Olympic Basketball Preview: Nigeria's Chances

This topic contains 30 replies, has 11 voices, and was last updated by JoeWolf1 11 years, 9 months ago.

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Posted on: Sat, 07/14/2012 - 3:13am #41831

Rotela
Participant
With a group consisting of USA, Lithuania, France, Tunisia and Argentina, a lot of anaylysts are predicted that Nigeria will come 2nd from bottom, But I dont think so, I see them coming third just behind USA and Lithuania, the College b.ball scene has done a lot of wonders for Nigerian basketball, read the preview here
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Posted on: Sat, 07/14/2012 - 3:27am #695841

phila9012
Participant
I am rootiing for them, a lot of them grew up in America and their families live in America, also I think like 10 of their players went to American colleges, so as far as I am concerned they are America’s second mens basketball team in the olympics.They are also underdogs, and they have tony skinn from George Masons run to the final four, he was there starting point guard. in other words america needs to get behind this team because they are the opposite of the USA team, because they have one nba player (al faruque aminu) and the rest play some where else around the world. It is always nice rooting for an underdog and this is america’s underdog.
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Posted on: Sat, 07/14/2012 - 3:34am #695843

MJ FOR LIFE 23
Participant
Having beaten Greece by a hairline, Nigeria is a Dark Horse. They can match France’s Athleticism but most of their players have NBA experience or are currently playing in the NBA and not college like Nigeria’s players so France has an edge there. Lithuania is a perennial powerhouse with very deadly shooters so they can be streaky (with the emergence of Valanciunas, they can be deadly inside too), so Nigeria might be able to squeak past them. They can definitely beat Tunisia. Argentina is also a perennial powerhouse off , coming off 2 medal winning Olympic tournaments including gold, so they will be very hungry. Scola will be a tough guard so will be Ginobli and Delfino. USA is out of the winning table.
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Posted on: Sat, 07/14/2012 - 6:57am #695888

Rotela
Participant
If we can get more Nigerian-born Americans to play for us, I beleive we can rival the USA in future lol……Andre Iguodala should be playing for Nigeria…
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- Posted on: Sat, 07/14/2012 - 9:26am #695918
  
  JoeWolf1
  Igoudala was born in Illinois and has lived in the U.S. his entire life. I don’t follow your reasoning.
  His dad is Nigerian, but I don’t think a U.S. born player who lived his whole life in the country "should" be playing for Nigeria.
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  - Posted on: Sat, 07/14/2012 - 3:43pm #696070
    
    Rotela
    Participant
    Dude Iguodala’s dad is Nigerian, that makes him eligible to Nigerian citizenship, he has Nigerian blood, his last name is IGUODALA !!!!! last time i checked that is a Nigerian name from Edo State in Nigeria, if you dont know, you better get to know…..Watchout as well because the Nigerian team will be looking to get Jahlil Okafor, Rasheed Sulaimon and Beejay Anya.
    When you guys stole Hakeem Olajuwon I didnt hear no one complaining !!!!!!
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    - Posted on: Sat, 07/14/2012 - 6:42pm #696170
      
      JoeWolf1
      I understand the sentiment pertaining to Americans as self entitled imperialists, but you’re really twisting my words to make your case. I have no problem with Americans playing for other national teams in which they have a ethnic connection, but rather that one would be obligated to play for another country’s team because they are technically eligable.
      Everyone in America is mixed race. Everyone. No one is complaining Joakim Noah is playing for France, but there is no ethnic obligation for Igoudala to play for Nigeria. None. He’s 50% American too. We’re all mixed race over here. We don’t care if US citizens play for other countries,so don’t assume some over patriotic response to a US citizen choosing to play for his home country even though he is eligible to play for a country, in which he has a lesser connection.
      I realize what perception the US had abroad, but this offensive attitude and joint assumptions is not separating yourselves at all.
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Posted on: Sat, 07/14/2012 - 9:09am #695912

European Baller
Participant
If they play with the same refs that they had at the qualification tournament – then they have an excellent chance to win gold.
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- Posted on: Sat, 07/14/2012 - 9:26am #695920
  
  Rotela
  Participant
  you mean the same refs we always see in the NBA
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Posted on: Sat, 07/14/2012 - 9:35am #695925

Wahoo757
Participant
Yawn. Looking at the grand scope of things Nigeria will be irrelevant, they’re definitely not beating USA, Argentina or France.
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Posted on: Sat, 07/14/2012 - 9:53am #695931

Da1pot
Participant
They are pretty decent actually but they are in a group with one deadly team in the U.S. and three very good teams in Argentina, France and Lithuania. If they were in Group B, they would fare much better- as they can probably beat Great Britain, China and Australia. China is not that good without Yao Ming and Australia is not that good without Andrew Bogut.
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Posted on: Sat, 07/14/2012 - 11:42am #695971

European Baller
Participant
Like I said, if they have the same refs as at Venezuela, then they can win the gold, and definitely will be a lock for silver.
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Posted on: Sat, 07/14/2012 - 11:45am #695976

European Baller
Participant
Igoudala was born in Illinois and has lived in the U.S. his entire life. I don’t follow your reasoning.
His dad is Nigerian, but I don’t think a U.S. born player who lived his whole life in the country "should" be playing for Nigeria.

