Kobe: David Stern's idea 'stupid
Options
northside7
Members Posts: 25,739 ✭✭✭✭✭
MANCHESTER, England -- After saying in Las Vegas that he hopes NBA pros will continue to represent their countries in the Olympics, Kobe Bryant voiced his dismay with the 23-and-under concept floated by NBA commissioner David Stern in even stronger terms Tuesday when Team USA arrived in the United Kingdom ahead of London 2012.
Speaking at an appearance at the town hall in Manchester not long after the Americans reached British soil via an overnight flight after Monday night's exhibition victory over Brazil in Washington, D.C., Bryant branded Stern's proposal to restrict the NBA's Olympic involvement to players aged 23 and younger as "stupid."
"It's a stupid idea," Bryant told local reporters at the reception to welcome them to Manchester in advance of Thursday night's exhibition game here against Team Great Britain. "It should be a (player's) choice."
Asked how much he and his Team USA teammates have talked about Stern's proposal since getting together in Vegas on July 5, Bryant said: "Our discussion is this: Basically, it's just a dumb idea and we (discuss) it that way. ... We just discuss it like that (and) kind of voice our opinions through you (media) guys."
Bryant, subsequently, wasted no time getting comfortable with his new surroundings. Shortly after the town hall stop, Bryant and longtime personal skills guru Tim Grover were spotted strolling along the Deansgate strip of Manchester's city center in the company of a tour guide and a small security detail ... with Bryant decked out in full Team USA practice gear and stopping occasionally to snap pictures with excited fans who recognized him.
His comments about the Olympic age debate expounded upon sentiments Bryant shared during Team USA's recent week-plus stay in Vegas, where he was openly dismissive of the injury concerns frequently raised by NBA owners such as Dallas' Mark Cuban.
The Los Angeles Times quoted Bryant as saying, "I think that's the wrong way to look at things. If I'm an owner, I would want my player to play (internationally) because I understand that they're going to be playing anyway, going to be playing pickup basketball in the summertime, and I'm not going to be able to know where they are. They could be playing against a bunch of bums -- no, really -- guys that feel like they have something to prove and all of a sudden, a (star player) goes to the rim and a guy takes them out and now he's hurt.
"Here you're playing against the best guys, you have treatment around the clock, your (NBA) coaching staff can always come sit in the stands and view practice. To me, playing on an Olympic basketball team is actually better if you're an owner."
With Team USA poised to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the original Dream Team that captivated the world and changed international basketball forever at the Summer Games in Barcelona, Stern announced at the NBA Finals that the league needed to "step back and take stock of where we're going" in terms of sending its best and, often, most highly paid players to the Olympics.
The change Stern favors is switching to a system similar to that used in men's Olympic soccer -- which is a 23-and-under competition with three overage players allowed per country -- and allowing all NBA players to remain eligible for the quadrennial FIBA World Championship. That competition will be renamed the World Cup of Basketball in 2014 and, if eligibility changes also are made, theoretically sets up NBA owners to finally earn a share of revenues in return for allowing their top players to participate. At present, NBA teams get no revenue from the Olympic basketball tournament.
It's thus conceivable this summer's London Games might be the last time that Team USA is comprised of America's best NBAers, but Team USA chairman Jerry Colangelo is also resistant to the proposed changes.
"I don't want to change anything because I like what we have," Colangelo told the Times earlier this month. "We take care of our players and I think we do the right things.
"You need a lot of things to fall into place in order for all of this to happen. You need the cooperation and the votes and support of a lot of people. So when I hear something like this, I say it may happen. The real question is when. Is it '16, is it 2020? Don't know at this point. It's a long way from the finish line."
Injuries have been the major storyline for Team USA for months, thanks to a succession of serious setbacks during the lockout-compacted regular season that knocked London finalists Dwight Howard (back), Dwyane Wade (knee), Chris Bosh (abdominal muscle), LaMarcus Aldridge (knee) and Chauncey Billups (torn Achilles) off the roster before coach Mike Krzyzewski could hold a single practice in Vegas. Team USA then lost Blake Griffin to a re-aggravated knee injury that this week required arthroscopic surgery.
In Manchester, when asked if he understands the concerns of NBA owners, Bryant scoffed, saying such reservations are motivated by owners merely wanting "to protect their investments."
Team USA guard Chris Paul also appeared at the town hall event, dismissed concerns about his recent thumb injury during training camp and said in support of Bryant: "I heard about this a while ago and I was thankful they haven't thought about (Stern's proposal) now, because if they were, I wouldn't be able to play now because I'm 27 years old. I personally would like for it to be your own decision, because playing in an Olympics -- this will be my second -- is the greatest experience of my life.
