Just off the top of my head.....

EuroLeague
FIBA Basketball Champions League
EuroCup
FIBA Europe Cup
VTB United League
ABA (Adriatic League)
FIBA Basketball Champions League Americas
Basketball Africa League

As far as I know, none of those leagues has any restrictions at all on player origins.

Also, all of this talk about how many players in the NBA are from different countries and different continents, somehow makes it a "world championship". Well, if that is the case, then any important league in the world is also a world championship.

All the relevant leagues in Europe, the NBL in Australia, the BCL Americas league, they all have players from many different countries and several continents. The European leagues probably have more countries represented than the NBA does.

So based on this logic, there are several "world leagues", and the European-wide leagues are probably even more "global" than the NBA is.

There isn't a single argument that has been made here in favor of the NBA champions being called the world champions that holds up under even the slightest tiniest bit of scrutiny. Just applying the same logic and criteria to other leagues around the world, and numerous other basketball leagues have the same claims to being so-called "world leagues", or "global leagues", or "world championships", as the NBA does.

major league. not all of those all major leagues. we need to parse the list down so we can arrive at any possible contenders to the world champ crown.

What do you mean by major league?

like maybe the 4 or so best leagues? maybe that doesn't even make sense. maybe only 2. but when you list like 8 different leagues it's clear we're getting less and less qualified to be in the world champ convo.

[liquidswords]

I'm sorry but kids don't grow up wanting to play in the euroleagues or any of these other obscure leagues. The NBA is the pinnacle of professional basketball. That's why you can call NBA champs "World Champs." The NBA is where the best players play.

[eminence]

Right, right, whenever Team USA or an NBA team loses to an international teams it's always, "they didn't care", "they were not even trying", "of course they purposely lost the game".......

You guys REALLY need to get some new material, because that schtick was already stale like 15 years ago. How hard is it to actually think up a new fake made up excuse?

The Wolves should hang the banner then I guess.

The Wolves were not even playing. You can come up with better material.

Who was then?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2010_NBA_Europe_Live_Tour

[Nuntius]

The NBA champ has been known as the world champ as long as nearly anyone here has been alive! You can keep trying to change these meanings. It won't change that.

In the US, maybe. In the rest of the world, nope. I've said this to you again but your outlook is way too US-centric. The US isn't the whole world. No country is the whole world.

The rest of the world isn't stupid. For the longest time professional athletes didn't even compete in these so called "world" events. People weren't then nor now so stupid they'd not understand what "world champion" means in plain language. Most people through history of basketball had absolute no idea there was a "world championship through FIBA".

Meanwhile today, again people aren't stupid. We all get that this "national team plays world team" model was needed historically. It isn't today and again people aren't stupid. Your model requires people to be stupid and dogmatic is dated systems. I'm sorry but I won't accept that non americans are stupid.

Once again, your perspective is blindly US-centric. Especially the part I bolde. That sentence is just hilariously warped.

I really don't think that there is anything left to discuss here. You believe that the everything and everyone outside the US doesn't matter. We get it.

[Mirotic12]

The Wolves should hang the banner then I guess.

The Wolves were not even playing. You can come up with better material.

Who was then?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2010_NBA_Europe_Live_Tour

Are you really serious with this? It was a game they setup for the NBA champs to play the EuroLeague champs under NBA rules. The Wolves had absolutely nothing to do with it.

The Wolves were not even there, not even in the country. They were not even in Spain, where the champs versus champs competition was setup.

They were on a European tour and not even connected to playing against EuroLeague, and were not even doing so. That had literally nothing to do with the game that was setup for the NBA winners to play the EuroLeague winners.

[DC_Melo]

Calling the NBA champions the world champions is obviously completely absurd and totally ridiculous. like 99% of people outside of the USA think that's a ludicrous claim and just completely laugh at it, or even find it actually insulting and to be in very bad taste.

Regardless of what people in the US might think, it's considered an absolute joke by the vast majority of people elsewhere.

Eh… I’m a naturalized citizen and grew up living abroad. I don’t recall people harboring such resentment about it.

What I experienced was people that didn’t have a particular bias against the US didn’t seem to care, or recognized the NBA as the top league internationally. Those that did show the reaction you’re describing were already predisposed to believe stereotypes about Americans and would jump at any reason criticize the US.

[Nuntius]

Does every country compete is every Olympic sport? I mean, if Jamaica doesn't compete in bobsledding, did the Gold Medal winners really beat the "world" or did they only beat the participating countries where the sport is popular?

Not every country has athletes that qualify for the Olympics in every Olympic sport. But every continent absolutely has athletes who do qualify for various sports so every continent is indeed represented.

After a quick Google search, the NBA has players from 41 countries over six continents - So, I'd say the NBA also represents the WORLD's best talent.

The NBA has the world's best talent, obviously. No one has ever disputed that.

But basketball isn't an individual sport. It's a team sport. Therefore, for a basketball event to be consider a proper world event, there need to be teams that represent every continent. And that's not what the NBA is. That's not what the NBA should be either. This is not the league's scope. And there's nothing wrong with that.

The fact that the NBA Champion cannot accurately be called the world champion does NOT mean that the NBA Champion isn't the best basketball team in the world for that year. They absolutely are.

[eminence]

The Wolves were not even playing. You can come up with better material.

Who was then?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2010_NBA_Europe_Live_Tour

Are you really serious with this? It was a game they setup for the NBA champs to play the EuroLeague champs under NBA rules. The Wolves had absolutely nothing to do with it.

The Wolves were not even there, not even in the country. They were on a European tour and not even connected to playing against EuroLeague, and were not even doing so. That had literally nothing to do with the game that was setup for the NBA winners to play the EuroLeague winners.

It was set up prior to the NBA/Euro Finals you clown.

https://www.ea.com/en-gb/news/2010-nba-europe-live

[Mirotic12]

Eh… I’m a naturalized citizen and grew up living abroad. I don’t recall people harboring such resentment about it.

What I experienced was people that didn’t have a particular bias against the US didn’t seem to care, or recognized the NBA as the top league internationally. Those that did show the reaction you’re describing were already predisposed to believe stereotypes about Americans and would jump at any reason criticize the US.

Apparently you didn't get out much.