Greg Popovich Agrees That NBA Champions Are Not The "World Champions"

[97 bulls]

They played 3 times, but only 2 times since FIBA was not involved.

In what is current Euroleague (not associated to FIBA) they played twice.

1 game was with NBA rules and NBA refs, played in USA, on the NBA team's home court.

1 game in FIBA (not modern era Euroleague, which FIBA does not relate to) with NBA refs and with mixed rules of 50/50 NBA/FIBA rules, played in Europe, on a neutral court.

1 game with 60/40 NBA/FIBA rules and 2/1 NBA/FIBA refs, played in Europe, on a neutral court that was in the European club's home city.

Lol so who won? Who played? Were the games blowouts?

[josh99]

This is an NBA Forum, not a World Forum.

[Euroleague]

This is an NBA Forum, not a World Forum.

Mavs are NBA champions, not world champions. That's the whole point. Thanks for agreeing.

[Euroleague]

Lol so who won? Who played? Were the games blowouts?

Even though it never has happened, that the current season champs of each league played each other, if you want to, just for the sake of debate and discussion.............


1. 1978-79 season:

Summary:

Maccabi Tel Aviv (Maccabi did not win Euroleague in either 1977-78 or 1978-79)

beat the Washington Bullets (1977-78 NBA champions and 1978-79 NBA Finals runners-up).

Score: 98-97

Details: On Maccabi's home floor, playing under 50/50 NBA/FIBA rules and with NBA refs.


2. 1997-98 season

Summary:

Chicago Bulls (1996-97 NBA champions and 1997-98 NBA champions)

beat Olympiacos (1996-97 Euroleague champions) (but Olympiacos had a different roster than the previous season) .

Score: 104-78

Details: Game was played with 50/50 NBA/FIBA rules and with NBA refs. Played in Europe, at a neutral site.


3. 2007-08 season

Summary:

San Antonio Spurs (2006-07 NBA champions)

beat Panathinaikos (2006-07 Euroleague champions) .

Score: 113-91

Details: Game was played with NBA rules, with NBA refs, on the Spurs home court.


4. 2010-11 season

Summary:

Barcelona Basket (2009-10 Euroleague champions)

beat Los Angeles Lakers (2009-10 NBA champions).

Score: 92-88

Details: Game was played with 60/40 NBA/FIBA rules and with 2/1 NBA/FIBA refs. Played in Barcelona's home city, at a neutral court, but not with the club's typical fan base in attendance.

[Euroleague]

So, the NBA's record against the Euroleague in those examples, is 2-2 (.500).

[Derrick]

I agree. The NBA has the best players but the rules at times make this league look like a joke. There is a reason NBA players can go over to Europe and look like trash. It's because they don't let stars get 20 free throws a game. You have to be a baller.

A average NBA in the olympics would get owned. That's why the USA sends a super team to play in FIBA olympic games.

And other counties dont send there best players either?

[32MJ32]

Dallas defeated Miami to win the title, awarded to the best team from a 30-team North American league. Of course they should be called World Champions...

...if you're an idiot

[skan72]

I agree. The NBA has the best players but the rules at times make this league look like a joke. There is a reason NBA players can go over to Europe and look like trash. It's because they don't let stars get 20 free throws a game. You have to be a baller.

A average NBA in the olympics would get owned. That's why the USA sends a super team to play in FIBA olympic games.

Woops, didn't read this the first time I quoted you. I don't agree with this. Team USA might send a super team, but they're a TEAM now; in the past, when USA wasn't as dominant, it was due to just trying to throw a team together that never actually gelled or played as team. Now Team USA actually gets stars, but also selects role players for their team too, and gets a good combination of players.

I think an average NBA team would be able to do pretty solidly at the Olympics because they're an actual team, not just a bunch of superstars chucked together. They have role players, a star (generally), grinders, playmakers, etc.

[skan72]

Dallas defeated Miami to win the title, awarded to the best team from a 30-team North American league. Of course they should be called World Champions...

...if you're an idiot

I don't get why it's so hard for people to understand that the best players in the World strive to play in the NBA, and do, so in some sense the team that wins can definitely be referred to as a World Champion.

[Euroleague]

And other counties dont send there best players either?

