**OFFICIAL 2019 NBA OFFSEASON THREAD**

[a-friend]

PORTLAND, Ore. -- Kobe Bryant has been an outspoken critic of AAU basketball on multiple occasions in the past, saying that it's not teaching the fundamentals of the game to modern generations.

The Los Angeles Lakers icon still carries those beliefs and, when asked, reiterated them Saturday after his final game in Portland against the Trail Blazers.

"I hate it because it doesn't teach our players how to play the right way, how to think the game, how to play in combinations of threes," the 37-year-old Bryant, who is retiring this summer after 20 seasons in the NBA, said following a 121-103 loss at the Moda Center.

"I think everything is a reward system. I think the coaches who are teaching the game are getting rewarded in one fashion or another. It's just a showcase. I think it's absolutely horrible for the game."

Bryant was asked if he believes younger players lack fundamentals whereas his generation understands them more.

"Yeah, but I think that is just by luck in the generation that I grew up in," he said. "My generation is when AAU basketball really started becoming s---. I got lucky because I grew up in Europe and everything there was still fundamental, so I learned all the basics."

Bryant was born in Philadelphia but moved to Europe when he was 6 because his father, former NBA player Joe Bryant, moved overseas to continue his professional basketball career.

"I think we're doing a tremendous disservice to our young basketball players right now," Bryant said. "That's something that definitely needs to be fixed and it's going to definitely be one of the things that I focus on."

This was grumpy old man Kobe at 37 playing with a bunch of kids.

......but.......this is the same thing Hubie said in that quote from 1970's............

 

[wavycrocket]

......but.......this is the same thing Hubie said in that quote from 1970's............

Precisely.....

This talking point sits at the intersection between generational and stereotypical basketball misconception rooted in racism.

Kobe too was wrong when he said it.

 

[lawdog1]

The reason we don't have more star white american basketball players, is because of internalized racism.



Growing up in american culture they've internalized the,black aggressiveness and dominance stereo type and so they look at the sport that most heavily black sports as something they cannot physically compete in.

This idea that white dudes are "less athletic" is all just white dude internalizing racism, there are plenty of athletic white dude but they are too busy trying to become shooters because they think they cant physically never measure up to black male physical dominance.


becoming a soccer fan recently has made this clearer, pleeeeenty of super fast, super athletic, white dudes. but for some reason we seem to have exempted the Tight End position from this.

euros like Luka grew up thinking I wanna be Lebron or James Harden, and didn't put themselves in a "white americna basketball" player box.

Every white dude gotta be a hard worker, or skilled, or tough, except for white tight ends, then we can acknowledge their athleticism.

I agree with this to an extent, but I also think that white players that have the combination of athleticism and size that one typically needs to succeed in football in basketball are more rare than black people with that combination.

Growing up, I was just as or more athletic than probably 85 percent of the minority kids I competed against. But I only wound up 5’8” and didn’t shoot or handle the ball well enough to get further than varsity high school ball. And that’s kind of how it was generally. The white kids that I knew that were the most athletic in the traditional sense (quick, fast, bounce) weren’t taller than 6’.

All that said, I do think the bias/stereotypes are real and do impact how white players perceive their abilities and how they can compete in sports.

 

[Vincent Van Goat]

Go head, Houston

Austin gotta have a revenge tour at staples for doc letting the rockets through the back door to rough Austin up

 

[Maximus Meridius]

Props to Bron for finding wiggle room and doing his best to abolish the nasty infrastructure. Something the Tiger's, Jeter's, and Jordan's didn't give two craps about doing

It's the real source of the Mark Cuban's, Dan Gilbert's outburst about NBA players. Team owners and agents have always had that good ol boys club behind the scenes. Lebron, Rich Paul and Maverick have shaken all that up.

 

[lawdog1]

It's the real source of the Mark Cuban's, Dan Gilbert's outburst about NBA players. Team owners and agents have always had that good ol boys club behind the scenes. Lebron, Rich Paul and Maverick have shaken all that up.

Yeah. It was only a matter of time. MJ becoming a billionaire and buying a team should have started to clue them in. LeBron and Klutch are taking it to the next level though.

 

[Humbled]

Rockets really signed Austin Rivers

You ****** really spoke it into existence

 

[HOU$TON]

 

[osh kosh bosh]

I agree with this to an extent, but I also think that white players that have the combination of athleticism and size that one typically needs to succeed in football in basketball are more rare than black people with that combination.

