Becky Hammon- traitor to USA Basketball team?

[OhMyBosh]

Would there still be an argument if Becky was not a good player? Isn't Trajan Langdon playing for Russia in the olympics? I didn't hear any controversy over him...

[gizoo]

Hakeem Olajuwon, Tim Duncan... Just to name a couple players who were not born in the U.S.

[aznkillabeezZz]

Far from a traitor..

[DaFan334]

Chris Kaman

[Don Draper]

If she it is true that she is getting paid substantially then all these self righteous fools on this board need to stop lying to themselves. Stop acting like would risk your careers or quality of life for the sake of "patriotism".

[asdfgh]

I didn't see any of you flag-waving fools complain when Olajuwon or Duncan played for the US.

[snaquille oatmeal]

I didn't see any of you flag-waving fools complain when Olajuwon or Duncan played for the US.

I was not aware that realgm existed back then.

If she it is true that she is getting paid substantially then all these self righteous fools on this board need to stop lying to themselves. Stop acting like would risk your careers or quality of life for the sake of "patriotism".

...oh really? I guess all last year I was on vacation in Iraq and I supposse that the six months I am scheduled to be there starting in a few weeks I will not be risking quality of life or sacrifising a better carreer in the civilian world.

[GuyverX]

It's just basketball, people. Calling somebody a traitor for a putting a leather ball filled with air through a hoop is crazy. These people take sports way too seriously and are just not in touch with reality.

[bobcatsinfour]

I think the original poster is bitter that we didn't all agree with him when he expected us to

[snaquille oatmeal]

It's just basketball, people. Calling somebody a traitor for a putting a leather ball filled with air through a hoop is crazy. These people take sports way too seriously and are just not in touch with reality.

first off I am not calling her a traitor, I don't beleive she is a trator.
second, the problem here is that people look at the Olympics as just a game. it is not just a game. the Olympics is a forum where you go represent your country as the best atheletes from your country. if it was just a game it would be called the NBA or the WNBA or something like that. yes, Becky is good enough to be in the US team and her coach should be investigated and perhaps fired.

[asdfgh]

That's actually where you're wrong IMO. The Olympics are just a game. Anyone who feels proud for the number of medals his/her country wins is simply foolish. The only thing we as individuals should be proud of is what we have accomplished ourselves.

[snaquille oatmeal]

I think the original poster is bitter that we didn't all agree with him when he expected us to

I am not bitter at all. we disagree on a basketball forum that is all. you put yuor argument I put mine. I could care less if you don't have national pride in the Olympics.

[dsorc]

I think the original poster is bitter that we didn't all agree with him when he expected us to

I am not bitter at all. we disagree on a basketball forum that is all. you put yuor argument I put mine. I could care less if you don't have national pride in the Olympics.

I can understand the argument for National pride but when a person has allegiances to two countries it makes it a lot more blurry. Fact of the matter is that there are plenty of athletes that represent countries into which they were not born and, for the most part, these athletes have allegiances to both countries. And even for those that were quipping about the whole US v Russia thing, JR Holden plays for the men's Russian team yet no ruckus was made for that. In the end as fan we should be patriotic about the team wearing your flag on their chest, essentially representing you, and forget to some extent who these players are. If the players didn't feel an allegiance towards that country they wouldn't play for it.

Let's be realistic, this whole story comes about because the coach of the US team just saw a very good player join another good team. This story was originally more about trying to have the easiest path to gold than actual patriotism.

[snaquille oatmeal]

I think the original poster is bitter that we didn't all agree with him when he expected us to

I am not bitter at all. we disagree on a basketball forum that is all. you put yuor argument I put mine. I could care less if you don't have national pride in the Olympics.

I can understand the argument for National pride but when a person has allegiances to two countries it makes it a lot more blurry. Fact of the matter is that there are plenty of athletes that represent countries into which they were not born and, for the most part, these athletes have allegiances to both countries. And even for those that were quipping about the whole US v Russia thing, JR Holden plays for the men's Russian team yet no ruckus was made for that. In the end as fan we should be patriotic about the team wearing your flag on their chest, essentially representing you, and forget to some extent who these players are. If the players didn't feel an allegiance towards that country they wouldn't play for it.

Let's be realistic, this whole story comes about because the coach of the US team just saw a very good player join another good team. This story was originally more about trying to have the easiest path to gold than actual patriotism.

my problem is that Beckys national pride and allegiance is for the US. she has dual citicizenship for traveling conveniences while her team plays road games in Russia.

I agree with you that this story is more about the coach than Becky, but at the same time I can't give her a pass for selling out.

