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

[durden_tyler]

As a European I have no problem with the current NBA champion being called World Champion. It's not an official title, it's just a slogan.

That's the whole problem though. It's not official, but the vast majority of NBA fans seem to think it is. US sports media absolutely seems to think so.

Actually, I found out not too long ago, that FIBA actually asked the NBA to stop claiming their league champions were NBA champions. Once the NBA stopped playing in an actual club world championship, they could no longer really legally make that claim.

The problem is that most of the teams and sports media are still making it though.

The Charlotte Hornets can win a group stage in a FIBA World Cup. Okay maybe not, but they’ll be contenders in that group. LOL

[Quattro]

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.

Lol. Why? Do you really think some Euro league team comprised of guys not good enough to play in the NBA stands a chance against a team like the Nuggets becuase news flash for you… they dont.

[Mickey8]

Well in reality every NBA championship team would smash clubs from the rest of the world. So I can see why the American Media uses the world championship moniker, even though it is incorrect since NBA is not the international competition. I mean it is , sort of I guess.

[Mirotic12]

It’s the highest ranking and best league in the world thus world champ by default. I see nothing wrong with the label.

But would the #1 team in the NBA beat the best Olympics teams? Probably not.

LOL

Why is that funny? There is no way in hell the Denver Nuggets can beat a typical Team USA in a 7 game series

[Mirotic12]

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.

Lol. Why? Do you really think some Euro league team comprised of guys not good enough to play in the NBA stands a chance against a team like the Nuggets becuase news flash for you… they dont.

EuroLeague teams have beaten the defending NBA champion teams on more than one occasion already.

[durden_tyler]

But would the #1 team in the NBA beat the best Olympics teams? Probably not.

LOL

Why is that funny? There is no way in hell the Denver Nuggets can beat a typical Team USA in a 7 game series

Team USA is your example really?!! How about the Tier 2 teams?

[durden_tyler]

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.

Lol. Why? Do you really think some Euro league team comprised of guys not good enough to play in the NBA stands a chance against a team like the Nuggets becuase news flash for you… they dont.

EuroLeague teams have beaten the defending NBA champion teams on more than one occasion already.

In what setting? Friendlies? LOL

[Mirotic12]

Lol. Why? Do you really think some Euro league team comprised of guys not good enough to play in the NBA stands a chance against a team like the Nuggets becuase news flash for you… they dont.

EuroLeague teams have beaten the defending NBA champion teams on more than one occasion already.

In what setting? Friendlies? LOL

It's always been admitted by coaches and players that they are instructed to give 100% to win any game against a EuroLeague team. Jackson was reportedly extremely mad after Barca beat the Lakers.

[Mirotic12]

LOL

Why is that funny? There is no way in hell the Denver Nuggets can beat a typical Team USA in a 7 game series

Team USA is your example really?!! How about the Tier 2 teams?

You mean those teams like FR Yugoslavia, Argentina, Lithuania, Greece, Spain from the 2000s? The same ones that beat USA multiple times? Hell, Greece beat the Redeem Team minus Kobe, with 12 EuroLeague players.

[durden_tyler]

EuroLeague teams have beaten the defending NBA champion teams on more than one occasion already.

In what setting? Friendlies? LOL

It's always been admitted by coaches and players that they are instructed to give 100% to win any game against a EuroLeague team. Jackson was reportedly extremely made aftar Barca beat the Lakers.

Okay, so friendlies. LOL

[Mirotic12]

In what setting? Friendlies? LOL

It's always been admitted by coaches and players that they are instructed to give 100% to win any game against a EuroLeague team. Jackson was reportedly extremely made aftar Barca beat the Lakers.

Okay, so friendlies. LOL

No, not friendlies. Games where the NBA teams are giving max effort to win the game. So no, not "friendlies".

[azcatz11]

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.

Lol. Why? Do you really think some Euro league team comprised of guys not good enough to play in the NBA stands a chance against a team like the Nuggets becuase news flash for you… they dont.

EuroLeague teams have beaten the defending NBA champion teams on more than one occasion already.

Shane Larkin was one of the best Euroleague players in 2019 and he can’t get a cup of coffee in the league

[durden_tyler]

Lol. Why? Do you really think some Euro league team comprised of guys not good enough to play in the NBA stands a chance against a team like the Nuggets becuase news flash for you… they dont.

EuroLeague teams have beaten the defending NBA champion teams on more than one occasion already.

Shane Larkin was one of the best Euroleague players in 2019 and he can’t get a cup of coffee in the league

Why are we mentioning a scrub in the NBA? To emphasize that Euroball is just not on the same level as the NBA?

[ChiTownHero1992]

I never call i World but NBA Champions...i do hear world champions alot and question whether we can call them that or not i dont think it is fair to say that

[Quattro]

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.

Lol. Why? Do you really think some Euro league team comprised of guys not good enough to play in the NBA stands a chance against a team like the Nuggets becuase news flash for you… they dont.

EuroLeague teams have beaten the defending NBA champion teams on more than one occasion already.

Look up the Euroleagues record against NBA teams. Have fun….

[durden_tyler]

Lol. Why? Do you really think some Euro league team comprised of guys not good enough to play in the NBA stands a chance against a team like the Nuggets becuase news flash for you… they dont.

EuroLeague teams have beaten the defending NBA champion teams on more than one occasion already.

Look up the Euroleagues record against NBA teams. Have fun….

I can find that international teams are 17-138 vs NBA teams. But i think these are just friendlies so let’s add like 20 wins for the international crew for the sake of Euro stans who really believe they are at the same level. LOL

[BodieB]

I seriously doubt any basketball team not in the NBA sees the champion and says "yeah, but they didn't beat us though." And if they do, then they're delusional.

[durden_tyler]

I seriously doubt any basketball team not in the NBA sees the champion and says "yeah, but they didn't beat us though." And if they do, then they're delusional.

Don’t call Mirotic12 delusional, that’s below the belt. LOL

[Jasen777]

To borrow soccer terms, it's not crazy to call the NBA champion the World Club champion by default, even if there isn't an official competition. The NBA may only have teams in North America but it's got the best players from around the world. Why compare with national teams when that's something else altogether?

[hoosierdaddy34]

Yeah, I think it’s kinda dumb that the US sports leagues champs are called “World Champs” especially the NFL. But yeah, I’m not losing sleep or getting bent out of shape if others want to say it. It’s not that deep

It’s the highest ranking and best league in the world thus world champ by default. I see nothing wrong with the label.

But would the #1 team in the NBA beat the best Olympics teams? Probably not.

National teams are different than individual professional franchises. Context matters here. They are world champs of professional organizations. Fairly certain that it’s a certainty that the Denver Nuggets were the best professional team in all of basketball last year so it’s hard to argue they don’t deserve the moniker “world champions”