Greetings from the U. S. I just wanted to say I remember waking up at 3am to watch this game, and enjoying every minute of it. The Americans were so friggin' arrogant, even as they were getting the crap kicked out of them.
Finally! Someone who is not Greek and speaks out the truth! Someone who I suppose knows staff about basketball!I need to add something though. NBA is very "spectacular" with more "free ways" to play. On the other hand, and side of Atlantic, European basketball is more "technical"! Thanks mate for your comment. Greetings from Crete
2010 FIBA World Championship Official website - turkey2010.fiba.com. Live and on demand videos, photos, team rosters, live stats, news, expert opinions and more...
"the NBA is still in a world of its own. " I will agree with that! Noone can deny that! I am a fan of Chicago due to Michael of course like so many around the planet! I am 30 years old, and games that you have watched on tapes, I ve seen them live (never came there though, haha, on TV). So, even though Michael is not around us anymore,I am still a fan of Chicago and always be. And this particular comment is just to show you that I am not "an NBA ignorant" !
What Greece needs to learn is that basketball is a TEAM sport and that defense is an important aspect to this game. As soon As soon as they learn this I am sure they will be a very good team.
I don't deny the fact that there are some European players that have had an impact in the NBA. Nowitski, Sabonis for example and many more. That still doesn't change the FACTS that I have constantly stated. and good for you that you watched michael play, he's one of my all time favorites. and no one has yet posted a link/source of the "doping" you guys speak of. funny how you always ignore that part. 16 olympic/fiba championship gold medals combined for USA. True dominance.
@4400seriesFAN Yes, and like I said...this is our C team. This is not our B, nor our A team. It is our 3rd tier team. These guys are young, and they still beat Greece by 28 pts. So really, you can't give any excuses. USA has gone through changes too, every team does.
For 07-08: 1st 6th player Ginobilly, 2nd Barbosa,3rd Jason Terry,4th Kyle Korver,5th Ben Gordon and 6th Josh Childress.The award just goes to players that they usually aren't in the starting lineup,yet they play 30-35 minutes per game and they have an impact in their team.Far from "scrubs" or role players. I agree that Childress was a bad scouting choice,but since NBA has a bit better level of players by average, they couldn't have thought that he would turn out to be incompetent here
Yeah these guys...McGrady, Parker, Nowtizki, Howard were drafted at a young age and were suppose to develope in the NBA. Scola came as "polished" player from the Euroleague and became a role player in the NBA. Same goes for Navarro, guy came in in his late 20's, which is not old, but neither is young like the players you mentioned earlier.
Jacikevicious could remain as a role player of 25 minutes, not because of his lack of talent but his lack of athleticism. Navarro in his first year proved his value , much better than many NBA stars. About Spanoulis, Parker himself that his team acquired his rights spoke the truth about his value and his potential there. What you say, doesn't matter so much.
You've forgotten some milestones...which are great...and not easy to forget...such as the built of acropolis at the gold centrury of Periklis...which a very difficult biulding on the hill without the today's technology...the big mentality of greeks helped a lot...
taken out of context - May 30 Apostolos Santas and Manolis Glezos climbed on the Acropolis and tore down the Swastika. That was the first resistance act that took place in Greece, and probably among the very first ones in Europe. It inspired not only the Greeks, but all subjected people, to resist against the occupation, and established them both as two international anti-Nazi heroes. The Nazi found and sentenced Glezos and Santas to deaththey were subjected to imprisonment and torture.
This game was shocking. U.S.A. cruised through and won all their games before this, even the pre-tournament games. I don't think anyone on team U.S.A. saw this coming.
a great team won a legend team... usa is without comments the best team ever, Hellas(greece) is a team with brilliant future in basketball. With high IQ players and attacking defence plays always to win no matter who is the opponent. 2 times europe champion one time second in the world. so many metals in all the competitions in basket for all ages 17, 19, 20 Hellas is goin to fight for the first place in every competition BASKET is running in our DNA and with HIGH IQ players we are TOP
You have gotten owned big time. You brought up this "dope" topic and I replied with an entire list of articles about greek athletes that got caught doping. OWNAGE! USA 4 Life! Red, White, and Blue!