"If you look at the track record for it, I can honestly say my best season in the NBA statistically was the 2008-09 season, which was after my first Olympics. You see guys, when they come back from playing on a team like this, they go into the new season with the ultimate confidence. We talk during the season, we talk about how tired we're going to be in the summer, but as soon as we all get out to Vegas, we're excited. We're ready to go -- it's on. It's better than being at home just working out and playing ball. You get to play against the best players in the world."
http://m.espn.go.com/general/story?storyId=8175240
Speaking at an appearance at the town hall in Manchester not long after the Americans reached British soil via an overnight flight after Monday night's exhibition victory over Brazil in Washington, D.C., Bryant branded Stern's proposal to restrict the NBA's Olympic involvement to players aged 23 and younger as "stupid."
"It's a stupid idea," Bryant told local reporters at the reception to welcome them to Manchester in advance of Thursday night's exhibition game here against Team Great Britain. "It should be a (player's) choice."
Asked how much he and his Team USA teammates have talked about Stern's proposal since getting together in Vegas on July 5, Bryant said: "Our discussion is this: Basically, it's just a dumb idea and we (discuss) it that way. ... We just discuss it like that (and) kind of voice our opinions through you (media) guys."
Bryant, subsequently, wasted no time getting comfortable with his new surroundings. Shortly after the town hall stop, Bryant and longtime personal skills guru Tim Grover were spotted strolling along the Deansgate strip of Manchester's city center in the company of a tour guide and a small security detail ... with Bryant decked out in full Team USA practice gear and stopping occasionally to snap pictures with excited fans who recognized him.
His comments about the Olympic age debate expounded upon sentiments Bryant shared during Team USA's recent week-plus stay in Vegas, where he was openly dismissive of the injury concerns frequently raised by NBA owners such as Dallas' Mark Cuban.
The Los Angeles Times quoted Bryant as saying, "I think that's the wrong way to look at things. If I'm an owner, I would want my player to play (internationally) because I understand that they're going to be playing anyway, going to be playing pickup basketball in the summertime, and I'm not going to be able to know where they are. They could be playing against a bunch of bums -- no, really -- guys that feel like they have something to prove and all of a sudden, a (star player) goes to the rim and a guy takes them out and now he's hurt.
"Here you're playing against the best guys, you have treatment around the clock, your (NBA) coaching staff can always come sit in the stands and view practice. To me, playing on an Olympic basketball team is actually better if you're an owner."
With Team USA poised to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the original Dream Team that captivated the world and changed international basketball forever at the Summer Games in Barcelona, Stern announced at the NBA Finals that the league needed to "step back and take stock of where we're going" in terms of sending its best and, often, most highly paid players to the Olympics.
The change Stern favors is switching to a system similar to that used in men's Olympic soccer -- which is a 23-and-under competition with three overage players allowed per country -- and allowing all NBA players to remain eligible for the quadrennial FIBA World Championship. That competition will be renamed the World Cup of Basketball in 2014 and, if eligibility changes also are made, theoretically sets up NBA owners to finally earn a share of revenues in return for allowing their top players to participate. At present, NBA teams get no revenue from the Olympic basketball tournament.
It's thus conceivable this summer's London Games might be the last time that Team USA is comprised of America's best NBAers, but Team USA chairman Jerry Colangelo is also resistant to the proposed changes.
"I don't want to change anything because I like what we have," Colangelo told the Times earlier this month. "We take care of our players and I think we do the right things.
"You need a lot of things to fall into place in order for all of this to happen. You need the cooperation and the votes and support of a lot of people. So when I hear something like this, I say it may happen. The real question is when. Is it '16, is it 2020? Don't know at this point. It's a long way from the finish line."
Injuries have been the major storyline for Team USA for months, thanks to a succession of serious setbacks during the lockout-compacted regular season that knocked London finalists Dwight Howard (back), Dwyane Wade (knee), Chris Bosh (abdominal muscle), LaMarcus Aldridge (knee) and Chauncey Billups (torn Achilles) off the roster before coach Mike Krzyzewski could hold a single practice in Vegas. Team USA then lost Blake Griffin to a re-aggravated knee injury that this week required arthroscopic surgery.
In Manchester, when asked if he understands the concerns of NBA owners, Bryant scoffed, saying such reservations are motivated by owners merely wanting "to protect their investments."
Team USA guard Chris Paul also appeared at the town hall event, dismissed concerns about his recent thumb injury during training camp and said in support of Bryant: "I heard about this a while ago and I was thankful they haven't thought about (Stern's proposal) now, because if they were, I wouldn't be able to play now because I'm 27 years old. I personally would like for it to be your own decision, because playing in an Olympics -- this will be my second -- is the greatest experience of my life.
