The Handouts to European Players ends NOW

[bdonovan]

America has a soft spot for immigrants. Native-born Americans take pride in the achievements of people who come from abroad because it reflects something special about America.

Often we give them a pass. You see this socially as we permit immigrants leeway to make mistakes in grammar; even if their values are odd to us, and against our principles, we let it slide, with the understanding they're different. You see this in everyday life or in Ali G/Borat. It's obvious.

Where we have gone too far with the "Immigrant Pass" is in the NBA. The NBA must institute a single standard for officiating, applied to all.

When Giannis barrels towards the hoop, swinging his elbows wildly at the head level of other defenders - THAT IS NOT A NATURAL BASKETBALL MOVE.

When Sabonis begins his post move by drawing his elbow back and throwing it full force into the defender's chest like an MMA elbow strike while turning towards the basket - THAT IS NOT A NATURAL BASKETBALL MOVE.

When Wembayana headbutts the defender in the face and to the ground by throwing his head backwards (see: 0:44 ) - THAT IS NOT A NATURAL BASKETBALL MOVE.

And then is at any surprise that NBA defenders play off of Giannis or Sabonis after they get away with these strikes? Of course they would. Our braindead NBA refs are allowing it to happen so they have every reason even if they suffer a contusion from the blow or even a concussion, they'll get whistled for the foul.

It's time to stop coddling the immigrant players and enforce a single standard of NBA rules.

The offensive player may NOT engage in a non-natural movement meant to hit or harm the defender en route to the basket. That's the rule American NBA players are subject to. When I see Steph even push off, mild in comparison, he gets whistled. Moreover, even swinging your elbows without making contact can result in a turnover and possibly a technical.

A player shall not be allowed excessive and/or vigorous swinging of the elbows in swinging motion (no contact) when a defensive player is nearby and the offensive player has the ball. PENALTY: Loss of ball.

https://official.nba.com/rule-no-10-...ss%20of%20ball.

I laughed when I heard Giannis say defense is more intense in the European league. Look at the physicality and speed of defenders here. No contest. No, what Giannis is referring to, whether he knows it or not, is that he didn't get handouts from the local refs in Europe. Over here, he can assault every defender with an elbow to the face and actually go to the line for 3 points.

Enough is enough. I noticed this years ago, and thought "It's fine, let's let them have an advantage as they adjust to things here". It's gone on far longer and more extensively than I suspected.

When people bring dynamics to light that are not covered by the mainstream press, the average mind takes awhile to comprehend it. After all we search for a consensus in points of view before adopting them. I'm often the first to bring these matters to light. And I also realize our European members will start in with the usual ad hominem nonsense. Go back and watch some of the clips with Euro NBA players- the fact that they get away with offensive fouls will be obvious in the video.

[GimmeThat]

that actually leaves an enormous amount of opportunity for defensive rebounding if all these european players get is immigrant pass

but op stuck in martial arts league and hasn't even made it to professional wrestling

[Wardell Curry]

I laughed when I heard Giannis say defense is more intense in the European league. Look at the physicality and speed of defenders here. No contest. No, what Giannis is referring to, whether he knows it or not, is that he didn't get handouts from the local refs in Europe. Over here, he can assault every defender with an elbow to the face and actually go to the line for 3 points.

This is extremely accurate. NBA stars get more calls here and the NBA moves further and further towards the entertainment aspect rather than the integrity of the sport.

If NBA defenders were actually allowed to play defense like they used to be this wouldn't even be a thread. The league has done everything that they can possibly do to escort perimeter players to the basket except making it illegal to stand in front of a guy whatsoever and to remove all physical touch.

[GimmeThat]

If NBA defenders were actually allowed to play defense like they used to be this wouldn't even be a thread. The league has done everything that they can possibly do to escort perimeter players to the basket except making it illegal to stand in front of a guy whatsoever and to remove all physical touch.

if the idea is that players increases their opportunity to get fouled when being doubled, and no defense are allowed, the amount of players that foul out against Immigrant players are quite astonishing.