You are absolutely right! Even though I am Greek, I feel uncomfortable when I see such comments from Greek people. I hope that we'll enjoy a good game, with lot of high-level, skilled scenes!
Alphonso Ford came in 90s to Europe and i have to admit he was a very good player. Before Usa teams started to get slapped again and again though. NBA had some more prestige then. Trajan Langdon was drafted 11th overall in the draft. I guess your scouters saw something in him and drafted him so high.
I talked about a specific game, that Greece has beaten USA. The video itself presents it better than my words. Overall or historically Greece isn't better, although as it is in top level along with Spain, Serbia and maybe Argentina, there are always chances in a tournament USA loses one critical game, a chance that didn't exist 15 years ago. Still it isn't possible USA to lose many tournaments in a row, when we talk about the biggest basketball market compared to countries of 10 millions
Consider that since this game the USA has not lost once. Undefeated in 2007 Americas Championship. Undefeated in 2008 Olympics and also all the friendly's. So they are the best again.
Teams that I belive FOR SURE can beat the top Euroleague teams in a 7 game series: Houston Rockets, San Antonio Spurs, New Orleans Hornets, LA Lakers, Denver Nuggets, Phoenix Suns, Dallas Mavericks, Utah Jazz, Denver Nuggets, Boston Celtics, Detroit Pistons, Cleveland Cavaliers, Orlando Magic, Toronto Raptors, Golden State Warriors.
No, its not actually the first time... Dont forget, Argentina, Puerto Rico, Lithuania. It was a great game to watch indeed! But some people just cant accept it! Like my friend NTMIB... He just cant accept it. Its one US defeat, and he run as fast as he could to remind us about the greatness of US and their medals! Which is not the subject here. Its about a game and nothing more!
Most NBA experts wouldn't agree with you and focus more and more on european players that's why we can see so many in the NBA either to star (Turkoglou, Okur, Gasol, Nowinzki, Parker etc) or to be valuable role players who score double digits. We can also see very often european players in the top positions of the draft instead some USAer. The fact someone got drafted doesn't mean he didn't play in europe.
Nowadays NBA scouters focus on International players more and especially to European players. That's why there are drafted more and more European players, not necessarily so great in euroleague. 3 years ago Marc Gasol couldn't even find playtime in Barcelona, a top euroleague team, and this year he was from the best rookies in the NBA.
Navarro just played his rookie year in the NBA and he was awarded with the selection in the all Rookie second team meaning he was from the best rookies. Using him as an argument that European all stars are just role players in the NBA yes it is stupid. He certainly wasn't less star than what McGrady, Nash, Nowinzki, Parker (tony) etc were in their 1st year in the NBA. The same goes for Scola. In his first 2 years he was better than what were McGrady, Parker, Nowinzki and even Howard.
I'm Greek re malaka , it was just a figure of speech and we were all in party mode when they beat USA ! And i have been back to Greece , good thing they have fixed new Highways & the best was the new Rio Antirion Bridge. And the best night life , u can't party like that in America , u need to pack a gun !
This OLD wilkins that came over here in Greece, that you imply he couldn't find a contract in the NBA if he wanted but only "overseas", the year before he come he had a point average of 17.8 points per game with Boston Celtics playing 77 games! And the next year he left from here he also played AGAIN in the NBA and had a point average of 18.2 points per game with San Antonio Spurs. Yeah it was pretty HARD for him to play in the NBA and have a contract in USA.
I would expect comments, like " congratulations Greeks, you played with heart, and with open mind, unlike us who we underastimated you"... read your players comments after the game, or what your coach said. That would be a descent comment, with no insulting elements, and then, you could say anything about your gold medals. "You won a country that has 13 gold basketball medals" ... something like that! Thats what I call a civilised comment, unlike to what you keep saying the last few days!
