German Newspaper: Dirk defeats ghetto basketball

[mysticbb]

The article is called "Dirk defeats ghetto basketball". They're talking about the heat players. Chris Bosh, Dwyane Wade are "ghetto" now? Joel Anthony? Who exactly is ghetto on the Heat?

No, that part relates to the style of basketball. The star driven system by the Heat with James and Wade in comparison to the more team-like approach of the Mavericks. The author is basically critizing the decision to "buy 3 stars in the summer" in order to win, unlike the Mavericks, a team which put a lot of effort into the search for the right role players. He is saying that the Mavericks had the better role players overall, while the Heat role players weren't good, because "they were hired with the money left after James, Wade and Bosh signed". "Ghetto-style" basketball is in reference to streetball or even 1on1 games instead of playing 5on5 basketball. The author cited Ettore Messina, one of the most famous coaches in Europe and the guy who will join the coaching staff of the Lakers next season, with the words that "basketball is not meant to be played with 4 guys standing around while only giving the ball to the star player". That and the fact that Nowitzki is not the loud superstar and a rather nice guy, someone the most US-Americans aren't afraid of, someone who looks like the nice guy next door and actually acts like that, is what is meant with the title "Nowitzki defeats ghetto style". That is not overall correct, because when I look at the Mavericks with Stevenson or Terry in comparison to the Heat players, I don't see much of a difference in terms of being "ghetto". The author just took out the factual mistakes foxsports.com writer Bill Reiter made and translated most of that into german.

It is by no means a good article and there are factual and intellectual mistakes in it, but by no means the author is advertising racism, he is rather critizing it.

[doctorfunk]

we didn't have seperate buses for blacks in Europe, USA is very PC, but Europe is probably more tolerant and if someone says something ignorant we just don't crucify him as racist

Those Germans know nothing about basketball anyway, their idea of basketball is something between Harlem Globetrotters and And1 mix-tapes and they probably meant something like that. And who cares anyway.

[Silk Wilkes]

People are actually defending the typical mannerisms being promoted by today's degenerative urban hip-hop culture?

What exactly do the Heat do that classifies them into your clearly racist view of "degenerative" hip-hop culture?

[koogiking]

I don't really see how this is racist at all there are people of many different races / ethnicity / skin colors in "da ghetto".

To insinuate otherwise is being racist IMO.

Oh yeah. They obviously didn't mean anything racist by celebrating how Dirk is the "First White Finals MVP since Larry Bird".

That article is obviously racists look at the title. They are assuming that white people can't be ghetto, and they are celebrating the fact that a white guy is cleaning up the image of the NBA by winning over those black "ghetto" players.

[mysticbb]

I wonder, how will they feel about the fact that Dirk's ex and his current girlfriend are both black???

As much as "we "felt about Boris Becker having a similar taste of women. ;)

Most people in Germany actually don't have issues with the skin color of people. There is a minority who has, but the most don't have a problem. "We" actually threw parties in Germany when Barrack Obama won the elections, heck, he got a huge parade in Berlin before the election.

Don't let a misleading translation dominate your opinion about germans.

[Fojin]

Oh yeah. They obviously didn't mean anything racist by celebrating how Dirk is the "First White Finals MVP since Larry Bird".

That article is obviously racists look at the title. They are assuming that white people can't be ghetto, and they are celebrating the fact that a white guy is cleaning up the image of the NBA by winning over those black "ghetto" players.

If you had actually cared reading the article (which is only possible if you speak German, of course), you'd know that what you just wrote doesn't even remotely describe the article.

[koogiking]

Yeah these guys are obviously very ghetto

[anorexorcism]

LOL @ German posters getting defensive. Relax. "they" referred to the German media, not germans (I have family in Germany and I'm fairly certain they are not racist).

[JNelson43]

I don't read German, I'm not going to judge an entire nation by one article. From what I can tell, however, the article is absolute crap. Bosh is like the furthest thing from ghetto that I can think of, for one thing, Wade is pretty far from it to. I'm hardly a "pc nut", but to me this definitely has some racist qualities to it.

Also, I get tired of Euroleague people attacking the American game because its so "star centric". The NBA itself, Stern, the media, they focus on the stars. The teams that win ARE great teams that pass the ball and have a good system. Its actually kind of ironic, their focus is still all on DIRK, not the team that includes Americans as well. Selfishness has become a narrative in the Finals for whatever reason, despite the fact that a guy like Lebron spent way too much of his time deferring to different scrubs.

[magic1fan]

the article is a joke for several reasons. all this talk about ghetto basketball comes from jealousy. people wouldn't care about these young men if they weren't making more in a season than most would make their entire life. also dirk displays the same mannerisms as these so called ghetto players. correct me if i'm wrong but doesn't dirk hold up his jersey when he makes a great play like the so called ghetto players. doesn't dirk throw up three fingers like the so called ghetto players,doesn't dirk stick out his tongue and make faces like the so called ghetto players. also for the record i wouldn't let dirk or anyother player that i don't know personally inside my home. the author is way off on that assertion. lastly all this talk about ghetto this and that is just baloney,the same idiots who find fault with hip hop listen to hard rock where they disrespect women,they have subscriptions to playboy and hustler where they degrade women,and they more than likely smoke more weed and cocaine than most.

[High0ctane21]

Damn straight he did. Just look at the big 3, Wade is covered in tats, Lebron didn't even go to college, and Bosh is a convicted murderer.

Well... Lebron is covered in tattoos and didn't go to college.
Wade was too dumb to play basketball his freshman year at Marquette.
Eddie House looks like a little wanna-be thug.
Juan Howard used to be in the Fab 5.
Pat Riley looks like he's a mob boss.