"If you look at the track record for it, I can honestly say my best season in the NBA statistically was the 2008-09 season, which was after my first Olympics. You see guys, when they come back from playing on a team like this, they go into the new season with the ultimate confidence. We talk during the season, we talk about how tired we're going to be in the summer, but as soon as we all get out to Vegas, we're excited. We're ready to go -- it's on. It's better than being at home just working out and playing ball. You get to play against the best players in the world."
http://m.espn.go.com/general/story?storyId=8175240
Comments
-
I cosign Kobe
-
stern don't give a ? what kobe thinks, neither do the owners.
the proposal that Fiba and the nba are working on might happen. and if it doesn't, it won't be because kobe spoke on it. -
stern don't give a ? what kobe thinks, neither do the owners.
the proposal that Fiba and the nba are working on might happen. and if it doesn't, it won't be because kobe spoke on it.
Not just Kobe but all the players on the current squad. Other players will speak out against it. This really isn't about Kobe but about players who will be 24 and older, in their prime, who wont be able to play and represent their country in the 2016 Olympics.
This 23 and under rule is a disaster just waiting to happen. -
i'm pretty sure da dream team was ova 23..
-
Agree wit Kobe and CP3
-
? Stern.....and Dwight Howard
-
Rookies would get killed overseas
-
usa gon get their ass whooped
-
-
Serious Juice Mayne wrote: »Rookies would get killed overseas
? gonna be 2004 all over again........ -
HassanCHOP wrote: »
He's American. -
northside7 wrote: »stern don't give a ? what kobe thinks, neither do the owners.
the proposal that Fiba and the nba are working on might happen. and if it doesn't, it won't be because kobe spoke on it.
Not just Kobe but all the players on the current squad. Other players will speak out against it. This really isn't about Kobe but about players who will be 24 and older, in their prime, that wont be able to play and represent their country in the 2016 Olympics.
but again. the decision makers aren't asking the players opinion.
-
northside7 wrote: »stern don't give a ? what kobe thinks, neither do the owners.
the proposal that Fiba and the nba are working on might happen. and if it doesn't, it won't be because kobe spoke on it.
Not just Kobe but all the players on the current squad. Other players will speak out against it. This really isn't about Kobe but about players who will be 24 and older, in their prime, that wont be able to play and represent their country in the 2016 Olympics.
but again. the decision makers aren't asking the players opinion.
It's stupid.. -
just cause i dont like either of them ? Kobe and a bigger ? you to Stern
-
Kobe makes sense.
? gon have to stay in shape over the summer playing ball, might as well be a against talented folks who knows how to play instead of ? ass ? .
Olympics > Drew League.
-
C/S THE GOAT!!
-
Serious Juice Mayne wrote: »Rookies would get killed overseas
? gonna be 2004 all over again........
7 of the dudes on that team were under 23.... took that shiny Bronze home!
Lebron, Melo, ? , Wade, Odom, Stat & Okafur -
Serious Juice Mayne wrote: »Rookies would get killed overseas
? gonna be 2004 all over again........
Its crazy though because looking at this roster, it's not too bad at all. Only weakness I see really is lack of a true pg and a physical big man.
-
Aston_Dantana wrote: »Serious Juice Mayne wrote: »Rookies would get killed overseas
? gonna be 2004 all over again........
Its crazy though because looking at this roster, it's not too bad at all. Only weakness I see really is lack of a true pg and a physical big man.
i know....i know melo...bron and wade were young but this team could have played well together with the right coaching...larry brown didnt do it well.....
-
It's good to hear players say what they feel and not pull any punches. Yeah, its not on the level of Harrison and Goodell, but cats don't really speak on Stern.
-
kobe is efinately mad at stern after cp3 trade was ? up
-
unspoken respect wrote: »It's good to hear players say what they feel and not pull any punches. Yeah, its not on the level of Harrison and Goodell, but cats don't really speak on Stern.
They should. -
Aston_Dantana wrote: »Serious Juice Mayne wrote: »Rookies would get killed overseas
? gonna be 2004 all over again........
Its crazy though because looking at this roster, it's not too bad at all. Only weakness I see really is lack of a true pg and a physical big man.
i know....i know melo...bron and wade were young but this team could have played well together with the right coaching...larry brown didnt do it well.....
Wasn't it some ? going on that year about LB not giving Melo enough minutes? This team was real young, and ery body knows LB doesn't have too much patience with young players.