"Juan Carlos Navarro was a wothless player who came off the bench. He couldn't make it to the NBA so he decided ot go back to the 2nd tier league where everyone can be great" His euroleague stats this year: 27.7 mpg, 14.7 ppg , 42.8 FG% , 3,6 asts His NBA stats : 25.8 mpg, 10.9 ppg, 40.8 FG% , 2,2 asts The difference in performance isn't for sure so big to claim "Navarro is pure greatness in Euroleague and worthless in NBA".
Yeah Ben Wallace, that's 1 example. I said earlier there's a surprise every now and then. Thanks for repeating what I said about Ant. Parker. He was an all star over seas and is a ROLE player in the NBA. I gave you a list of 15 players who were either A)euroleague all stars yet failed to make it to the NBA or B) NBA scrubs who are winning AWARDS and TITLES in the Euroleague. The NBA is by far the best basketball league in the world.
Greek History Timeline 776 BC - First Olympic Games 326 BC - Alexander the Great reaches India 86 BC - Rome conquers Greece 2006 AD - Greece beats US in Olympic Basketball ???? - Next milestone?
You had/ have and will have the best team if you want.. Accept the fact that you created the game and you have a country with 300 million people.. At 2006 your current coach Mike Krzyzewski said that Giannakis coached his team better than he did with usa.. That night we were better and luckier.. That doesnt mean that we are the best team.. You have to acknowledge the fact that greece ranks 4th in the world though.. For such a small country its a big accomplishment.. Congratulations for the gold.
Ehm what do you mean the only Asian-latin? How you define this?? Because latin for example is Argentina, which has both medals in Olympics and in world Championship.
If Greece plays against USA 10 times,the Us will win 9 of them and Greece one..This match was the one time we Greeks would win :) we played the perfect match,otherwise we couldn't beat them !!That's the whole story !! GREECE FOREVER!
@4400seriesFAN I wasn't talking about the match in the video. I was talking about he most recent exhibition match in which USA crushed Greece by 28 points. USA beat Greece by 28 points with its C team.
I know Scola is not an ALL STAR , but yes he is a star in his team, and he was just in his 2nd season. You mean the 2 EX-stars of Rockets were injured,i would agree in this one. How McGrady was a star exactly while he played only 35 games and he didn't play well?He was a star from his home? Also Yao most likely won't play again in the same level, his injury was pretty bad. The current stars of a team are its best playes who play, not the ones that used to play
USA 13 olympic gold medals. USA went 8-0 beating every team by double digits by an avg. margin of 20 ppg. Clear dominance over the rest of the world. USA 4 Life! Red, White, and Blue!
Terell McIntyre, Mike Batiste Terrence Morris, Navarro Trajan Langdon, Anthony Parker Spanoulis, Jasikevicius Bootsy Thorton, Marcus Brown Luis Scola, Macijauskas Alphonso Ford, Nocioni Joseph Blair these guys are all A) Euroleague STARS who failed to make it in the NBA/became role players or B) NBA scrubs who are now winning Euroleague titles and making All Euroleague 1st teams and winning Euroleague MVP's.
A rookie is a rookie irrespective his age. As usa players who played many years in the NBA need some time to adjust in Europe, the same goes for European players in the NBA. With the difference it will be very rare to be given chances to such european players of not a young age to adjust in the NBA.
As a Houston fan I believe Spanoullis DID have the potential/talent to play here but he was acting like he was still in Europe. He told the coach "I was like Tracy McGrady in Greece" Seemed a little arrogant in my point of view. Even though I agree that he should've gotten more playing time, he should've staid in Housotn 1 more yr. Usually rookies dont get too much playing time until their 2nd season.
Say what ever you want about Terrence Morris. I say FACTS. Fact is he made the All Euroleague team a few seasons ago. LMAO. This guy couldn't even find a roster spot in the NBA yet he made the all Euroleague 1st team. Big time difference. I've given you a entire list of players who were SCRUBS in the NBA and are now playing for euroleague teams winning titles and awards. Owned.
