Monday, March 29th, 2010 at 10:00 am  |  69 responses

Gregg Popovich Hates the Term ‘World Champions’

Pop truly is the best, as the Boston Herald reveals: “The Spurs coach isn’t disputing any of Bill Russell’s titles, and he isn’t saying the Lakers actually beat the Celts in 2008. But he is a bit perturbed by the use of the word ‘world.’ ‘There are no world champions in the NBA, so anybody that has the flag up that says world champions is not correct,’ said Popovich prior to last night’s 94-73 Spurs win. ‘It’s not appropriate. The world champions, I believe, are the Spanish team right now. USA is the Olympic champion. The Lakers are the NBA champion. It doesn’t make sense for an NBA team to call themselves world champions. I don’t remember anybody playing anybody outside our borders to get that tag. Isn’t that true? I keep waiting for somebody to tell me I’ve missed something.’ When someone mentioned Toronto, Pop said, ‘There’s a team in Canada. That’s true. The world’s bigger than North America. I know sometimes we as arrogant Americans don’t respond to the rest of the world, but it’s true. There’s a big world out there.’”

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  • http://IJustWantMyNameToLookBig.com Chukaz

    America = the world. thought ya’ll knew that

  • http://IJustWantMyNameToLookBig.com Chukaz

    actually America don’t = the world, but America does own it so…

  • http://www.yougotdunkedon.com LilKDub503

    Hey, at least Little League has it right. That is truly a World Series, and the Chula Vista boys are the “World Champions.” Although, I find it a little disconcerting that the US insists on having their own tournament, and forcing all the other countries to play in their tournament.

  • http://hoopistani.blogspot.com Hoopistani

    cosign popovich

  • http://www.jewelzlopez.com -Mas-

    I was just thinking that same thought about Baseball and their “World Series” It would be nice to have the Best Team in North America go at it versus the Best Teams of Asia and Latin America. Then figure out who’s the World Champion of the Year. Same goes for Basketball. Why doesn’t the NBA Champion face the winner of the EuroLeague? David Stern would be truly afraid of the possibility of FC Barcelona with Rubio and Navarro putting a beat down on Kobe’s bunch or LeBron’s crew. Good job coach!

  • http://www.jewelzlopez.com -Mas-

    And to Chukaz: China owns the United States of America so….. go figure.

  • http://www.jewelzlopez.com -Mas-

    To Chukaz: China owns the United States of America so…… what do we do now?

  • Taisen

    to Chukaz : you simply don’t know…

  • http://www.artvandelayindustries.com Art Vandelay

    (stands up, applauds)

  • http://www.another48minutes.com Gerard Himself

    @mike: the NBA might be the best league in the world, but that doesn’t make it right. Take a look at football… wait, I’ll call it soccer because if I don’t Americans won’t understand. Let’s say, for example, the Spanish soccer League is the best one in the word. if FC Barcelona wins the championship in Spain, and call themselves world champions, that doesn’t make any sense, does it? So saying “the nba is the best league in the world” doesn’t make it right to call the champion the world champion.

  • http://shawn-kemps-offspring.blogspot.com/ Tariqُُ

    Spanna Kournikova:
    I agree.

  • 6marjons

    i’ve been wanting someone to say this in the NBA for so long, world champions is a stupid term, used by all major american sports and it needs to be stopped to be perfectly honest, i’m not disputing the fact the the nba champions would probably have a very good shot at beating other professional championship teams around the world but it shouldn’t be included until they do so

  • http://psp2423@yahoo.com 323 478 1884

    HE is just mad because his team is not championship contnder to win and become the world champions

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  • Stefan

    Spain are the world champions, the U.S are the olympic champions, you don’t become a w-o-r-l-d champion by winning the olympics, you have to win the world championships, clue is in the title.

  • Vin

    I agree, the Notational Basketball League is just that, a NATIONAL competition! Where do you see any other team from the world? Europe, Asia-Pacific? No so get rid of the title. Same goes for the NFL and the MLB. Its funny though the NHL dont do this… and its only North American based. The other 3 leagues should take a leaf out of their book.

    I’m from Australia – we have a few sports no one else plays in the world. Our football AFL – we dont call our winners World Champs – we call them the Premiers. We dont play American Football, nor Ice Hockey, our baseball league is minuscule as is our basketball leagues. Americans dont compete against us so you cant claim you’re world champs.

    Football or Soccer is probably the only true world game for team sports. Hence why its called the world game. Even in the Euro Championships and Champions League and UEFA Cups and Europa League any club from Europe would destroy any MLS team with their eyes closed. But only in the World Cup do you hear the title World Champions, in every other European Championships they become just that, European Champions.

    Get rid of the title – America does not equal the center of th universe.

  • http://bangoy29@aol.com Araceli B. Montes

    NBA Champions are not world champions.
    NBA means ‘National’ – National Basketball Association.
    World champions in basketball only come from the Olympics!
    It’s a good thing the IOC is not suing those people who are calling the NBA Champions as ‘world champions’.
    It is simply an ‘American ego’ in calling the NBA Champions as ‘world champions’ in basketball!
    So, those sports analysts and broadcasters should stop calling the NBA Champions as ‘world champions’ once and for all.
    They do not know what they are talking about!
    They simply do not know about the sport of basketball in general.
    Again, it is simply an ‘American ego’ in calling the NBA Champions as ‘world champions’.

  • http://bangoy29@aol.com Bangoy

    NBA Champions are not world champions!
    World Champions in basketball only come from the Olympics!
    NBA means National – National Basketball Association.
    It is simply an ‘American ego’ in calling the NBA Champions as ‘world champions’!
    It is a good thing that the IOC (International Olympic Committee) is not suing the NBA in letting its NBA team members in calling themselves as NBA ‘world champions’!
    Sports analysts and broadcasters in America should stop calling the NBA Champions as ‘world champions’ because they do not know anything about what basketball is all about. They do not know what they are talking about!
    To all those who keep on saying or calling the NBA Champions as ‘world champions’ – IT’S JUST SIMPLY AN ‘AMERICAN EGO’!

  • http://jsregala@aol.com Piri

    If the NBA Champions are the world champions, why do we still send a team to the Olympics and/or the FIBA to compete for the world championships in basketball?
    Maybe, they keep on calling the NBA Champions as world champions because it is simply pleasing to our ears to hear.
    Anyway, there’s no law against dreaming!

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