FIBA World Cup 2023 (FIRST thread)

[Mickey8]

Why should NBA taking over FIBA. FIBA as an organization needs a great clean up but they for sure don't not need NBA to run it and makes it even more corrupted than it is.

[jokeboy86]

Just curious at the people who get mad at stars who don't play international competition, when do you think they should get rest and off season when they're not playing? Accuse me of being American and not caring about pride but if I'm an NBA owner and I'm giving out supermax contracts nowadays I really would prefer my best player not play internationally or any drew league type play at all.

[Sphynx]

The Australian squad won't have Ben Simmons who's already ruled himself out, but still has 11 NBA roster players in it.

Patty Mills, Matisse Thybulle, Joe Ingles, Jock Landale, Josh Green, Matthew Dellavedova, Dante Exum, Xavier Cooks, Jack White, Dyson Daniels and Josh Giddey

It's pretty sad that Australia can't find a better guard than him. I mean really?

You mean, apart from Giddey and Mills?

Is someone like Delly as a 3rd string guard a bad thing for most nations in FIBA?

[Pachinko_]

Just curious at the people who get mad at stars who don't play international competition, when do you think they should get rest and off season when they're not playing? Accuse me of being American and not caring about pride but if I'm an NBA owner and I'm giving out supermax contracts nowadays I really would prefer my best player not play internationally or any drew league type play at all.

I'm not mad at Jokic, I just think he's weak. That's ok, not everybody is strong enough to get on a plane to Japan 3 days after the title parade, like Jrue Holiday did. Or like the Gasol brothers were doing for a couple of decades. Some people need months and months of rest, some people don't.

I don't think anyone cares what the NBA owner prefers. What's he gonna do, fire Jokic? When it comes to superstars all that NBA owners can do is ask, very politely.

[Cubbies2120]

Just curious at the people who get mad at stars who don't play international competition, when do you think they should get rest and off season when they're not playing? Accuse me of being American and not caring about pride but if I'm an NBA owner and I'm giving out supermax contracts nowadays I really would prefer my best player not play internationally or any drew league type play at all.

I'm not mad at Jokic, I just think he's weak. That's ok, not everybody is strong enough to get on a plane to Japan 3 days after the title parade, like Jrue Holiday did. Or like the Gasol brothers were doing for a couple of decades. Some people need months and months of rest, some people don't.

I don't think anyone cares what the NBA owner prefers. What's he gonna do, fire Jokic?

When you turn in 3 MVP worthy seasons in a row, follow it up with the first EVER playoff run where someone leads the playoffs in points,reb,ast…I think you’ve earned the rest a TAD bit more than [insert role player here]…

[Mrakar]

Fat **** can **** off. Never a Serbian legend, little bitch.

Woah, I know you are Serbian, but come on dude. It's not like he skipped the Olympics, WC in basketball has little to no value, to be honest.

That is only for Americans. For Serbs and most of the Europe/World, WC has same kind of value as the Olympics. TBH i never understood hype about Olympics in USA, for me it even has less value than WC since there are also other competitions/sports happening at the same time.

It is massive blow for Serbia, they went from one of the favourites to potential first round exit in one day with Jokic, Micic and Kalinic declining invitations.

If it is problem with coach and people in Serbian basketball association, then i can understand, but he needs to make a statement. If it is "rest" argument, then i don't since i can imaginge that Nuggs will be on cruise control untill december at least...

[twyzted]

Just curious at the people who get mad at stars who don't play international competition, when do you think they should get rest and off season when they're not playing? Accuse me of being American and not caring about pride but if I'm an NBA owner and I'm giving out supermax contracts nowadays I really would prefer my best player not play internationally or any drew league type play at all.

Its definetly a european thing, usually players f.i in soccer want to play for their country and want to win a trophy with their nation over club titles. Modric said he would trade all his champions league titles for winning the World cup with croatia.
So Jokic not playing for serbia is kind of “disrespecting” his country, ofcourse people want the best player to play for his/their country.

But Nba players get much more rest then soccer players who get to little rest.

[Pachinko_]

Just curious at the people who get mad at stars who don't play international competition, when do you think they should get rest and off season when they're not playing? Accuse me of being American and not caring about pride but if I'm an NBA owner and I'm giving out supermax contracts nowadays I really would prefer my best player not play internationally or any drew league type play at all.

I'm not mad at Jokic, I just think he's weak. That's ok, not everybody is strong enough to get on a plane to Japan 3 days after the title parade, like Jrue Holiday did. Or like the Gasol brothers were doing for a couple of decades. Some people need months and months of rest, some people don't.

