[alingeParticipant]

If it is ok with you, to make it easier I will call them Fred Smith and John Smith from now on.

[European BasketballerParticipant]

Athanasios “Thanasis” Adetokunbo means……

Immortal crown from the sea

Ioannis “Giannis” Adetokunbo means….

John (God is generous) crown from the sea

Maybe this helps?

[alingeParticipant]

EH???

[King CaluchaParticipant]

Actually I understand what you’re talking about. It makes sense… he’s just trying to tell us the right spelling for those names. I mean… no one’s getting killed by the mistake, but they can be corrected, right?

[European BasketballerParticipant]

I see everywhere the names spelled wrong. Look………..

it should be spelled as Adetokunbo for direct Nigerian name in English, or as Antetokoumpo if you want to take the Greek spelling.

Giannis, is the common form of the name. So that’s fine, but really the formal form should be used if you are using Athanasios for the brother Thanasis, which you are.

So then it should be Ioannis Adetokunbo, or otherwise then it should be Thanasis Adetokunbo.

Please at least spell their names right here, since so many sites are spelling it wrong. And just as an example, since they are Greek, their ACTUAL real name is spelled as Antetokoumpo.

[TyroberParticipant]

Check it out!
http://nbadraft.net/forum/big-ups-euro-baller

[mcbaileyParticipant]

Look, all I know is that Snuffaluffegus guy can play.

[AwardedBallerParticipant]

I have the worst headache now, wow.

[BenchWarmerParticipant]

Anbamupedo or Adbenkobumba, what’s the difference? A couple u’s, q’s and r’s.

[GronounoursParticipant]

You understand why Greek players aren’t allowed to play in the NBA the minute you hear their names. It’s not racism, it’s just lack of marketability.

[Aran SmithKeymaster]

The spelling came from their father so would you like to tell him that he’s wrong?
 

[Aran SmithKeymaster]

Euroballer-

I appreciate the heads up on these guys, as I’m sure some "other" draft sites do. But you would have more credibility here if you weren’t so accusational and blindly Greek-centric. No one here is trying to sabotage Greek prospects. (remember Sofoklis Schortsanitis, Giorgos Printezis, Kostas Papanikolaou). We loved Sofoklis back in the day and gave him tons of hype. "Greek Shaq"… He ate himself out of the NBA.

Is this proof enough for you on the "Adetokoubo" brother’s correct spelling?

https://twitter.com/Adeto_kouboS  "AthanasiosAdetokoubo"

[European BasketballerParticipant]

But does NBA and FIBA use the spelling the player does, or the one from their passport?

Adetokoubo is how you transliterate the name from Greek to English……….

But it’s not the actual spelling. Let me give an example then of some other Greek players so you understand.

Kostas Vasilieadis

His name is transliterated to English as Vassiliadis or Vasiliadis. First one would be more correct. I think he spells it as Vasiliadis himself.

But the actual direct translation would be Vasileiadis. If you would check it, FIBA, ACB League, and everything officially his name is Vasileiadis. If you would even notice how Euroleague has it written “Vasiliadis”……..on his jersey numbers in ACB or FIBA or Eurocup or Euroleague it says “Vasileiadis”.

This is what I am trying to explain.

Nigerian name is Adetokunbo.

Greek spelling of this is Antetokoumpo.

English transliteration could Adetokoubo, Adetocunbo, etc.

But how is this actually going to be in official documents? It’s going to be something like Adetokunbo or Antetokoumpo, or at least it should be.

I mean this is how it is for all other Greek players. You realize that say for example, Nikos Georgallis – he is “Nick Galis” in USA, but his actual name is Nikos Georgallis. See how different the spelling is?

Or let’s say, you have someone like Nick Calathes. In USA he is just “Nick Calathes”, of course the actual name would Kalathis. They changed the spelling from Kalathis to Calathes for US passports. But how is it spelled in a Greek passport? Kalathis.

So, I am just saying…….does NBA use the personal spelling a player chooses, or one that is actually an official document one? Because then I am pretty sure on Greek passport it should be spelled Antetokoumpo.

[European BasketballerParticipant]

Aran about Greek players………….

I have seen comments here and other draft sites like, “Pappas is too slow and non athletic to play in NBA”.

Or, “Spanoulis can’t play in the NBA because he’s not athletic enough and he can’t guard anyone.”

I am sorry, but these kinds of statements are BIASED, FALSE, and totally UNTRUE.

So when sites say things like that, and typically it is more than not being directed at GREEK players, it makes people wonder why these things are being said.

I am sorry if that upsets you, but you have to understand some basic things. If you say stuff like that which is NOT TRUE and you constantly direct it to Greek players more than others, it makes it seem like some agenda is there.

Sorry, but that is just how it looks. Maybe you do not intend this at all, but you are nonetheless saying such things which are totally false and it makes it imply that.

I mean if Spanoulis is not at NBA level by athleticism and defense, then neither is 90-95 percent of the current point guards in the NBA. But yet I have seen those statements made here several times by this website. So something is definitely not right in how some Greek players are being discussed.

[European BasketballerParticipant]

I’m not accusing, I’m just pointing out some really obviously huge false claims that are made about some Greek players as an example. I can bring up more. But that’s the point. It happens and seems mostly directed at Greek players, which is just odd.

