About the Author

More By NBA Superblog

NBA Superblog Mock Draft 2008

13 votes, 6 comments

The 10 Best Nicknames in the NBA Right Now!

29 votes, 60 comments

What About Rick Carlisle?

6 votes, 8 comments

View All

Other recent contributors

Make this page better by editing it.

Other recent voters

If you like the article, vote for it.

Could an All-International Team Compete in the NBA?

by NBA Superblog

created May 08, 2008, last edited June 03, 2008

21

As I recently discussed in the post The New Globetrotters, International players (foreign players that never played high school or college basketball in the United States) are here to stay and the NBA is better because of it. Nevertheless, some of my colleagues still insist that the international player is just a novelty, and they refuse to admit that the international basketball import was officially legitimized when Dirk Nowitzki was named league MVP last year.

I’m interested in your opinion. Here is my All-International Team:

STARTERS:
C - Yao Ming, Rockets, China.
PF - Dirk Nowitzki, Mavericks, Germany.
SF - Boris Diaw, Suns, France.
SG - Manu Ginobili, Spurs, Argentina.
PG - Tony Parker, Spurs, France.

RESERVES:
C - Pau Gasol, LA Lakers, Spain.
PF - Mehmet Okur, Jazz, Turkey.
SF - Peja Stojakovic, Hornets, Serbia.
SG - Hedo Turkoglu, Magic, Turkey.
PG - Leandro Barbosa, Suns, Brazil.
PF - Luis Scola, Rockets, Argentina.
PG - Jose Calderon, Raptors, Spain.

Some very good players were left off of this roster due to the depth available, including: Nene, Andrea Bargnani, Andrei Kirilenko, Anderson Varejao, Andris Biedrins, and Beno Udrih.

So, would this All-International team be a title contender, a mediocre playoff team, or would they be lottery bound?

Enable Comment Auto-Refresher

OvertheedgeJV Squad

78 days ago

Score 0

not only could they compete, they would dominate

Permalink | Reply

J-DawgVarsity

78 days ago

Score 4

One team of all the best international players would definately win championships(any team that has Gasol coming off the bench will). But if you made an American all-star team to play against them, then the American team would win hands down.

Permalink | Reply

The PipRed-Shirting

77 days ago

Score 2

Not hands down, it would be a seven game series that went to 7. The Internationals would play as a team and we aren't sure if the Americans would be able to play as a team as well. That would be the determining factor.

BigPPupMajor Leaguer

77 days ago

Score 3

I've heard this argument more than a couple times recently, and there is a legit chance that you could make an international All-Star team and they would be highly competitive against an US based all star team. There is no doubt about that

Permalink | Reply

DRE-LODraft Pick

77 days ago

Score 3

I think it would be wonderful for the All-Star game to be US vs International. It'd be much more competitive and it will provide great intrigue.

Permalink | Reply

Steel TownAll-American

77 days ago

Score 3

They used to do that in hockey, North America Vs. the rest of the world.

JuTMSY4Hall of Famer

77 days ago

Score 4

and it got stale...it was weird to see teammates playing eachother... I still like the theoretical once every few years idea...where they play North America Vs. World once every...5 years, give or take...

Davis21wylieAll-Star

74 days ago

Score 4

I'd like to see that format in Olympic years only, and have the regular East-West format in non-Olympic seasons.

JuTMSY4Hall of Famer

74 days ago

Score 2

heh...sounds like a plan...

North America and/or US vs. World...

and if so, where do caribbean countries fall?

Davis21wylieAll-Star

74 days ago

Score 4

Good players from U.S. protectorates belong to us, bad ones belong to "the world".

NBA SuperblogJV Squad

74 days ago

Score 4

I support this idea completely, Davis21, and I'm actually disappointed that it's just a hypothetical suggestion. Oh well, at least we have the Olympics coming soon.

Xman2008Varsity

77 days ago

Score 2

Your starting 5 is killer! and yes, they could compete. I'm not sure they'd beat a US All-star team, but it'd be a great matchup.

Permalink | Reply

Taytay 24Div-I Stud

77 days ago

Score 2

Of course they could. A US All Star team already has trouble with international competition. If you take the best of all of those international teams and put them together, they should handle the US All Stars quite easily. US dominance in basketball ended at the turn of the century.

CheezerAAA-er

77 days ago

Score 2

It depends on the rule structure. The international game is different than the NBA game.

Taytay 24Div-I Stud

77 days ago

Score 2

Rules don't matter. The question was Could an All-International team complete in the NBA? A single team of international stars would dominate the NBA, where the talent is diffused across thirty teams. If you are talking Int All-Stars vs. US All-Stars, rules might make an impact, but for the most part, it is still just putting a ball in a hole. That would be a very interesting series, though.