What the hell are you talking about? 9-10 of their players were born and raised in US. Who cares? They are citizens under Nigerian laws.

Why the hell does US get to use players from other countries in their national team like,

Seikally
Kerr
Olajuwon
Ewing
Wilkins
Boozer

etc……….but no one else can.

Americans are so damn hypocrticial and full of it. If Iguodala can’t play for Nigeria then neither can 75% of their current roster genius.

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- Posted on: Sat, 07/14/2012 - 2:01pm #696051
  
  LerinErin
  Participant
  That every player mentioned above is an American citizen?
  Boozer and Wilkins parents were in us military and stationed overseas.
  Hakkem became a us citizen before the 1996 Olympics. Ewing became a citizen at about 12 years old. Silkily became a us citizen and Kerr always was a citizen according to wikipedia
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Posted on: Sat, 07/14/2012 - 4:46pm #696089

phila9012
Participant
to me if you grow up in america or with american parents who are in the american military around the world you are american. Nigeria just takes those guys because they couldn’t make the US national team, that is fine with me, but dont complain about nigeria because they are an american team, this happens in soccer to the american national soccer team where we just get anyone who can find away to get an american passport, just like nigeria and a decent amount of other national teams do in basketball and that is just the way it is so deal with it
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Posted on: Sat, 07/14/2012 - 5:11pm #696113

aamir543
Participant
I don’t see guys playing for countries other than US unless they were born there, or like it is in Luol Deng’s case, where he was naturalized in Britan.
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Posted on: Sat, 07/14/2012 - 5:23pm #696118

llperez
@ european baller, he said "should" play for nigeria and even added the parenthesis to point out the word "should". He didnt say that iggy or anyone cant play for another country, but why "should" he play for a country he wasnt born in and never lived in and never played in?
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Posted on: Sat, 07/14/2012 - 5:27pm #696119

llperez
personally, i wouldnt want anyone represneting the usa in the olympics unless they identified themselves as a us citizen first and formeost over any other country they may have ties to. If you have never lived in the usa, you werent born here and dont play here, then you shouldnt be representing the usa in the olympics. I guess some other countires need the best athletes possible and put true national representation second over a chance at success.
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Posted on: Sat, 07/14/2012 - 6:08pm #696148

European Baller
Participant
That every player mentioned above is an American citizen?
Boozer and Wilkins parents were in us military and stationed overseas.
Hakkem became a us citizen before the 1996 Olympics. Ewing became a citizen at about 12 years old. Silkily became a us citizen and Kerr always was a citizen according to wikipedia

WTF is your point? Iguodala is a citizen of Nigeria too. Americans are soooo funny.
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Posted on: Sat, 07/14/2012 - 6:10pm #696150

European Baller
Participant
to me if you grow up in america or with american parents who are in the american military around the world you are american. Nigeria just takes those guys because they couldn’t make the US national team, that is fine with me, but dont complain about nigeria because they are an american team, this happens in soccer to the american national soccer team where we just get anyone who can find away to get an american passport, just like nigeria and a decent amount of other national teams do in basketball and that is just the way it is so deal with it

And if you are born with Nigerian blood, you are Nigerian – deal with it.
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Posted on: Sat, 07/14/2012 - 6:14pm #696151

European Baller
Participant
personally, i wouldnt want anyone represneting the usa in the olympics unless they identified themselves as a us citizen first and formeost over any other country they may have ties to. If you have never lived in the usa, you werent born here and dont play here, then you shouldnt be representing the usa in the olympics. I guess some other countires need the best athletes possible and put true national representation second over a chance at success.

Right if they are born "on an American military base" they are "Americans", but for any other country it won’t count so they are "foreigners that they were desperate to psy to play for them"…….
No end to the amount of ignorance as usual from every NBA fan.
Why the hell should Kobe even be playing for Team USA then? Since his whole formative life was in Italy.
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- Posted on: Sat, 07/14/2012 - 6:28pm #696164
  
  LerinErin
  Participant
  You are deluded Kobe moved to Italy when he was 6 lived there for 7 years. Even when he was in Italy he returned to USA every summer to play Summer hoops .
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Posted on: Sat, 07/14/2012 - 6:23pm #696159

JoeWolf1
You misunderstood my tone. When I used the word “should” I was referring to the original comment in which he used the word implying he should not be playing for the American team because his dad is Nigerian.
I understand the rules, man. I wasn’t trying to make some pro-American statement, but rather state that Igoudala has no obligation to play for Nigeria.
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Posted on: Sat, 07/14/2012 - 7:25pm #696182

llperez
Euro ballet is wither trolling or just dumb. Explain, even though you have already been asked this, why iffy SHOULD play for Nigeria
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Posted on: Sat, 07/14/2012 - 11:18pm #696226