Growing up, I was just as or more athletic than probably 85 percent of the minority kids I competed against. But I only wound up 5’8” and didn’t shoot or handle the ball well enough to get further than varsity high school ball. And that’s kind of how it was generally. The white kids that I knew that were the most athletic in the traditional sense (quick, fast, bounce) weren’t taller than 6’.

All that said, I do think the bias/stereotypes are real and do impact how white players perceive their abilities and how they can compete in sports.

I don't then maybe...but how come white dudes dominate the tight end position?

Gronk, greg olsen back in the day and Travis Kelce, Zach Ertz, all seem plenty athletic.

 

[nick.]

 

[RustyShackleford]

Cuban got some stupid views about race relations and racism too, outside of just basketball.

 

[lawdog1]

Austin getting cut as soon as CP byke...LOL.

 

[pums]

Cuban basically said it. It's a tired stereotype that Cuban is alluding to. That black kids don't get taught the fundamentals of hoop growing up, and that all they do is run and jump, w/no formal training which is ridiculous

Well it can be racist but it can also be true. A lot of NBA players made it to the NBA cause they’re athletic freaks with not much skills.
They dominated the lower leagues almost purely cause of athleticism but cant do it the nba think of how Simmons said he didnt work on jumper cause he didnt need to. Jerami Grant and OG made it to the league with no sauce and shooting. The euros who made it to the nba are more “skilled “ cause they have to be since theyre less athletic. The best of the best are of course skilled athletic and high iq guys.

 

[nick.]

 

[jjs07]

USA dominates at every level of international hoops. I think our player development, in comparison to Europe, is going just fine.

 

[pums]

Also asian genetics are a joke man.
Ive seen the asian under 18’s up close dudes are so physically under developed.

 

[Vincent Van Goat]

Several members of the team felt Austin acted entitled because his dad was both the coach and the President of Basketball Operations. In the view of the tenured players, Austin Rivers never tried to fit in, and when players tried to address the situation with him, he still did not respond the way the core of the team wanted him to. It led to resentment within the locker room, which often played out during games. One of Paul’s biggest contentions with Doc was that Paul, and other players, felt Doc treated Austin more favorably than other players. He would yell at guys for certain things during games and practices, but not get on Austin in the same manner for similar transgressions.

But what really solidified Paul’s dissatisfaction with Doc was a proposed trade involving Carmelo Anthony last season. New York offered Carmelo and Sasha Vujacic to the Clippers in exchange for Jamal Crawford, Paul Pierceand Austin Rivers, a deal to which Rivers ultimately said no. That event led Paul to feel that keeping his son on the roster was more important to Doc than improving the team. So, ultimately, Paul lost both trust and faith in Doc. As one league executive put it, “Chris despises Doc.”

 

[lawdog1]

I don't then maybe...but how come white dudes dominate the tight end position?

Gronk, greg olsen back in the day and Travis Kelce, Zach Ertz, all seem plenty athletic.

Right. I didn’t say those kind of white athletes don’t exist; I said they’re more rare than black athletes that have both elite size and elite athleticism. You’re talking about like the best one percent of one percent of people white athletes. I was speaking on a much more general basis.

 

[a-friend]

Rockets really signed Austin Rivers

You *****s really spoke it into existence

Rox better grab Jimmer.

 

[sohi 23]

From almost beating the warriors to a backcourt of B-Knight, MCW & Austin Rivers.


Morey washed.

 

[drewsone]

Also asian genetics are a joke man.
Ive seen the asian under 18’s up close dudes are so physically under developed.

Stop hating on my folk man

 

[P C H]

Vincent Van Goat That Michael Eaves piece was proven to be BS, I thought. The Carmelo to LAC deal was never on the table.

 

[JD617]

The "Here comes Austin Rivers!" vid will never not be funny.

 

[P C H]

If you squint hard enough, you can see Austin as being a worthy gamble for them.

Before 30 games w/washington, he spent the last two seasons as being one of the best isolation players and step back 3pt shooters in the league. In MDA's system that promotes heavy isolation, it could work.

It may not, but it's a worthy gamble. Could of done a lot worse.

 

[P C H]

Well it can be racist but it can also be true. A lot of NBA players made it to the NBA cause they’re athletic freaks with not much skills.
.

Haha hell nah. You're not making to the NBA off of pure athleticism. Maybe 1% of all NBA players make it to the NBA "cause they're athletic freaks w/not much skill"

Their skills may not translate to the NBA once they get there, thus appearing like they have no "skill," but most of them absolutely displayed a vast amount of skill at some point to get to the league, even if it isn't "skill" in the traditional sense.