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Originally Posted by kiwiref
So, NBA clubs are overlooking some of the best US players in favor of inferior players from abroad? Nice one...
The idea that national teams (other than USA) play together for years - do you really think that other nations have their teams play together for 4 years before they send them to a competition? You don't think these players play in other leagues? I know you don't want to hear this, but THERE IS BASKETBALL OUTSIDE USA. And these guys are playing it...And they are kicking some ***.
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Of course there is basketball being played outside of the US. I will say this, who outside the US that has come to the NBA is a bona fide Hall of Famer (they cannot have attended college in the US, so Hakeem does not count)? Most of the recent draft picks from foreign countries cannot get off the bench on mediocre teams. And the foreign players that do play played college ball in the US before going to the NBA. Just give me one player that played outside the US, was drafted by the NBA and that is now a can't miss Hall of Famer? Now when you find that one player please let me know. The only dominant player outside of the United States is Steve Nash and he is from Canada. Nash also went to an American College. Even Dirk Nowitzki is a very good player, but until this year was not anywhere near dominating and when he needed to come through, he failed big time. Of course many players have come from outside the US and have NBA success, but I do not know if you can claim they are the best players year in and year out. Outside of the old Soviet Union, not many teams had any period of dominance other than the United States.
Your argument seems about as pointless as someone from this country saying that some of the best soccer players play in the United States. Now you would consider that comment ridiculous if that was said by someone on this board from this country. Now basketball is becoming more and more international, but the kids here play basketball more than just about any other sport. Most officials in this county can find a game 12 months out of the year to officiate. Kids here play in their sleep and in many cases play on multiple teams in one off-season. Michael Jordan did not play for Zimbabwe; he played for the NC Tar Heals and the Chicago Bulls. I am sure if Pele was from the United States everyone might not be as big of a basketball junkie, but that is not the case and some of histories greatest basketball players happened to play here and not in another country.
Peace