That's actually where you're wrong IMO. The Olympics are just a game. Anyone who feels proud for the number of medals his/her country wins is simply foolish. The only thing we as individuals should be proud of is what we have accomplished ourselves.

I guess we will have to agree to disagree here because while I agree that the Olympics should be just games and it is a subject worth its own thread for a debate, the fact of the matter is that the Olympics are more than just games, just like the soccer World Cup. there is a great deal of national pride and patriotism involved in this 2 forums of competition. if you beleive otherwise then you just simply don't understand what the Olympics and the World Cup are all about. they are what they are and it is on this basis that Becky and others don't get a pass from me.

[dsorc]

I can understand the argument for National pride but when a person has allegiances to two countries it makes it a lot more blurry. Fact of the matter is that there are plenty of athletes that represent countries into which they were not born and, for the most part, these athletes have allegiances to both countries. And even for those that were quipping about the whole US v Russia thing, JR Holden plays for the men's Russian team yet no ruckus was made for that. In the end as fan we should be patriotic about the team wearing your flag on their chest, essentially representing you, and forget to some extent who these players are. If the players didn't feel an allegiance towards that country they wouldn't play for it.

Let's be realistic, this whole story comes about because the coach of the US team just saw a very good player join another good team. This story was originally more about trying to have the easiest path to gold than actual patriotism.

my problem is that Beckys national pride and allegiance is for the US. she has dual citicizenship for traveling conveniences while her team plays road games in Russia.

I agree with you that this story is more about the coach than Becky, but at the same time I can't give her a pass for selling out.

How do you know she has no allegiances for Russia? She plays there and lives there for a large part of the year, it wouldn't be that surprising for her to feel at least a connection to the Russian people. I sincerely doubt that any player would represent any country they didn't feel an allegiance to. It's not like all of sudden she was given a Russian passport just so she could play for them.

Did Duncan sell out when he played for the US? He clearly had a very strong allegiance to his home country of the Virgin Islands since he never faced them. But he also saw that he had a chance that he could not have with Virgin Islands team with a country that he feels a part of. Both cases are the same and the list of cases like this is innumerable.

[asdfgh]

I guess we will have to agree to disagree here because while I agree that the Olympics should be just games and it is a subject worth its own thread for a debate, the fact of the matter is that the Olympics are more than just games, just like the soccer World Cup. there is a great deal of national pride and patriotism involved in this 2 forums of competition. if you beleive otherwise then you just simply don't understand what the Olympics and the World Cup are all about. they are what they are and it is on this basis that Becky and others don't get a pass from me.

I know very well how the success in the Olympics is used in many countries, it just doesn't concern me.

[snaquille oatmeal]

I can understand the argument for National pride but when a person has allegiances to two countries it makes it a lot more blurry. Fact of the matter is that there are plenty of athletes that represent countries into which they were not born and, for the most part, these athletes have allegiances to both countries. And even for those that were quipping about the whole US v Russia thing, JR Holden plays for the men's Russian team yet no ruckus was made for that. In the end as fan we should be patriotic about the team wearing your flag on their chest, essentially representing you, and forget to some extent who these players are. If the players didn't feel an allegiance towards that country they wouldn't play for it.

Let's be realistic, this whole story comes about because the coach of the US team just saw a very good player join another good team. This story was originally more about trying to have the easiest path to gold than actual patriotism.

my problem is that Beckys national pride and allegiance is for the US. she has dual citicizenship for traveling conveniences while her team plays road games in Russia.

I agree with you that this story is more about the coach than Becky, but at the same time I can't give her a pass for selling out.

How do you know she has no allegiances for Russia? She plays there and lives there for a large part of the year, it wouldn't be that surprising for her to feel at least a connection to the Russian people. I sincerely doubt that any player would represent any country they didn't feel an allegiance to. It's not like all of sudden she was given a Russian passport just so she could play for them.

she has previously stated in interviews on TV that her allegiance is to the US. she has also said that that she does have a connection to Russia and to its people, but her reason for dual citizenship is for traveling conveniences when her Russian team plays road games in Russia.

Did Duncan sell out when he played for the US? He clearly had a very strong allegiance to his home country of the Virgin Islands since he never faced them. But he also saw that he had a chance that he could not have with Virgin Islands team with a country that he feels a part of. Both cases are the same and the list of cases like this is innumerable.

like I said becky is not the only I have a beef with about this subject. I just did not know about realgm back then to have stated my opinon on him at that time.

