I've noticed that British boxers have to do 10 times more to get any recognition here

[TeamPac88]

Oh yeah, and Black Jesus is right too. The best league is in the NBA. Alright enough about basketball, back to the boxing topic.

[kayjay]

if someone chooses to go play in europe rather than here, its because they cant cut it in a rotation out here. The NBA pays the most and gives you all the star power youll ever need, IF YOUR GOOD. Playing in europe is NOT playing out here.

See this is just the claim that this thread is about, so don't tell me I've brought us off-topic when I only generalized Anorak's point (and yes I was guessing you'd provide the first example.
It's more true in basketball than in boxing, but it's still not entirely true. Not all the best Europeans of the past ten years have played here. I named one prominent example, and there are others. I won't explain his case or others because if you don't know than you don't know enough basketball to be making the point you're making.

[kayjay]

Oh yeah, and Black Jesus is right too. The best league is in the NBA. Alright enough about basketball, back to the boxing topic.

I never said it wasn't. I only implied that SOME of the best players don't play in it, which is true.

[Exige Jr]

The same reason why the New York Yankees haven't moved to Japan. The same reason why Shaq isn't playing in an Italian basketball league. The same reason why Ronaldinho and Beckam dont play soccer in the states........$$$$MONEY$$$$.

Wrong many top fights are 2 non-american's fighting i.e. Pac vs Morales. Why are people in denile about the money? Hatton offered Tzu more money than he would've received in the states or in his native Australia so Tzu went to the UK. You think Tzu wanted to go to the UK and fight at 2am? Also there is a reason why the fight was at 2am.........for the American money.

The reason the New York Yankee's didnt move to Japan is because their fan base is in New York/America.

The reason why Shaq still plays in LA is because his team trains and plays there.

And the reason why Beckham hasnt moved out of Spain to play football is because the league is set out in such a way that you only play within your country against teams across the entire country. In fact in international tournaments and friendly games Beckham has travelled to America. He travelled to America along with the whole Manchester United team to play "soccer" in a tournament held in Brazil. Also played friendly's for England in America, I believe.

Boxing is not a sport that is bound to one location. People travel worldwide to participate in this sport and fight their opponents. Tyson travelled to Japan before, Hatton travelled to America, Lacy and KT came here to the UK, Robin Reid fights in Germany, Kessler fights in Denmark. So whats your point? Is a British ring somehow inferior, less adequate than an American one? Or is this just a piss weak argument for American fighters to stay in their country and reap the benefit of home town support?

The money is in the UK, not America. The talent is worldwide, not exclusively America. The boxing venues are plentiful, and not just confined to Vegas. So whats up?

Then you tried to contradict my point by giving me a working example of how fighters can fight in the UK. Hatton - Tszyu.

So were you arguing with me or on my side?

[TeamPac88]

But Kayjay, do you agree the best exposure for a basketball player is here in the U.S.? There's plenty of great ball players around the world. I never denied it. But the BEST opposition is here in the U.S. That's why the most exposure is here as well.

[Exige Jr]

But Kayjay, do you agree the best exposure for a basketball player is here in the U.S.? There's plenty of great ball players around the world. I never denied it. But the BEST opposition is here in the U.S. That's why the most exposure is here as well.

Why are people even debating using this case study?

Basketball is completely different to boxing and dependent on a more smaller scale locale for events.

Comparing apples to oranges isn't moving the conversation at all.

[TeamPac88]

Hey I wanted to go back to talking about boxing but someone's still arguing about basketball.

[El Jesus]

See this is just the claim that this thread is about, so don't tell me I've brought us off-topic when I only generalized Anorak's point (and yes I was guessing you'd provide the first example.
It's more true in basketball than in boxing, but it's still not entirely true. Not all the best Europeans of the past ten years have played here. I named one prominent example, and there are others. I won't explain his case or others because if you don't know than you don't know enough basketball to be making the point you're making.

You named one example, i could always say X player was outstanding but never played in the NBA.

For every 1 good european who doesnt play in the NBA, there are 20 outstanding american atheletes who either go to jail, drop out of school, get caught up in some dumb ****, or lose focus and endup losing their oppurtunity to play. Anyone whos ever played the game for years or grew up in a high concentrated area of outstanding players ( i grew up in oakland) knows that this is the case in alot of failures of outstanding atheletes.

The only atheletes who have been elite as far as basketball goes but never got a chance are the many eastern bloc former USSR players who never got a shot until later, like Arvedis Sabonis (sp) and the reason why is because Russia can ****in play basketball and its obvious they are good, because alot of their players come here and can play. That doesnt speak for all of europe. Thats one country (or former countries etc)

Not all the best europeans have played here, but being elite in europe is not being elite in america when it comes to basketball, period, the comparison between pro euro leagues and NBA isnt even fathomable.

Dont tell me what i know and what i dont know about basketball because its obvious your reaching when it comes to trying to prove a point about ONE european player who chose to play over in europe, my basektball knowledge isnt somehow going to skyrocket based on knowledge on obscure european players who didint ****in play here because in reality it doesnt matter unless you relish the idea of having knowledge on obscure players, and if thats the case, we can battle about who knows more about Detlef Schrempf, or talk about current obscure european PG, Sarunas Jasikivicius.

Come on man.

[kayjay]

But Kayjay, do you agree the best exposure for a basketball player is here in the U.S.? There's plenty of great ball players around the world. I never denied it. But the BEST opposition is here in the U.S. That's why the most exposure is here as well.

Of course. I'm an NBA fan and an American. But I wouldn't say that the fact that someone plays in Europe is evidence that he can't cut it in the NBA. It's just not true anymore. Black Jesus said exactly what Anorak is accusing us (Americans) of saying about every boxer who doesn't come here: that staying in Europe means they're not good enough to play here. It's both false and shameful, which is a bad combination.

[El Jesus]

Of course. I'm an NBA fan and an American. But I wouldn't say that the fact that someone plays in Europe is evidence that he can't cut it in the NBA. It's just not true anymore. Black Jesus said exactly what Anorak is accusing us (Americans) of saying about every boxer who doesn't come here: that staying in Europe means they're not good enough to play here. It's both false and shameful, which is a bad combination.

Whatever, i never, ever said, if someone plays in europe they cant cut it in the NBA, what i mean by that is that if they were good enough to play here, they would, unless your REALLY bent on playing at home, everyones dream is to play here, the money is here, the fame is here, the love is here.

Think about it, in europe you can be pro at ****ing 15 years old! you cant do that **** here. you can hone your skills for 4 years in a european league and then get the rights to play here by the time your 17/18 etc. If by that age or a little older you still aint here, your not good enough to be here in 99 percent of basektball cases.

Its not false, if you play in europe, past the age of 26 or 27, you likely werent good enough to play here in the first place, because any and all european talent is highly scouted by NBA scouts, all over the world, if they dont see it in you, you likely dont ****ing have it. If your good, your gonna get ****in paid, big. Playing pro basketball is about money, the NBA offers up the most money, if you wanna sit here and talk about how im somehow proving anoraks point, then fine, im not gonna sit here and pretend like i should be salivating over european talent that cant cut it here.