WhatifsportsSoccer Kid

77 days ago

Score 3

We can help settle this argument. If somebody wants to put together an USA team, Whatifsports can run a simulation either once or 100 times. You could actually play around with this using the dream team features on our website.

http://www.w.../dreamteams/

It looks like you're picking 2007-2008 players, but I'd love to see a team that has players like Divac, Petrovic and Marciulionis.

Shoot me a message!

Permalink | Reply

The PipRed-Shirting

77 days ago

Score 2

This is one time where Whatifsports can't help. You can't simulate the ego's of american basketball players and the posibility of keeping them in check enough to play as a team. That's what makes this such a great debate is that impossible to determine variable.

Manny StilesDraft Pick

74 days ago

Score 0

Egos? How egotistical of you! Only an American would assume no international players have egos.

NBA SuperblogJV Squad

77 days ago

Score 2

Wow! That would be very cool, Whatifsports. Can you play this All-International team against my USA team? Here's the roster:

C - Dwight Howard, Magic. PF - Kevin Garnett, Celtics. SF - LeBron James, Cavaliers. SG - Kobe Bryant, Lakers. PG – Chris Paul, Hornets.

C - Tim Duncan, Spurs. PF - Amare Stoudemire, Suns. SF - Tracey McGrady, Rockets. SG - Dwyane Wade, Heat. PG – Steve Nash, Suns. SF – Paul Pierce, Celtics.

PG – Deron Williams, Jazz.

Permalink | Reply

Pwinter713Varsity

77 days ago

Score 2

Steve Nash?.....born in South Africa, grew up in and plays internationally for Canada.

JuTMSY4Hall of Famer

77 days ago

Score 2

yeah, Nash is a Canadian Citizen...

77 days ago

Score 0

So how come Steve Nash isn't in the article.

Pwinter713Varsity

77 days ago

Score 3

He played at Santa Clara

Manny StilesDraft Pick

74 days ago

Score 2

Nash is an Afro-Canadian.

Manny StilesDraft Pick

74 days ago

Score 0

What about Tim Duncan? He's from the Virgin Islands - that's not an American State of the United variety...

NBA SuperblogJV Squad

65 days ago

Score 1

Nash and Duncan both played college basketball in the US. The International player (for the sake of this discussion) have not played high school or college ball in the US.

The PipRed-Shirting

77 days ago

Score 2

You've got to admit this would be a seven game series worth watching!

Permalink | Reply

LASportsblogDraft Pick

76 days ago

Score 0

Assuming it goes 7...

NBA SuperblogJV Squad

77 days ago

Score 3

The International Team is made up of players that did not play high school or college basketball in the USA. People rarely refer to Nash as a "foreign" player even though he is Canadian, probably because they mistakenly say "European" instead of "International" when talking about these guys, and also because he played at Santa Clara. Otherwise, I would have included Nash and probably Ben Gordon (from England) to the International team and they would have been much more difficult to beat. I believe Kobe Bryant was born in Italy, so he would have gone on the International team also. The point is that the critics of the International players say that they aren’t as good as US players because they weren’t trained here. We are discussing if that is true and I thank you all for your comments.

Permalink | Reply

Jerjets11Waterboy

77 days ago

Score 2

The European players have been the world's best all decade long. That is a demonstrated fact. Doesn't say much for the current American players. U.S. players from the 1960s, 70s and 80s would never have stood for this. They were better.

Permalink | Reply

NBA SuperblogJV Squad

77 days ago

Score 3

The players from South America would disagree with that “demonstrated fact”. ARGENTINA has sent us: Manu Ginobili, Luis Scola, Carlos Delfino, Andres Nocioni, and Fabricio Oberto. BRAZIL has sent us: Leandro Barbosa, Nene, and Anderson Varejao. Also, the Soviet Union won the Olympic Gold Medal in 1972 and in 1988, so our players in the 70’s and 80’s did, indeed, face competitive International basketball talent. Of course, we used college players in those days, but the reason we were forced to build our teams with NBA players is because our college players could no longer dominate international competition. And even that hasn’t made us clear favorites once again, as our NBA players came home from the 2004 Olympic Games with bronze medals, behind Argentina (gold) and Italy (silver). Basketball is a world game now.

Jerjets11Waterboy

76 days ago

Score 2

NBA Super, the 1972 Olympics were rigged for the Soviets, and the U.S. team, all collegians, were missing several top guys including Bill Walton. The 1988 team was coached by John Thompson, who deliberately excluded the best white American players. Of course, both lost.

The South Americans are great, I agree. I did not mean to exclude them. Plenty of Italian names among them.

I agree, American college ball is not what it once was. Money has ruined it since there are so many players today who don't want to wait time becoming educated when they can just play and earn. Thanks.