Sure sounds like ghetto basketball to me

[magicman1978]

What people still are not understanding is what "Ghetto Basketball" is in reference to. Those bashing the article seem to automatically think it refers to race.

[dude77]

what's wrong with proclaiming that ? .. Guion Bluford was the first black american man in space .. is it wrong to say that as well ? can't have double standards

as for the article .. it does sound racist .. can't argue that .. but I don't know the precise translation so can't accurately analyze it

I don't really see how this is racist at all there are people of many different races / ethnicity / skin colors in "da ghetto".

To insinuate otherwise is being racist IMO.

Oh yeah. They obviously didn't mean anything racist by celebrating how Dirk is the "First White Finals MVP since Larry Bird".

That article is obviously racists look at the title. They are assuming that white people can't be ghetto, and they are celebrating the fact that a white guy is cleaning up the image of the NBA by winning over those black "ghetto" players.

[8 Mile Ilic]

I don't really see how this is racist at all there are people of many different races / ethnicity / skin colors in "da ghetto".

To insinuate otherwise is being racist IMO.

Oh yeah. They obviously didn't mean anything racist by celebrating how Dirk is the "First White Finals MVP since Larry Bird".

That article is obviously racists look at the title. They are assuming that white people can't be ghetto, and they are celebrating the fact that a white guy is cleaning up the image of the NBA by winning over those black "ghetto" players.

They are not assuming that white people can't be ghetto. They are calling the Heat's style of play ghetto. There are white people on the Heat. SMH...

[Sloopy]

[OvertimeNO]

Also, I get tired of Euroleague people attacking the American game because its so "star centric". The NBA itself, Stern, the media, they focus on the stars. The teams that win ARE great teams that pass the ball and have a good system. Its actually kind of ironic, their focus is still all on DIRK, not the team that includes Americans as well.

Irony noted, but to be fair, the bolded isn't really a basketball thing so much as it is a national pride thing. If Steve Nash somehow wins a championship, you better believe all the news up here will be talking about hockey instead of the Suns. Er, I mean Nash.

[Spanish_Laker]

Hail Deutschland

[Medved]

Having travelled all over, Europe is much more racist towards immigrants and black people. Atleast in the US its somewhat hidden. In Europe people say things openly that would get them fired here. You also have right wing anti immigration parties that would never pass muster here. And before people start posting articles, its one man's opinion. Racism exists here too but its worse in Europe IMO.

Its a stupid article anyways. Dirk has a black girlfriend. Lebron, Wade and Bosh arent ghetto at all. If anything guys like Deshawn Stevenson were "ghetto" so to speak. Some would include Jason Terry too.

The reason some EU countries like Sweden,Germany,UK are regretting their Immigrant decisions is because their country is going downhill. You have immigrants who come into the country and have a ton more kids than the natural citizens and the immigrants stay on welfare while having kids and tie up the social systems while crying for their rights. If you do some research you will see in UK a certain Immigrant group made up 9% of the population but commited over 65% of the violent crimes, all while crying for their "rights and religious beliefs"

Lets not kid ourselves about racism, it happens all across the world. USA just likes to sweep it under the rug and pretend it doesnt exist while being the most racist country in the world. I guess its alright for white people to be called crackers and mexicans to be called spics in USA. But when you say something to a black person or fire them you get 50 groups like Al Sharpton and NCAAP making a media flurry.

I've traveled the world, everyone is racist, few choose to admit it. USA has done a good job of hiding it and only minorities (soon to be majority) in USA is allowed to be openly racist because nobody wants to offend them so they let them be as racist as they want to be.

Want to see racism? Go to India or Africa. In India you got families killing their sons/daughters just for being seen in public with someone from a diffirent tribe or sect. In Africa you get a tire on your head filled with gasoline just for being a diffirent shade of black or brown depending where you from.

Why even bring this up? Half the replies are, hurrr EU racist. half are "WE NEVER RACIST".

from the article, the thing I got is that the Mavs played "classic" Basketball like they did in the 60's and 70's and European Basketball is based on the system of a team and is styled after old school basketball where its about passing and the team and not 1 person. Thats what I got out of the article, that the old way of playing basketball(europeans who base all of their programs on this old school style say its the right way to play).

Why do people bring up race in everything? In this P.C world (which is getting worse everyday with bigots crying racism every day), soon you wont be able to call someone white or black.

I just dont get it, everyone is racist around the world, either racist because they dont like your 1)name 2) skin color 3) nationality 4) creed 5) lineage 6) parents 7) how you dress.

Lets just group people in diff categories like
1) nice person who I would let into my house
2) Thief, criminal who needs to stay out of my house
3) Douchebags

no race involved this way, just calling people for what they are.

[DelonteLuvYoMom]

Those Germans sure love to lump what they think is bad in society into ghettos.

[DelonteLuvYoMom]

I don't really see how this is racist at all there are people of many different races / ethnicity / skin colors in "da ghetto".

To insinuate otherwise is being racist IMO.

Oh yeah. They obviously didn't mean anything racist by celebrating how Dirk is the "First White Finals MVP since Larry Bird".

That article is obviously racists look at the title. They are assuming that white people can't be ghetto, and they are celebrating the fact that a white guy is cleaning up the image of the NBA by winning over those black "ghetto" players.

They are not assuming that white people can't be ghetto. They are calling the Heat's style of play ghetto. There are white people on the Heat. SMH...

Those white people, like Mike Miller, are probably more ghetto than DWade and LeBron.