Rotela
Participant
And how do you know what I was implying, I only said "should" because I know that the US are a talented side and could do without Iguodala, Nigeria are up and coming and we are looking for our lost sons to play for us, so any help will do, I recognise that they all grew up in America and I respect that, but the fact is, without the imput of a Nigerian they wouldnt be threre in the first place, and its not like they are 4th or 5th generation Nigerians, these are the first generation Nigerians. Imagine a starting five of
Ben Uzoh (Raptors)
Kelenna Azubuike (Cleveland Cavaliers)
Al Farouq Aminu (New Orleans Hornets)
Ike Diogu (China)
Festus Ezeli (Golden State Warriors)
You guys arent complaining to the fact that you all stole Hakeem the Dream, if Hakeem was fully American he would have been recognised as the best centre of all time, but because he is Nigerian, you all down play his achievements.
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Posted on: Sun, 07/15/2012 - 6:48am #696279

JoeWolf1
Well, I asked you a question in a very calm and un-inflamitory way.
“Igoudala was born in Illinois and has lived in the U.S. his entire life. I don’t follow your reasoning.”
And you responded with this…
“Dude Iguodala’s dad is Nigerian, that makes him eligible to Nigerian citizenship, he has Nigerian blood, his last name is IGUODALA !!!!! last time i checked that is a Nigerian name from Edo State in Nigeria, if you dont know, you better get to know…..Watchout as well because the Nigerian team will be looking to get Jahlil Okafor, Rasheed Sulaimon and Beejay Anya.
When you guys stole Hakeem Olajuwon I didnt hear no one complaining !!!!!!”
You didn’t respond to me in a way in which I could understand what you were implying.
Also, you’re seriously going to rag on me about Hakeem Olajuwon? He is one of my favorite players of all time, and the most skilled center of all time, in my opinion. Most Americans don’t care if American players go play elsewhere. I wouldn’t be pissed if Igoudala did go play for Nigeria, I was merely asking why? I don’t get it. Everyone in America is mixed race, I don’t associate myself as Italian or Sweedish, but that is what “blood” I have. It would make no sense for me to represent Italy in anything. I’ve never been there! I get that players do that, and that’s fine, I respect anyone’s desire to get in touch with their ethnic roots, but I don’t think anyone “should” or feel obligated to do so. Especially since Igoudala is equally American.
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Posted on: Sun, 07/15/2012 - 7:08am #696288

joecheck88
Participant
Iguodala is a borderline Olympic player for team USA. He could have played for Nigeria before he ever tried to play for USA. Once you play for USA you can’t play for another country.
So let me ask you this. If Iguodala was no guarantee to make the USA squad, why didn’t he just play for Nigeria? Probably because he identifies himself as an American. Stop thinking these guys have an obligation to a country when they don’t. The guys that play for USA have a choice and they chose to play for us.
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Posted on: Sun, 07/15/2012 - 10:31am #696377

Rotela
Participant
No one said they have an obligation, I’m just saying he could have played for Nigeria that’s all, you guys cant twist it however you like, bottom line is that he is first generation Nigerian-America, he chose to identufy with the US and thats fine….and please explain to me how Igudoala is mix-raced, do you even know the definition of mixed-race ?
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- Posted on: Sun, 07/15/2012 - 1:40pm #696459
  
  JoeWolf1
  Where in any of my posts did I say Igoudala, specifically, was mixed race?
  Oh, yeah, I didn’t. I don’t know Andre Igoudala’s family tree, but since his mom is an African-American, it wouldn’t surprise me if he had Native American or white ancestry was in his family tree hundreds of years ago.
  I’m really over this arguement, but since you don’t seem to understand…
  A large portion of Americans are mixed race because we are a country made up of immigrants from other parts of the world. There are so many different races of people living in America that many people who may look white or black or Native American, are in fact a combination of many different races.
  Here are many examples of mixed race Americans.
  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multiracial_American
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Posted on: Sun, 07/15/2012 - 10:37am #696382

European Baller
Participant
You misunderstood my tone. When I used the word "should" I was referring to the original comment in which he used the word implying he should not be playing for the American team because his dad is Nigerian.
I understand the rules, man. I wasn’t trying to make some pro-American statement, but rather state that Igoudala has no obligation to play for Nigeria.

Sorry.

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Posted on: Sun, 07/15/2012 - 10:40am #696383

European Baller
Participant
Imagine a starting five of
Ben Uzoh (Raptors)
Kelenna Azubuike (Cleveland Cavaliers)
Al Farouq Aminu (New Orleans Hornets)
Ike Diogu (China)
Festus Ezeli (Golden State Warriors)

If you are new to international basketball please STOP the NBA only fan obsession.
Skinn > Uzoh
Obashoan/Dagundoro > Azubuike (not even close on this one)

Please do not spread this insane and riduclous NBA only fan disease to Nigerian basketball.

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Olympic Basketball Preview: Nigeria’s Chances