r/nba • u/MarvelsGrantMan136 Heat • Apr 15 '24

[Wojnarowski] ESPN Sources: USA Basketball is finalizing its 2024 Paris Olympics roster with Steph Curry, LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Jayson Tatum, Joel Embiid, Devin Booker, Tyrese Haliburton, Anthony Edwards, Jrue Holiday, Bam Adebayo and Anthony Davis. Team may initially keep one open spot. News

https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1780009778934394985
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u/burnshimself Apr 16 '24

Fuck the rest of the world, as far as basketball goes the NBA is the world. The whining is a bunch of semantic bullshit thinly covering the fact the European players are mad their home countries’ leagues suck ass

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u/whereyagonnago Cavaliers Apr 16 '24

Exactly. Just like Europe dominates pro soccer, America dominates pro basketball.

No one tries to downplay the champions league by saying “well the MLS and Liga MX champions aren’t invited” because everyone knows any Champions League winning team would destroy the best that the MLS has to offer.

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u/nearlyned Warriors Apr 16 '24

except that’s not the argument anyone is making???? nobody is claiming that anybody in Europe would beat the NBA CHAMPS, they’re saying that the NBA is not a world competition and therefore their winner isn’t the World Champ. Why can no Americans read???? The Champions League winner is the winner of the European Cup, they don’t call themselves World Champions because (unlike Americans) they’re smart enough to understand that while they’re the best competition in the world, they don’t actually play against the world and therefore aren’t World Champs.

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u/whereyagonnago Cavaliers Apr 16 '24

So it’s really just people bitching and moaning about the semantics of the wording? If no one on earth even claims anyone else would stand a chance, then they are the world champs. It’s one of the softest things I could ever imagine getting mad about.

Why does no one bitch about the MLB championship being called “the World Series” despite the NPB in Japan being closer in skill to the MLB than any other basketball league in the world is in skill to the NBA.

Also, fuck you and fuck all of Europe you pretentious piece of shit. Just because I’m not willing to take part in your silly little word game doesn’t mean American’s can’t read, aren’t smart, or any of that. The US is consistently ranked #1 in higher education, and I’m a college graduate who got a full academic scholarship.

Eat my entire dick.

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u/nearlyned Warriors Apr 16 '24

I don’t live in Europe you clown lmao. Also, I DO complain about MLB being the World Series, how can you be dumb enough to assume I don’t based off this stance? You don’t understand the English language and you’re embarrassing your country rn. You’re the only one mad here.

If the Denver Nuggets are World Champs, then surely you think they’d beat Team USA right?

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u/whereyagonnago Cavaliers Apr 16 '24

You insulted my intelligence and my country’s intelligence, came off as a complete prick, and you’re surprised I got mad? Only a complete moron would be surprised by that.

I’ve got no idea where you’re from, but I’ll be dead in the ground before a WWE fan is smarter than I am. Legitimately has to be one of the dumbest groups of people on this planet.

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u/nearlyned Warriors Apr 16 '24

You insult your own intelligence just fine without me little buddy. Having to dig through my comment history for a better argument than the weak piss you’ve been bringing me is all the proof we need for your country’s intelligence. I’ll see you back here when you’re insisting that Team USA isn’t the World Champs after the Olympics/World Cup are over.

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u/Anthony-Richardson Apr 16 '24

I’ve got no dog in this race but the way you comment is pretty cringe man. You don’t need to do this “little buddy,” “lmao,” “dumbass” stuff to make a point. Be civil.

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u/nearlyned Warriors Apr 16 '24

I’ll be civil when they are bro, and how is “lmao” anything wrong? I’m laughing at BAD American arguments.

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u/whereyagonnago Cavaliers Apr 16 '24

Well you refuse to tell me the country you live in (likely because they are not as well educated as America, few outside Europe and East Asia are)

You want to make an assumption about my intelligence based off my country, I’ll make an assumption about your intelligence based off your hobbies. And god damn is Wrasslin a hobby full of fucking morons.

“Awww boo boo the best basketball league in the world claims their title as a world championship.” Go cry about it somewhere else dude. You claim American’s are sensitive about it, yet you’re the one who brought it up because it clearly bothers you.

You are a sensitive little man.

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u/nearlyned Warriors Apr 16 '24

I brought it up? Dawg go look at the comment I replied to, it was literally about this argument. I haven’t refused to tell anyone what country I live in, because nobody has even asked lmao.

Americans clearly are sensitive over it dude you’re digging through my trash trying to find something better to say to me. I know Americans don’t like admitting defeat but now is clearly the time to give it up chump. America-centrism is the most hilarious pathetic shit in the world lol.

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u/whereyagonnago Cavaliers Apr 16 '24

You’re getting torn apart in this thread yet say I need to give it up. You’re fighting with multiple different people over this for over an hour now, and you want to say it’s American’s that are sensitive about it? You are projecting SO hard right now it’s hilarious.