I don't think anyone cares what the NBA owner prefers. What's he gonna do, fire Jokic?

When you turn in 3 MVP worthy seasons in a row, follow it up with the first EVER playoff run where someone leads the playoffs in points,reb,ast…I think you’ve earned the rest a TAD bit more than [insert role player here]…

Again, for like the 5th time, what you are saying is perfectly fine if you are American which means all you care about is the NBA and (maybe) the Olympics. For the rest of the world it's not that simple, he has done half a job and keeps postponing the other half. I would understand it if he was playing for Sweden or something and it is pointless, but he plays for friggin Serbia, he has legit chances to medals and keeps throwing them away.

[durden_tyler]

Why should NBA taking over FIBA. FIBA as an organization needs a great clean up but they for sure don't not need NBA to run it and makes it even more corrupted than it is.

The NBA earns zilch from any FIBA activity. Give them a share of the $$$ and maybe the billionaire owners start allowing their stars/superstars to join.

[Stribor]

Regarding Jokic.
1. IT is the rest of the world thing. And rightfully so, you support your athletes playing for your country. Most of the fans everywhere do not live in US cities or even have a rich enough club in the Euro league to be able to expect to root for their team in important competitions.
2. That sad, and me being a very big fan of my national teams, I am never going to dislike a player if he does not want to compete. In Croatian soccer, we had a player who wanted to play for another national team. People were mad at him, some called him a national traitor. I was never in that camp. If you do not want to play, that is ok. I do not believe that it is a sacred duty for players to play for their national teams. I appreciate and love when they play, but will never take a grudge against player for deciding not to. Jokic clearly loves Serbia, as he showed trying to go back home immediately after the win, but if he misses the Sombor and friends, planes of Vojvodina and music, he will definitely not get them playing again in Japan. And as someone sad, yes, he is getting well paid, for playing child game, but most of his job is not playing but killing himself in different exercises, diets etc. I can understand that he hates it, and wants a bit of time for himself. It is definitely sad for Serbia supporters, and I understand their frustration, but I can also understand Jokic.

[Johnny Firpo]

That is only for Americans. For Serbs and most of the Europe/World, WC has same kind of value as the Olympics.

I am a European who has been following basketball for at least 20 years, and that is definitely not true. European fans view the Olympics as the clearly bigger, more important event, in any sports, with the exception of football, of course.

[Swuul]

That is only for Americans. For Serbs and most of the Europe/World, WC has same kind of value as the Olympics.

I am a European who has been following basketball for at least 20 years, and that is definitely not true. European fans view the Olympics as the clearly bigger, more important event, in any sports, with the exception of football, of course.

I have actively followed European basketball since 1982, and Olympics is second rate tournament everywhere except former Soviet Union and Yugoslavia. Olympic basketball is a relic of the cold war. Who the heck in their right mind truly believes a basketball tournament of 9 teams chosen in the Olympic spirit (yay for Jordan, Zaire and Tahiti etc, I guess) plus the host, USA and Australia is a more important competition? NBA Summer League is a tougher competition than the Olympics, and way more important.

[Pachinko_]

Yeah Olympics is not really a tournament designed with basketball in mind. WC is.

Olympics is about inclusivity, Olympic spirit, TV, CocaCola sales and all that jazz. WC is exclusively for hardcore basketball fans only. Actually you could argue it's the only completely unbiased tournament because it doesn't care if it's making or losing money.

People don't want to play? To me it just means they don't love basketball enough.

[LuDux1]

Jokić is serbian Ilgauskas

No, Ilgauskas had serious health issues AND bad relationships with Federation

[BelgradeNugget]

As a Serbian Jokic supporter can I say that I hate FIBA. Can I say that I hate the way they are trying to make more and more money not thinking about players, their health their interests. When they changed qualifications system for WC few years ago they basically disqualified Slovenia, EC champion at the time, because Doncic couldn't come to play for their stupid windows system they installed to try to make more money. But they didn't give a sh*t as long as they get richer. Bogdan Bogdanovic injured his knee playing in that system, some stupid qualification game nobody cared about, and he never become a player he should be.

Some people mentioned Gasol brothers who played for their NT year after year. I will add another example Ricky Rubio. Rubio came to the NBA as one of the most talented European players. He found time to play for his NT every summer. And he improved 0. Stayed the same player he was when he came. Even regressed with years.

