FIBA World Cup 2023 part 2 SEMIS (USA vs GERMANY : SERBIA vs CANADA) poll added

[lambchop]

And its official, nation of just half a million people with their first win in history. What a moment.
World Cup basketball at its best.


About them qualifying - people really underestimate the lacklustre guard play in most of the African. If you have a well organized perimeter defence and freakin Tavares roaming the paint deterring pretty much every fiba player's drives the same way he does in the Euroleague and motion offence you can do a lot of damage to the teams there, even established ones like Nigeria, Cameroon, Senegal etc. And Cabo Verde is just that - organized and in control team.

Fixed that for you, but I definitely agree that cape verde is a well organized squad, guys understand their roles, basketball IQ looks solid too.

A historic win for south sudan too. Probably the only team to get a win without an indoor court in its country.

[Nuntius]

Tavares over 11.5 rebounds and RHJ aka Jordanian Kobe over 18.5 points were the easiest money I've made in a while.

Those were safe bets indeed. I bet on all 3 African teams today and I'm on a good spot at the moment. Iran looked pitiful against Brazil so betting on the Ivory Coast was really about betting against Iran. I don't see how they can win a game after that performance. South Sudan vs China was obvious as well after the way their first games won. South Sudan showed they can compete, China showed they couldn't. As for Cape Verde, Venezuela is just really, really small (biggest guy is 6'8) whereas Cape Verde has the 7'2 Tavares. Even if Tavares isn't a scorer (which he obviously isn't), that size advantage still matters. It's not why they won in the end but every bit counts.

[Mavrelous]

And its official, nation of just half a million people with their first win in history. What a moment.
World Cup basketball at its best.


About them qualifying - people really underestimate the lacklustre guard play in most of the African. If you have a well organized perimeter defence and motion offence you can do a lot of damage to the teams there, even established ones like Nigeria, Cameroon, Senegal etc. And Cabo Verde is just that - organized and in control team.

Also the newly formed country of South Sudan get their 1st win after a heartbreaking loss to Puerto Rico.

[Buckets22]

Jordan catching up with NZ, 1pt game after RHJ slam.

[Buckets22]

Steven Adams never played for New Zealand

[lambchop]

Steven Adams never played for New Zealand

Obviously had the knee injury this season.

That said, it seems as though he is upset about how things went when he was younger. I really didn't know that kids on youth national teams had to pay for the expenses in NZ. In other (developed) countries players will get everything for free.

Now, Adams has elaborated on the reasons for not joining the Tall Blacks, recalling the time that he couldn’t link up with McFadden’s Junior Tall Blacks side.

“I couldn’t afford it. To represent New Zealand as a young athlete costs a lot of money, not just in basketball but in all sports. Being selected for an age-group national side to play in an international tournament would cost each player thousands of dollars,” Adams said.

“I knew of players who went on every trip, at least once a year, because their parents could easily afford to play for each tournament. But there were a lot of players, most of them brown, some of them the best in the country, who never once represented New Zealand because they couldn’t afford to trial, let alone to fly overseas. I hate to think how many guys I played with could have had careers in basketball if they’d just been given more help (like I was) when they were younger."

[durden_tyler]

Jordan challenging hard. Hope they get the upset W.

[Phreak50]

[I really didn't know that kids on youth national teams had to pay for the expenses in NZ. In other (developed) countries players will get everything for free.
[]

Was the same in Australia when I was that age.

My teammate made the junior team to tour Japan and pulled out because his family couldn't afford it.

I'd assume that has since changed with basketball now on the map but it's understandable in New Zealand. A nation of about 5 million people where cricket, rugby and rugby league are the top sports.

[Nuntius]

You still either don't get it ir in your fashion shifting goals to your narrative, we were not debating which tournament was better, we were talking which was more prestigious, and it's no debatable, Olympic FIBA is FAR FAR more prestigious sadly. You think me, as huge basketball fan wouldn't want to real basketball wc where everything about only basketball was more prestigious, of course I would, but it isn't, even just a niche of basketball fans care about this thing, and me lying to myself and everyone your style, won't change facts.

Now which tournament is actually better, now that IS debatable. I personally like that wc has a lot of teams, but a lot of people could argue half of these teams shouldn't be here at all and it just makes everything boring. We had 16 games so far, I believe only two were remotely close.

Just like FIBA said, they did a big survey in the 6 continents and North America was the only one that considered Olympics basketball to be more important and "more prestigious" than the World Basketball Cup. The other continents all viewed the World Cup as being more important and more prestigious.

You are just basing everything on your opinion and opinions of those countries that were a part of that Olympics East versus West Cold War era propaganda. As was already explained in the first World Cup thread, it's only really those countries that were involved in that Col War Olympics propaganda that care so much about the Olympics. The other countries of course consider the actual World Cup to be much more important.

So you are actually basing this on your own personal opinion.

If that’s the case, why do most teams don’t take it seriously? Jokic? Wemby? Murray and others? While US sends a second rate squad and has a big chance to win it all.

They do. The basketball federations absolutely take it seriously. But the big name players (all of whom play in the NBA) will try to fit their schedule around the NBA.

[RB34]

RonBAE

[durden_tyler]

Stupid NZ foul for the 4 pt play. Come on Jordan!

[Buckets22]

Jordanian Mamba with a 4pt play to tie the game at 85.

[durden_tyler]

Just like FIBA said, they did a big survey in the 6 continents and North America was the only one that considered Olympics basketball to be more important and "more prestigious" than the World Basketball Cup. The other continents all viewed the World Cup as being more important and more prestigious.

You are just basing everything on your opinion and opinions of those countries that were a part of that Olympics East versus West Cold War era propaganda. As was already explained in the first World Cup thread, it's only really those countries that were involved in that Col War Olympics propaganda that care so much about the Olympics. The other countries of course consider the actual World Cup to be much more important.

So you are actually basing this on your own personal opinion.

If that’s the case, why do most teams don’t take it seriously? Jokic? Wemby? Murray and others? While US sends a second rate squad and has a big chance to win it all.

They do. The basketball federations absolutely take it seriously. But the big name players (all of whom play in the NBA) will try to fit their schedule around the NBA.

No they don't they follow the $$$. LOL

[Nuntius]

A miraculous 4-point play by Rondae (where is Karate Kid when you need someone to call him Ronbae) ties it up for Jordan with 10 seconds remain. Will we see another OT game?

[durden_tyler]

Overtime! Great defensive effort by Jordan to force the extra period!

[Nuntius]

If that’s the case, why do most teams don’t take it seriously? Jokic? Wemby? Murray and others? While US sends a second rate squad and has a big chance to win it all.

They do. The basketball federations absolutely take it seriously. But the big name players (all of whom play in the NBA) will try to fit their schedule around the NBA.

No they don't they follow the $$$. LOL

Which is exactly what I said. The big name players fit their schedule around the NBA, not around their NT.

[r0drig0lac]

RHJ

[Nuntius]

And its official, nation of just half a million people with their first win in history. What a moment.
World Cup basketball at its best.


About them qualifying - people really underestimate the lacklustre guard play in most of the African. If you have a well organized perimeter defence and motion offence you can do a lot of damage to the teams there, even established ones like Nigeria, Cameroon, Senegal etc. And Cabo Verde is just that - organized and in control team.

Also the newly formed country of South Sudan get their 1st win after a heartbreaking loss to Puerto Rico.

It's a tournament of firsts.

[Mavrelous]

Damn free throws!!!!

[Mavrelous]

That seals it, so close! But proud of Nashama, they showed up...