The only countries that tend to send most of their top players are ones like China, Australia, Argentina. Even then, it's not normal for any team to have all its best players in a tournament. The European teams almost never send all of their best players, except if it happens once very rarely.

Like last summer I would say Spain sent their best players, but that's not normal. It's extremely rare to see a top level European national team send all of its best players to the Olympics. It just does not hardly ever happen.

In fact, the USA sends just as much of their best players as most of those European teams do. I'm not sure where this myth came from that all the teams "send all their best players" to the Olympics came from, whether it was from NBA marketing or just delusional imaginations of Americans, but it's not true in the least.

Believe it or not, other countries have tired players, players that are injured, players that don't want to play, players that quit their team, players that the coach does not like, players that hate the coach, players that get suspended, etc. too. Just like the USA.

It's quite bizarre that anyone would actually seriously believe that all the countries can just always "send all their best players". It's complete nonsense.

[Euroleague]

I don't get why it's so hard for people to understand that the best players in the World strive to play in the NBA, and do, so in some sense the team that wins can definitely be referred to as a World Champion.

How come the team that wins the Champions League is not called the world champion then?

[emaugust]

Being a world champion is lame. You are just hanging out with all the people that couldn't cut it in the NBA.

Being an NBA champion, however, is purely elite and is something much more awesome than being the world champion in a world filled with sub par teams who's best players would die to be in the NBA.

[97 bulls]

Even though it never has happened, that the current season champs of each league played each other, if you want to, just for the sake of debate and discussion.............


1. 1978-79 season:

Summary:

Maccabi Tel Aviv (Maccabi did not win Euroleague in either 1977-78 or 1978-79)

beat the Washington Bullets (1977-78 NBA champions and 1978-79 NBA Finals runners-up).

Score: 98-97

Details: On Maccabi's home floor, playing under 50/50 NBA/FIBA rules and with NBA refs.


2. 1997-98 season

Summary:

Chicago Bulls (1996-97 NBA champions and 1997-98 NBA champions)

beat Olympiacos (1996-97 Euroleague champions) (but Olympiacos had a different roster than the previous season) .

Score: 104-78

Details: Game was played with 50/50 NBA/FIBA rules and with NBA refs. Played in Europe, at a neutral site.


3. 2007-08 season

Summary:

San Antonio Spurs (2006-07 NBA champions)

beat Panathinaikos (2006-07 Euroleague champions) .

Score: 113-91

Details: Game was played with NBA rules, with NBA refs, on the Spurs home court.


4. 2010-11 season

Summary:

Barcelona Basket (2009-10 Euroleague champions)

beat Los Angeles Lakers (2009-10 NBA champions).

Score: 92-88

Details: Game was played with 60/40 NBA/FIBA rules and with 2/1 NBA/FIBA refs. Played in Barcelona's home city, at a neutral court, but not with the club's typical fan base in attendance.

In response to the game played vs the bulls and olympiakos, how much different was their roster? Even still now that I think about it, chicagos roster was different too. Pippen wasn't there, and brian williams signed with detroit. Those were two guys that played big roles in the 96-97 bulls title run.

And what do you mean when you say the lakers played in the opposing team on their homecourt, but without their fans? Did they not allow the home teams fans to watch the game?

[97 bulls]

How come the team that wins the Champions League is not called the world champion then?

I do believe that the nba champs aren't "world" champs. But the nba does have the best players. And based on your info, id say the only two teams that can call themselves legit world champs were the bulls and spurs.

I would even go so far to say that the team that beat the lakers in 10 can be considered the "world" champs.

But that lakers roster was different too. Using your reasoning

[Rooster]

Being a world champion is lame. You are just hanging out with all the people that couldn't cut it in the NBA.

Being an NBA champion, however, is purely elite and is something much more awesome than being the world champion in a world filled with sub par teams who's best players would die to be in the NBA.

That's the bottom line.

Dirk Nowitzki is getting more recognition as the man on NBA championship team than Pau Gasol world championship team.

No one gives a crap about those FIBA tourney. Most NBA players want to hang Olympic gold medal around their neck and don't bother to do it again.

But the ultimate goal for every NBA player is leading their team to NBA championship.