@NTMIB no, you're wrong...you have to understand that just because greece does not have the glamour and fame of the american team that does not make greece any less of team
The USA high rated players here are very few, with McIntyre being most likely the most respected (although he isn't to a great euroleague team either). Holden managed to find a big role in a top euroleague team, but still the determining factor in the successes of his team was the Greek pg Papaloukas.Also battiste does well in Europe, but he isn't a determining factor either, just a good role player. That's it. Also you can't see any USA player other than McIntyre in the All Euroleague teams now
@NTMIB Oh,ok then...But you must know that the Greek team went through some troubles after 2006...some players retired,all of the others were pretty exhausted and to top all these,they changed their coach and the last one wanted to change the play-style of the team...So...It was actually a newly formed team.
This video is about a specific game in a specific tournament, nobody said that Greece in its total history has more medals than USA , or Greece is better in general than USA in bball. It is actually you from USA bringing this topic in this video, comparing the country of 300 millions that basketball was invented and is played for more than a century, to a country 30 times smaller that started to deal the sport professionally only the last 20 years, yet it is among the top in the world right now
O! say can you see by the dawn's early light What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming. Whose broad stripes and bright stars through the perilous fight, O'er the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming. And the rockets' red glare, the bombs bursting in air, Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there. Oh, say does that star-spangled banner yet wave O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?
Van Gundy is a FORMER coach, because of such judgements he made, so he was fired and now he is jobless. Spanoulis on the other side left by his decision unlike Van Gundy who he was the one who couldn't make it in the NBA. Navarro made it in the nba and he was awarded, Jacikevicious also made it as a role player, and Macijauskas couldn't even make it in Euroleague due to his injuries. He hasn't played basketball for a couple of years. There is no surprise that he left from NBA.
Yes Calderon is from the best pgs out there, from the best assistmen while he doesn't even have good teammates. He also scores 13 ppg not bad for an original play maker (i don't consider players like Iverson pgs). Spanoulis left NBA by his decision as everybody knows, and Jasikevicious made it in the NBA. All european all stars made it in the NBA at least as role players. Childress failed in euroleague and he wasn't a scrub. Some NBA all stars would fail too in euroleague
How many awesome blocks and dunks were executed by USA 12, 14. Greece get ready for Basketball 102 next week, if you care to show for the lesson. 92-69, SCOREBOARD HELLAS.
All successes of European teams vs USA are result of Yugoslavian coaches development of basketball methods. In training, in tactics. Center of coach proffession in Europe was in Belgrade, there was founded YU-basketball school from prof. Aleksandar Nikolic.But today, our players quit to work with that methods. They scarcely wait to finish the training and go. But in Spain it was egal game vs Greece, you won thanks to referee. Without some of very important players for Serbia.
Joseph Stalin, in an open letter read frequently on Radio Moscow: "The Russian people will always be grateful to the Greeks for delaying the German army long enough for winter to set in, thereby giving us the precious time we needed to prepare. We will never forget"
we never said that we are the best. no one doubts that usa are the best in basketball over the years. but consider a small country of just above 10 million people being among the top in every basketball competition for the last 10 years and winning the best team in the world while us has a population over 300 million people
james,wade and melo were in their second year in 2004.. and yes they weren't all stars back then.. the only legit all stars in that 2004 team is iverson and tim duncan.. and they only practice for less than one month..
The USA players that star in euroleague all came in an early age and adjusted in the European game after some years and not immediately, irrespective if they ve played a couple of years in the NBA or they went undrafted (doesn't mean anything about their value). Similarly the European players who are stars in the NBA came there in an early age and weren't even stars in euroleague before they set their foot in the NBA.
By the way! My deepest condolences for the damage and any human loss that fire caused the last few days in Spain! I might cursing on you, but I am human, not an animal!!
Ah yes i forgot the gold medal of 2000. I remember Garnet, Carter and some other stars that managed to beat Lithuania by 1 point in the semifinal (with all lithuanian players being 22-23 years old). Ok my bad i ommited that!