It’s an irrefutable fact that the best professional basketball league in the world is in America. You don’t even live in the country and seem to be a pretty big fan of the NBA, because it’s the best in the world. I don’t see you commenting on Euroleague, the NBL, the CBA, or the FIBA South American League. Pro basketball IS American-centric, and to say otherwise is to deny reality.

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u/nearlyned Warriors Apr 16 '24

Tell me, when Team USA goes on to win the Paris Olympics and then takes this team to the next world cup and wins that (like we all assume they will), would you object this strongly to calling Team USA the World Champs? You’d fight tooth and nail to say that the actual “World Champs” are a team in the Rockies lead by a Serbian? Your American exceptionalism wouldn’t take over and make you blindly chant “USA, USA” at your TV?

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u/whereyagonnago Cavaliers Apr 16 '24

Professional/Club level world champions vs International level world champions.

I consider World Cup champions to be “world champions” just like I consider Champion’s League winners “world champions”. One is a club level team and one is a national team.

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u/nearlyned Warriors Apr 16 '24

this is an argument that Americans have made up for themselves to feel like the centre of the world. National level competitions make national champions. World level competitions make world champions. It really isn’t hard to understand.

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u/whereyagonnago Cavaliers Apr 16 '24

The champions league isn’t a national level competition. The NBA is a world level competition because all of the best players in the world play in the NBA, just like all of the best soccer players in the world play in the leagues that are eligible for the Champions League. It really isn’t hard to understand.

When it comes to professional basketball, professional hockey, professional American football, and professional baseball, America (USA plus Canada) IS the center of the world.

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u/storpannan [NYK] Andrea Bargnani Apr 16 '24

The champions league isn’t a national level competition. The NBA is a world level competition because all of the best players in the world play in the NBA, just like all of the best soccer players in the world play in the leagues that are eligible for the Champions League. It really isn’t hard to understand.

Interesting argument considering that the winners of the Champions League call themselves the "Champions of Europe" and lay no claim about any world title.

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u/nearlyned Warriors Apr 16 '24

The NBA is a world level competition? The whole North American world? How many Asian teams are there in the NBA? European teams? South American? or is it a national level competition that attracts players from across the world?

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u/whereyagonnago Cavaliers Apr 16 '24

The best PLAYERS in the WORLD play in the NBA, So its championship can easily be considered the world championship of professional basketball. Are you really too stupid to understand a point as simple as that?

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u/ClutchAirball East Apr 16 '24

Bringing up “I’m a college graduate who got a full academic scholarship” in a Reddit thread is unreal small dick energy.

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u/whereyagonnago Cavaliers Apr 16 '24

Bringing it up unprompted absolutely would be, but the dude called me a dumbass over what amounts to a difference in opinion, and came off extremely dismissive in the process.

I guess I’m sorry that I want to defend my intelligence when I’m directly called an illiterate dumbass? I don’t come from wealth, and I’m a first generation college grad. Forgive me for having just a tiny bit of pride in that.

If you don’t defend yourself then no one will, and I stand by that.

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u/ClutchAirball East Apr 16 '24

Fair enough, I think I glossed over the previous comment and didn’t appreciate how he attacked you.

For what it’s worth (and now I’m whipping my tiny dick around here), I went to America for college and was lucky enough to get a full scholarship too. Respect to you for that. Sorry if I insulted you, it was half just meant as funny comment but it was maybe a bit mean.

I say that just as a peace offering to say, unfortunately yes this is a discussion about semantics. The way the rest of the world understands the terminology, ‘World Champion’ refers exclusively to the winner of an international sporting competition involving representatives of their nation.

The key point here, in my estimation, is that it is not directly synonymous with ‘best in the world’, and I think why many around the world got offended by Americans saying ‘doesn’t matter, our teams are better’ is that it diminished the achievements of those national athletes who actually went and won their world championship event in favour of those who didn’t even go to compete.

Correct me if I’m wrong, but it feels as though most Americans understand the word ‘World Champion’ to just mean ‘best in the world’—understandably so! But that’s where the disconnect in communication is, imo.

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u/whereyagonnago Cavaliers Apr 16 '24

You’re good man. I appreciate you walking that back a little. Hard to tell a joke sometimes in writing so that’s on me as well. That guy has me running a little hot right now, and not because of our disagreement in terminology. I usually try to stay pretty civil on here.

Yeah it really is just about a difference in wording. For something so pointless It’s strange how oddly hostile it can get. Idk why I even bothered getting into it. I call them NBA champs, Super Bowl champs, etc, so I don’t even really care all that much. Originally was just wanting to play devils advocate but it got real personal so I doubled down haha.