I don't know why Zion Williams gets a pass for averaging 2.2 fouls a game in 33 min when Giannis averages 3.1 in 32.1 min

[Full Court]

This should have been a non-call:

[hold this L]

The issue is that Silver is a loser. Dude looks like the type of guy in high school that would do anything for anyone to be his friend. 3 years ago the league did change for the better, where they stopped giving ticky tacky fouls. Then superstars cried to the media, to their GM, and their CEO. They collectively came and whined to Silver about it. NBA fans were loving the regular season at the time, but this softy folded immediately and then we started seeing the same garbage.

I agree with you that certain stars are reffed differently but it's not just immigrants. Ja when he started blowing up was constantly carrying and double dribbles, and almost none of them were called. When you have one of the fastest players in the league (if not the fastest) abusing this, he started to dominate because you can't defend it. It's the same as when Harden was dominating by being a flopping punk ass bitch during that 3 year stint where he completely dominated. Silver allowed it because this bozo is more interested in top guys looking good for the brand than having quality basketball on the court.

[Wardell Curry]

The issue is that Silver is a loser. Dude looks like the type of guy in high school that would do anything for anyone to be his friend. 3 years ago the league did change for the better, where they stopped giving ticky tacky fouls. Then superstars cried to the media, to their GM, and their CEO. They collectively came and whined to Silver about it. NBA fans were loving the regular season at the time, but this softy folded immediately and then we started seeing the same garbage.

I agree with you that certain stars are reffed differently but it's not just immigrants. Ja when he started blowing up was constantly carrying and double dribbles, and almost none of them were called. When you have one of the fastest players in the league (if not the fastest) abusing this, he started to dominate because you can't defend it. It's the same as when Harden was dominating by being a flopping punk ass bitch during that 3 year stint where he completely dominated. Silver allowed it because this bozo is more interested in top guys looking good for the brand than having quality basketball on the court.

Ultimately you have to place the blame with the fans. The fans are the ones consuming the product. At the end of the day the NBA is more interested in making money than they are putting out a pure product. As they should be. The fans are the ones that should dictate where the sport goes, and they are, and the fans have decided that entertainment is more important than integrity. It sucks, but the league doesn't care about those of us that care about not watching bullshit.

[GimmeThat]

the soccer infusion is starting to come to fruition, true fans should be able to recognize the real meaning behind a dribble fake out pass without immediately leading to a goal.

[tpols]

I mean NBA players from America do that stuff too. And most euros don't really play like that. Did the Gasol Brothers or Vlade or Peja or Kukoc or Jokic or Dirk or Rubio or Petrovic or Parker or Gobert etc. play like that? Nope... not at all.

Giannis is a special example because ethnically and genetically he's not really European. He's African and doesn't rely on typical shooting prowess most Euros have. He plays a bogus brand of offensive basketball but he's an outlier. And then we have guys on the American side like Shaq and Lebron who toss guys around and get the whistle themselves or even Harden who has a black belt in basketball BJJ and ref manipulation. It's not a Euro vs American thing, it's an NBA thing in general.

[bdonovan]

The reason it's not an "NBA-wide" thing is that only European players are allowed to effectively assault the opposition on their way to the basket.

No other players are given this privilege.

If you talk about refs allowing star players a carry here or a travel there on a step back 3, there's enough players that gain that benefit, based on if they're top offensive players. That's been going on a while. And all players benefit from those oversights to some degree.

Being allowed a level of physical aggression when handling the ball is on a different level. It changes entirely how you're guarded; and in many cases, not guarded because the defensive players knows what you can get away with.

The league and the refs have to 'snap out of it' and stop assuming those players are simply 'different' and therefore not held to the same rules the rest of the players are. A natural basketball motion is the same in Europe as it is in the US. There aren't two different categories in how we play.

This implicit assumption- that foreigners have a different approach and that's okay- is the attitude most Americans have towards foreigners- it's hardwired in our culture, and subconscious for the most part. Refs are clearly engaging in this in allowing Euro players, across the board, to engage in completely illegal moves to the basket that put other players at risk.

Once a single standard of rules are applied to European players, I'd honestly be interested in seeing how quickly Giannis and Sabonis foul out of the game, before they have to put in the work to score the legal way.

[FultzNationRISE]

The reason it's not an "NBA-wide" thing is that only European players are allowed to effectively assault the opposition on their way to the basket.

No other players are given this privilege.

