Kobe Bryant Claims European Players Are Better Than American Ones, Blames AAU

 Does anyone doubt this to be true? Just look the FT% of American trained players vs Euros. 

 Does anyone doubt this to be true? Just look the FT% of American trained players vs Euros. 

I didn’t read the Kobe comments, but I have zero doubt the euro system focuses better on skill development, particularly from a team perspective. With that said, the Europeans are not better and are not producing better players then America so if Kobe said Europeans are better then he’s clearly wrong. America has better athletes and a tougher mental approach with I think American one on one street ball supports while Europeans ar better at passing, ball movement and general finesse skills. Ball handling is probably equal from both.

I didn’t read the Kobe comments, but I have zero doubt the euro system focuses better on skill development, particularly from a team perspective. With that said, the Europeans are not better and are not producing better players then America so if Kobe said Europeans are better then he’s clearly wrong. America has better athletes and a tougher mental approach with I think American one on one street ball supports while Europeans ar better at passing, ball movement and general finesse skills. Ball handling is probably equal from both.

Just read the ESPN article aderito, you might want to change your thread title, Kobe never said that Europeans are better basketball players then Americans.

Just read the ESPN article aderito, you might want to change your thread title, Kobe never said that Europeans are better basketball players then Americans.

 America benefits from a much more organized system in regards to youth basketball. Young European players are treated  like hockey players in the U.S. and Canada. College doesn’t mean anything. Going pro is everything. Semi professional teams are the next step after the age of 15-16. I feel at a younger age they have a more professional environment which focuses on fundamentals. 

Also, black American athletes benefit from historical selective breeding which blesses them with the superior athletic ability which in turns lets them cut corners. I am not racist I am just stating the truth. 

 America benefits from a much more organized system in regards to youth basketball. Young European players are treated  like hockey players in the U.S. and Canada. College doesn’t mean anything. Going pro is everything. Semi professional teams are the next step after the age of 15-16. I feel at a younger age they have a more professional environment which focuses on fundamentals. 

Also, black American athletes benefit from historical selective breeding which blesses them with the superior athletic ability which in turns lets them cut corners. I am not racist I am just stating the truth. 

Watch an NBA game and look at certain things that players don’t do…  No one boxes out…  Kevin Love is one guy that always box out and he’s normally Top 3 leading rebounder…  Most big guys just go up for the boards…  I rarely see that in AAU too…  No one takes mid-range shots unless it’s a pull up in traffic…  In fact, players rather pull up from 3 than at the freethrow line…  Which is crazy because the NBA thrived on mid range and low post game for generations…  As good as a shooter Bird was he didn’t take many 3’s…  Yet, nowadays the low post and mid range is all but abandon..  

Gone are the days of 7 foot guys that are unstoppable on the low block…  You could point to the Centers like Ewing, Smits, Robinson, The Dream etc…  But even the guys after them playing PF were good down there too…  Webber, KG, Duncan, Rasheed, McDyess etc…  Now? Everyone is almost a face up 4/5 with no low post game…  Look at all the young American big men in the NBA…  Only one has a back to the basket game and he was a headcase (which could be attributed to AAU ball) for his first 4 years… He just NOW got it (Cousins)…  We raved about Embiid last year and Okafor this year because we don’t see these kind of players anymore..  Yea, run and gun can win a ton of games, but you’ll need easy buckets in the playoffs…  Without a legit back to the basket guy in the lowpost, I don’t see how you can win a championship…  Those shooting and passing windows become smaller in the playoffs…  LeBron didn’t win until he went down there…  Just food for thought..

Watch an NBA game and look at certain things that players don’t do…  No one boxes out…  Kevin Love is one guy that always box out and he’s normally Top 3 leading rebounder…  Most big guys just go up for the boards…  I rarely see that in AAU too…  No one takes mid-range shots unless it’s a pull up in traffic…  In fact, players rather pull up from 3 than at the freethrow line…  Which is crazy because the NBA thrived on mid range and low post game for generations…  As good as a shooter Bird was he didn’t take many 3’s…  Yet, nowadays the low post and mid range is all but abandon..  