Permalink | Reply

NBA SuperblogJV Squad

76 days ago

Score 2

You, Jerjets11, are a conspiracy theorist. But, that’s okay because I love a good conspiracy theory. You just accused John Thompson of bringing an inferior team to the 1988 Olympics because he’s a racist. That’s ridiculous, but very funny!

KelsdadMajor Leaguer

74 days ago

Score 0

I don't like to use the term "racist", but Jerjets is correct. He didn't recruit white players for one, and given the choice between a white player or African American player he would take the latter, even if the former was a better player.

NBA SuperblogJV Squad

74 days ago

Score 2

I don't know if that's true, Kelsdad. That may be true at Georgetown, but I don't believe he used race as a factor for the 1988 USA basketball team. The roster was solid and he passed on some very good players to add Dan Majerle, a little-known (white) player from Central Michigan University. Thompson then admitted that Majerle was the best player on the team. That doesn't sound racist. It just happened that only one white guy made the twelve man roster.

KelsdadMajor Leaguer

74 days ago

Score 0

You're talking one situation, and a high profile one at that. Look at his record at Georgetown. A school with high academic standards and a high tuition to match, yet he never had a high profile rich white kid play for him? Then he goes out and recruits criminals and illiterates who amazingly can get in? Right.

NBA SuperblogJV Squad

74 days ago

Score 3

I'm not qualified to answer for John Thompson's agenda at Georgetown, Kelsdad. But that is off-topic anyway. Jerjets11 wrote: "The 1988 team was coached by John Thompson, who deliberately excluded the best white American players." He directly referred to the 1988 USA Basketball team. I cannot defend Thompson in any other regard than this. Perhaps he's a racist, but the 1988 team is not a clear example of his presumed racism. Anyway, the value of AMG is the inspired dialogue, so I want to thank you guys for your comments.

Jerjets11Waterboy

74 days ago

Score 0

It wasn't met to be funny, NBA Super. Some things are hard to believe for some. That doesn't mean they are not true.

Permalink | Reply

NBA SuperblogJV Squad

74 days ago

Score 5

Oh, but it is funny, whether you meant it to be or not. The 1972 Olympics (in Munich, Germany) weren't entirely "rigged" for the Soviet basketball team. At the end of the game there was a problem with the clock that lead to a Soviet victory. It was suspicious and bad officiating, but not a tournament-wide plot to steal the gold from the USA. And, I actually went to some of the 1988 Olympic basketball try-outs with Stacey Augmon, who I tutored at UNLV. John Thompson did NOT leave off white players based on race. Dan Majerle was the best white player there and he made the team. The rest of the roster included David Robinson, Danny Manning, Mitch Richmond, and Hersey Hawkins. That team was fantastic, but lost to a very big and mature Soviet team. We used NBA players from that point on. Racism did not factor into any of this.

Permalink | Reply

Manny StilesDraft Pick

74 days ago

Score 2

You tutored Plasticman? Did he compensate you with T-shirts? Still not sure what it says about your tutoring skills... hee hee.

Jerjets11Waterboy

73 days ago

Score 0

I don't agree, Super. The Soviets had a lot of Olympic influence that year. They definitely were the favored team politically. Thompson was a well-known racist, not just for the Olympics. Racism may be funny to you. It's not to me. Laugh at the facts if you wish.

NBA SuperblogJV Squad

73 days ago

Score 2

Racism is not funny, Jerjets11, but neither is accusing a legendary African-American basketball coach of being a racist. John Thompson built a National Championship basketball team at an academically competitive university by allowing black athletes an opportunity to go to a school they never would have had a chance to attend otherwise. He recruited many players from low-income, predominantly black communities in Washington DC and Baltimore, made them work hard in school, achieved an extraordinary collective graduation rate, and kept the best prospects from leaving too early for the NBA. He wanted his student-athletes to represent the DC community. That’s why he had so many black players. John Thompson wasn’t a racist. He was a savior and a father figure to a bunch of young men who would have experienced racial profiling if they tried to enter Georgetown without Thompson’s help. And the US Olympic committee had absolutely no investment in a racist basketball agenda and therefore would NOT have allowed John Thompson to coach the team if they suspected he had any goal other than fielding the best roster he could find.

Falcon02520Hall of Famer

74 days ago

Score 3

Why is there talk of an All-star game? Nowhere in this post does it say anything about Americans vs Internationals...

Notice the last line, "So, would this All-International team be a title contender, a mediocre playoff team, or would they be lottery bound?" These things could only happen to a team that is part of the league...

Therefore, an "All International Team" in this context is a regular franchise in the NBA...

If you took all the international players and stuck them on one team, the talent pool on the rest of the league would be minimized...

This is why an "All-International Team" would dominate...

Permalink | Reply

JuTMSY4Hall of Famer

74 days ago

Score 2

actually it was just a suggestion by Dre-Lo that drew attention to the idea...