If you talk about refs allowing star players a carry here or a travel there on a step back 3, there's enough players that gain that benefit, based on if they're top offensive players. That's been going on a while. And all players benefit from those oversights to some degree.

Being allowed a level of physical aggression when handling the ball is on a different level. It changes entirely how you're guarded; and in many cases, not guarded because the defensive players knows what you can get away with.

The league and the refs have to 'snap out of it' and stop assuming those players are simply 'different' and therefore not held to the same rules the rest of the players are. A natural basketball motion is the same in Europe as it is in the US. There aren't two different categories in how we play.

This implicit assumption- that foreigners have a different approach and that's okay- is the attitude most Americans have towards foreigners- it's hardwired in our culture, and subconscious for the most part. Refs are clearly engaging in this in allowing Euro players, across the board, to engage in completely illegal moves to the basket that put other players at risk.

Once a single standard of rules are applied to European players, I'd honestly be interested in seeing how quickly Giannis and Sabonis foul out of the game, before they have to put in the work to score the legal way.

Just yesterday he accused Brandin Podziemski - an American - of getting away with fouls because he's white. Today the complaint is "Europeans."

Homie is deranged.

[tpols]

Just yesterday he accused Brandin Podziemski - an American - of getting away with fouls because he's white. Today the complaint is "Europeans."

Homie is deranged.

It really doesn't make any sense since American players and particularly African American players tend to play with much more of a slashing style attributed to initiating and drawing contact than jump shooting euros. It's just a wierd angle to take.

[FultzNationRISE]

It really doesn't make any sense since American players and particularly African American players tend to play with much more of a slashing style attributed to initiating and drawing contact than jump shooting euros. It's just a wierd angle to take.

I dont know why he types up these long essays intending to be taken seriously, while simultaneously exposing himself as a genuinely disturbed individual.

Just ISH things.

[bdonovan]

This is extremely accurate. NBA stars get more calls here and the NBA moves further and further towards the entertainment aspect rather than the integrity of the sport.

If NBA defenders were actually allowed to play defense like they used to be this wouldn't even be a thread. The league has done everything that they can possibly do to escort perimeter players to the basket except making it illegal to stand in front of a guy whatsoever and to remove all physical touch.

There certainly is a star factor at play. The immigrant players I mentioned are all star players. There's also an unconscious bias that we all have towards immigrant players. The same outrage that we would have if a player here swung his elbows at the face of another player isn't the same as if someone from a different country did it and we are conditioned to think that perhaps there's some good reason for it.

In general, I agree - the NBA wants to offer an entertainment product and that means cutting down on defenses smothering great players. While immigrants have a language barrier and it makes it hard for them to be traditional leaders on a team, they benefit in other ways.

[bdonovan]

The issue is that Silver is a loser. Dude looks like the type of guy in high school that would do anything for anyone to be his friend. 3 years ago the league did change for the better, where they stopped giving ticky tacky fouls. Then superstars cried to the media, to their GM, and their CEO. They collectively came and whined to Silver about it. NBA fans were loving the regular season at the time, but this softy folded immediately and then we started seeing the same garbage.

I agree with you that certain stars are reffed differently but it's not just immigrants. Ja when he started blowing up was constantly carrying and double dribbles, and almost none of them were called. When you have one of the fastest players in the league (if not the fastest) abusing this, he started to dominate because you can't defend it. It's the same as when Harden was dominating by being a flopping punk ass bitch during that 3 year stint where he completely dominated. Silver allowed it because this bozo is more interested in top guys looking good for the brand than having quality basketball on the court.

I agree about Silver. The only thing he seems to have had confidence about is pushing the WNBA on NBA fans under the illusion that it would "double the audience' as women took interest in pro sports.

Yeah, I recall Bogut talking about this too; when Klay was hot, the refs were watching and cheering along, ignoring moving screens and the like. Star players get special treatment.

I believe the "immigrant pass" is a variation on this which applies strictly to immigrants and allows them to do more drastic things like effectively assault the defender and get away with it. Are there native-born players who swing their elbow violently at the defender like Sabonis does? Or clear out with their elbows at the head level like Giannis? Everytime I saw DeMarcus Cousins do something similar, he got the whistle or was T'd up.