[Aran SmithKeymaster]

Ultimately they can spell their name however they want. For instance Nene Hilario legally dropped the Hilario. So if having a specific spelling is important to them it will be how they want it. If on a passport it is spelled a certain way, yes the NBA may take that spelling, so the translation could get complicated. Anyway, I will go with the spelling on the older brother’s twitter and what their father says for now.

As far as Greek players go, you have to admit you hype up some pretty ridiculous Greek prospects as if they will become NBA stars. Anyone can watch the highlights of most of these guys and see they have no shot at the NBA, yet you convince yourself that they do.

Pappas is a nice Euro prospect, but yes he is not quick or athletic enough for NBA. I don’t think you will find many people outside of Greece that would disagree with that. Spanoulis is a legend there and had a short stint in NBA. He could have been a Barea level player with the right set of circumstances. He had a short run and went back to be a legend in Greece. He made the right decision. Better to be a superstar there than a bench guy in NBA. Right? So no reason to feel bad about him, or think the NBA had it out for him.

If you want to know the truth, there is a bias towards Greek players among NBA scouts. (like the perception that California or West Coast players tend to be softer) It is due to the fact that scouts view Greek culture as a beach culture and on average players tend to be more laid back. (there are plenty of exceptions like Papanikolou, but this is the perception). That perception is reinforced by recent history as Greek players (like Russian) have proven to have a harder time adapting to living outside their country and becoming NBA players. European scouts claim it is true not only adjusting to USA/NBA but also outside of Greece in Europe, Antonis Fotsis, etc etc. But this bias/perception isn’t universal, and it’s not to say Greek players are not given a chance. But as a draft prognosticator, it helps to understand how scouts perceive things…. Not to bust your balls, but what Greek player (non US or Serbian) has ever "made it" in the NBA? There really haven’t been any.
 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Greek_NBA_players
 

[European BasketballerParticipant]

You have never seen Spanoulis play. Sorry. End of story. You are just being ridiculous with things you say about him.

[mcbaileyParticipant]

We’re talking about Vassilis Spanoulis, right? The guy who compared the Rocket’s not releasing him to slavery? The guy who kept shooting bricks when he was with the Rockets?

[alingeParticipant]

Here are Spanoulis’s stats when he was with the Rockets
2.7 ppg, 0.9 apg, 0.7 rpg, 0.2 spg and he only played 8 minutes a game over 31 games

is it fair to say this guy was not NBA calibre. At the time Rockets coach Jeff Van Gundy (who i’m sure you will tell me is a racist) said about Spanoulis

“I feel badly for him. He feels he was misled. Frankly, he’s been his own worst enemy in many ways. Some of it is excuses. His turnovers have been high; his fouls have been high; his shooting percentage has been low. I would rather anybody start out with self-evaluation — what can I do better? — versus lash out and blame.”

Hardly a ringing endorsement of Spanoulis’s attitude or ability

[European BasketballerParticipant]

Anyone that says Spanoulis is not athletic enough for NBA, that he could be at best a Barea type player………….

this person is either never seen him play, is lying, they know nothing about basketball, the are trolling, or they are on drugs or something.

How can these NBA scouts expect to be taken seriously when they say outlandishly ludicrous things like this?

I just seriously hope to God that the answer is having never seen him play and just making up nonsense. And it really is something to have Aran admit there IS a bias against Greek players…….even though all the denials come for years.

Saying Spanoulis could be Barea at best is equivalent to saying Jordan could be JR Smith at best.

[mcbaileyParticipant]

What are you talking about? Comparing him to Barea is a compliment.

And frankly, it’s probably being kind.

[European BasketballerParticipant]

Barea himself would laugh his ass off at anyone saying he is as good as Spanoulis. You are a complete CLOWN with no basketball knowledge if you think Barea is as good as Spanoulis is.

I mean it’s beyond even words really.

That’s just got to be a 100% proof Aran never even saw him play before. And just so you know, Spanoulis is the worst nightmare of all history for Puerto Rico national team. But of course you would not know that.

Lol at Barea………just ridiculous.

[JoeWolf1]

He just doesn’t understand the draft process, and I doubt he ever will. I know he doesn’t watch NCAA basketball except for “5 or 6 games in the NCAA tournament” and he has no idea how the Greek players he watches every night compare to other draft prospects, nor the style of game the NBA plays.

He bashes us for not knowing as much as he does about the European game, yet he himself knows virtually nothing about American basketball, especially at the collegiate level. He is a contradiction, he hates us for our one sided knowlege, yet he himself has only one sided knowledge.

I’ve deduced he’s very angry and bored.

[Lotto StudParticipant]

I concur! Or shall I say Koncur (Greek translation)

[European BasketballerParticipant]

False. I just don’t like this RACIST and it is racist way of this talk like –

“This player is good for Euroleague but can’t play in NBA because he’s too slow and not athletic enough”.

When they are talking this shit about players way more quick and athletic than whole bunches of current NBA players. What part of this complaint of mine don’t you understand?

You just come back with, “this players is not athletic enough” but YOU ARE LYING because they are MORE athletic than lots of NBA players.

How can you really be this way?

“X player can’t play in NBA. Not athletic enough. Can only play in Euroleague.” When talking about guys MORE athletic than lots of NBA players.

Someone calls you on your lies, and then you say, “you just don’t get. You just don’t understand. They are not athletic enough for NBA.”

Oh no pal, I GET IT. It’s RACIST code words.

“not athletic enough” means the guy isn’t black. What you don’t get is that I understand your racist code words. And evidently YOU will never get it.

[Author]

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