NBA SuperblogJV Squad

74 days ago

Score 2

That's a very point, Falcon02520. So, if you think they would dominate the league today, do you think they would have also have dominated the Shaq-Kobe title teams, or the Jordan-Pippen title teams?

JuTMSY4Hall of Famer

74 days ago

Score 2

the problem with you're forcing the other 29 teams to feed off (relative) 2nd tier international talent and the rest of the american talent...

if we applied this further, we'd have to give another team the first 12 picks of the american players...then we'd find out

ergo, the international all-star game...

Could that team beat a Paul-James-Howard-Garnett-Bryant team?

Well, at least we know they'd share the ball pretty damn well

NBA SuperblogJV Squad

74 days ago

Score 3

You think a team with Lebron James and Kobe Bryant would "share the ball pretty damn well", JuTMSY4?

JuTMSY4Hall of Famer

74 days ago

Score 2

i realized i mad the grammatical gaffe after i wrote it...but i was hoping everyone would assume it was extreme sarcasm... anyways...i mean the internat'l team would share the ball much more so than the US team

JuTMSY4Hall of Famer

74 days ago

Score 3

i also managed to use "gaffe" in a sentence today...so not all is lost

NBA SuperblogJV Squad

74 days ago

Score 3

I tutored many players at UNLV and I will tell you that all of the stories about them are untrue. They were all very bright (Greg Anthony is brilliant and needed no help with his schoolwork). They worked hard, lived together like a family, and were completely focused on basketball. There was no "superstar" or "diva" attitudes from those guys, they just had a group focus on winning. It was a unique time and place and that was an amazing group. We all know about the NCAA title-winning 1989-90 UNLV team, but check out the 1987 team that lost to Indiana in the Final Four. They were truly outstanding.

Permalink | Reply

NBA SuperblogJV Squad

74 days ago

Score 2

BTW, the last comment about UNLV wasn't out of context, it was a reply to Manny Stiles. Sorry for going off-topic. :)

Permalink | Reply

WhatifsportsSoccer Kid

65 days ago

Score 2

NBA Superblog, the 2007-08 players are now available at Whatifsports so we can do this matchup if you are interested. Do you still want Nash on the USA team?

Permalink | Reply

NBA SuperblogJV Squad

65 days ago

Score 1

Yes, because it's not actually a US citizens team. The International team is built with players that did not play high school or college in the US. Nash played college basketball at Santa Clara so he qualifies for the "US" team. Thanks, Whatifsports!

LASportsblogDraft Pick

65 days ago

Score 2

Yes! we can do this now. I liked this article when it was written and my respect for the Superblog has greatly increased with his well mannered defense of John Thompson.

NBA SuperblogJV Squad

65 days ago

Score 2

Thanks, LASportsblog. That means a lot to me. I have respected your opinion since I first became addicted to this site, even though you think I hate soccer, which is not true. But, because I know you are a Lakers fan (and therefore a Kobe Bryant fan), I think you should NOT read my recent post - The 10 Best Nicknames in the NBA Right Now.

Categories: Opinions | Opinions by User NBA Superblog | May 8, 2008 | May 2008

Don't Miss

Exclusive Interview: Justin Sits Down with Venom from American Gladiators

Exclusive interview with LPGA star Paula Creamer

Jay Gibbons and What's REALLY Behind the Steroid Issue...

Hawks Lose Josh Childress to Greece, Could This Happen Again?

The Sports Brief's MMA Rankings (7-23-08)

In the News

Going into the final round of the 2008 Open Championship, 53 year old Greg Norman leads on a two over par score of 212. KJ Choi and Padraig Harrington are two strokes behind on 214. Should Norman win, he would become the oldest ever winner of a major, and therefore the oldest winner of The Open Championship, beating "Old" Tom Morris' record, set in 1867.

Comments of the Day

1 WOW, this site is getting bigger by the day.

1 Wow, this is amazing! P.C. is my favorite LPGA player, gre...

1 Cuban is just one of those guys that you either love him or ya...

1 They may never get rid of the drugs themselves, but ...

1 your and you"re. the difference between the two i...

1 I hope you"re not wasting your time...

1 Ah, your and there -- tis my kryptonite. All fixed, I think --...

1 Fantasy Sports brought Mylf and I together. We had epic fun be...

0 Cheezer, you hit the nail on the head!

Play the Quiz Game

Who is the All Time leading FIFA World Cup goalscorer

New Articles

Signs of the Apocalypse

Pitching Leads Giants

If Cuban Buys Chicago Cubs, Dallas Mavericks Are Done

NFL Preview Show Extravaganza: Detroit Lions

New Urine Test For HGH!

Retrieved from "http://www.armchairgm.com/Article:Could_an_All-International_Team_Compete_in_the_NBA%3F"

This page was last modified 06:17, 22 May 2008. Content is available under the GFDL.