Jokic came to the NBA as 41 pick and used his summers to work on his game. Because of the work he has put he improved to become the best player in the world. So some Serbian fans like to cheer for him wen he wins NBA championship but don't like the tradeoff.

If Doncic keeps playing for Slovenia every summer will it have positive effect on his carrier?

So, for me this is a question for Serbian/Slovenian/Greek national basketball organizations. NBA superstars can't play for their NBA teams deep into playoffs and national team every summer. They must identify most important tournaments they want to try to win with full team. Make a plan with players. Is it EC, WC or Olympic. Bring your A team every 2nd or 3rd year. On other tournaments go with B team. That is the only way it can work.

[BelgradeNugget]

I call all the great patriots from Serbia and other countries here calling out Jokic and other players for skipping FIBA tournament to show their patriotisms now. In Serbia there is a lot of garbage in woods, plastic pollution etc. When your vacation comes, don't go to beaches around the world, stay in you country and voluntary clear garbage from woods, your country needs you.

There are a lot of wildfires in Greece - Pachinko send us pictures of you planting woods in Rhodes. That way you can help your country more than watching basketball with beer in you hand and screaming hard Hellas, Hellas (I hope all wildfires will end soon)

And to American fans of other teams WTF you care about Jokic playing or not for Serbia? Enjoy your team play in the playoffs next year as long as they participate.

[Pachinko_]

Yeah, Rubio did not improve at basketball because he was playing too much basketball. And if you spend your summer playing 5 aside like Lebron and KD it makes you rest and improve, but if you add refs to it then it causes fatigue and skills deterioration. And if you take 500 shots at home it improves your jumpshot, but if you do it between games with your NT it makes your jumpshot worse. And Jokic will sit on his ass resting for 4 months straight but he will somehow show up at training camp not fat.

Look I understand that athletes have a routine and a schedule that they don't want to deviate from. But blaming all their basketball problems on playing basketball, there is a certain level of BS to that. At some point some guys simply have other plans.

[BelgradeNugget]

Yeah, Rubio did not improve at basketball because he was playing too much basketball. And if you spend your summer playing 5 aside like Lebron and KD it makes you rest and improve, but if you add refs to it then it causes fatigue and skills deterioration. And if you take 500 shots at home it improves your jumpshot, but if you do it between games with your NT it makes your jumpshot worse. And Jokic will sit on his ass resting for 4 months straight but he will somehow show up at training camp not fat.

Look I understand that athletes have a routine and a schedule that they don't want to deviate from. But blaming all their basketball problems on playing basketball, there is a certain level of BS to that. At some point some guys simply have other plans.

You know what Jokic was doing during that summers he took off. Lifting hard. When he first came to the league everybody could move him. He was quicker but weaker. He put a lot of natural muscles to be one of the strongest players in NBA rn. He uses it in the post. If you have 2 hour practice with your NT you can't work additional 2 hours on shooting, ballhandling ect. Serbia had the most success as country in basketball when the whole team skipped few tournaments due to sanctions. That is how Djordjevic, Danilovic, Bodiroga, Stojakovic developed. The team that beat US in 2002.

Maybe if Giannis spends his summer on improving his shot we could have interesting playoffs again not like last one...

[Pachinko_]

You know what Jokic was doing during that summers he took off. Lifting hard.

Not resting then. Good, lets forget about resting.

Maybe if Giannis spends his summer on improving his shot we could have interesting playoffs again not like last one...

He does every summer. Including when he is with the NT, he actually brings his trainer with him from the Bucks. And the winters, including on game days, he's there shooting hours before the game. And sometimes after the game too.
Aaaaaand it made **** all difference

[BruttoNostra]

That is only for Americans. For Serbs and most of the Europe/World, WC has same kind of value as the Olympics.

I am a European who has been following basketball for at least 20 years, and that is definitely not true. European fans view the Olympics as the clearly bigger, more important event, in any sports, with the exception of football, of course.

I have actively followed European basketball since 1982, and Olympics is second rate tournament everywhere except former Soviet Union and Yugoslavia. Olympic basketball is a relic of the cold war. Who the heck in their right mind truly believes a basketball tournament of 9 teams chosen in the Olympic spirit (yay for Jordan, Zaire and Tahiti etc, I guess) plus the host, USA and Australia is a more important competition? NBA Summer League is a tougher competition than the Olympics, and way more important.

This.
I hate Olympics for making it a summer league until quarter-finals or even semi-finals.
WC is much better and the level of play is so much higher (than in the Olympics).
For casuals it doesn't matter, as they enjoy 30-point blowouts all the they to the finals.