Gone are the days of 7 foot guys that are unstoppable on the low block…  You could point to the Centers like Ewing, Smits, Robinson, The Dream etc…  But even the guys after them playing PF were good down there too…  Webber, KG, Duncan, Rasheed, McDyess etc…  Now? Everyone is almost a face up 4/5 with no low post game…  Look at all the young American big men in the NBA…  Only one has a back to the basket game and he was a headcase (which could be attributed to AAU ball) for his first 4 years… He just NOW got it (Cousins)…  We raved about Embiid last year and Okafor this year because we don’t see these kind of players anymore..  Yea, run and gun can win a ton of games, but you’ll need easy buckets in the playoffs…  Without a legit back to the basket guy in the lowpost, I don’t see how you can win a championship…  Those shooting and passing windows become smaller in the playoffs…  LeBron didn’t win until he went down there…  Just food for thought..

 He should take a page out of the Charles Barkley playbook and tell kids "I am not a basketball role model.  Bird and Magic are basketball role models.  Don’t do what Kobe does."

 He should take a page out of the Charles Barkley playbook and tell kids "I am not a basketball role model.  Bird and Magic are basketball role models.  Don’t do what Kobe does."

1 on 1 vs team ball with fluidity. The NBA rules has something to do with this also, man to man vs zones and particularly the Shaq rule. The NBA made it harder to post and why post as a kid if nobody will throw you the ball. I think growing up watching American stars is what’s holding kids back. Iverson, Kobe, Jordan made a generation of players think one on one was the best way to play basketball. Since Magic and Stockton, the only passer we pumped up was Nash.  Lebron is a good passer because he idolized Magic not Jordan. 

AAU does contribute because there is little continuity and players are the ones with power. If a coach is hard on you or forcing you to learn versus showcase you just leave to whoever will give you free stuff. All fast breaks and no defense or scheme. But just fix AAU, it doesn’t need to be demonized, it does pit the best versus best. The EYBL is a great example, its not technically AAU but it serves the same purpose just in a better way. 

Amercans learn the Marbury/Kobe method of passing, you do it when absolutely necessary or when you want an assist, not just move the ball for ball movement sake. 

The real problem with AAU is that it rewards coaches/teams for getting and influencing top players not developing them as men or players. 

All Kobe did was say the problem ws AAU, not how to fix it or what to replace it with. It was not some brilliant revelation. Some of the problem is indicative of specialization versus well roundedness and has all type of cultural imperatives. 

1 on 1 vs team ball with fluidity. The NBA rules has something to do with this also, man to man vs zones and particularly the Shaq rule. The NBA made it harder to post and why post as a kid if nobody will throw you the ball. I think growing up watching American stars is what’s holding kids back. Iverson, Kobe, Jordan made a generation of players think one on one was the best way to play basketball. Since Magic and Stockton, the only passer we pumped up was Nash.  Lebron is a good passer because he idolized Magic not Jordan. 

AAU does contribute because there is little continuity and players are the ones with power. If a coach is hard on you or forcing you to learn versus showcase you just leave to whoever will give you free stuff. All fast breaks and no defense or scheme. But just fix AAU, it doesn’t need to be demonized, it does pit the best versus best. The EYBL is a great example, its not technically AAU but it serves the same purpose just in a better way. 

Amercans learn the Marbury/Kobe method of passing, you do it when absolutely necessary or when you want an assist, not just move the ball for ball movement sake. 

The real problem with AAU is that it rewards coaches/teams for getting and influencing top players not developing them as men or players. 

All Kobe did was say the problem ws AAU, not how to fix it or what to replace it with. It was not some brilliant revelation. Some of the problem is indicative of specialization versus well roundedness and has all type of cultural imperatives. 

 Are European white Players Better Than American whites?

 Are European white Players Better Than American whites?