[GuyverX]

I guess we will have to agree to disagree here because while I agree that the Olympics should be just games and it is a subject worth its own thread for a debate, the fact of the matter is that the Olympics are more than just games, just like the soccer World Cup. there is a great deal of national pride and patriotism involved in this 2 forums of competition. if you beleive otherwise then you just simply don't understand what the Olympics and the World Cup are all about. they are what they are and it is on this basis that Becky and others don't get a pass from me.

I know very well how the success in the Olympics is used in many countries, it just doesn't concern me.

Whether or not the U.S. Team wins gold, silver, bronze or nada, it doesn't affect our lives in the slightest. Olympic sports is just for fun and countries get bragging rights but that's it. If LeBron wins a gold medal it doesn't make me any richer or poorer. It doesn't pay my bills. This is all entertainment for everybody but the people actually competing. For them, it's business and work. But for the rest of us, it's just fun and games. To try to make somebody into a villain just because they're deemed "unpatriotic" by playing a game is just wrong. This is basketball, not the military. Hammon is playing a sport for the Russians, not selling them secret government plans.

[dsorc]

she has previously stated in interviews on TV that her allegiance is to the US. she has also said that that she does have a connection to Russia and to its people, but her reason for dual citizenship is for traveling conveniences when her Russian team plays road games in Russia.

But because she has a connection to the Russian people she has some sort of "allegiance" to them. True, she is an American, but apparently she feels pride in representing the Russian people.

]Did Duncan sell out when he played for the US? He clearly had a very strong allegiance to his home country of the Virgin Islands since he never faced them. But he also saw that he had a chance that he could not have with Virgin Islands team with a country that he feels a part of. Both cases are the same and the list of cases like this is innumerable.

like I said becky is not the only I have a beef with about this subject. I just did not know about realgm back then to have stated my opinon on him at that time.

I could even go on with a more recent one for Team USA with Carmelo Anthony who could have represented Puerto Rico but I don't know/remember why he never did. I think it may be that our coaches didn't want him but I'm not sure; but it's immaterial.

I understand your position in that the player should be representing who they are but sometimes that can be very fluid. When you then add that to a lot of these athletes the Olympics is a childhood dream it's really not that surprising that they'll take the chance they have to go there.

Whether or not the U.S. Team wins gold, silver, bronze or nada, it doesn't affect our lives in the slightest. Olympic sports is just for fun and countries get bragging rights but that's it. If LeBron wins a gold medal it doesn't make me any richer or poorer. It doesn't pay my bills. This is all entertainment for everybody but the people actually competing. For them, it's business and work. But for the rest of us, it's just fun and games. To try to make somebody into a villain just because they're deemed "unpatriotic" by playing a game is just wrong. This is basketball, not the military. Hammon is playing a sport for the Russians, not selling them secret government plans.

Now, I don't know if this sentiment is held by all of the US and maybe I'm reading this wrong. But back home (Puerto Rico) national teams mean a lot. Fans take a lot of pride on the teams probably more so than any professional team. The day after Puerto Rico beat US in 04 for example it was euphoria through out the island. And even on a similar storyline, the basketball federation actually wanted to naturalize a foreign center because our team right now lacks height but the public was so outraged that they had to back down. Then again, in this case they were trying to bring people that had never set foot in Puerto Rico and make them part of the team which is a lot worse than the Hammond case.

So long story short, people care about these teams. After all they're wearing the name of your country across their chest, in essence representing you. That's gotta count for something.

[GuyverX]

Whether or not the U.S. Team wins gold, silver, bronze or nada, it doesn't affect our lives in the slightest. Olympic sports is just for fun and countries get bragging rights but that's it. If LeBron wins a gold medal it doesn't make me any richer or poorer. It doesn't pay my bills. This is all entertainment for everybody but the people actually competing. For them, it's business and work. But for the rest of us, it's just fun and games. To try to make somebody into a villain just because they're deemed "unpatriotic" by playing a game is just wrong. This is basketball, not the military. Hammon is playing a sport for the Russians, not selling them secret government plans.

Now, I don't know if this sentiment is held by all of the US and maybe I'm reading this wrong. But back home (Puerto Rico) national teams mean a lot. Fans take a lot of pride on the teams probably more so than any professional team. The day after Puerto Rico beat US in 04 for example it was euphoria through out the island. And even on a similar storyline, the basketball federation actually wanted to naturalize a foreign center because our team right now lacks height but the public was so outraged that they had to back down. Then again, in this case they were trying to bring people that had never set foot in Puerto Rico and make them part of the team which is a lot worse than the Hammond case.

So long story short, people care about these teams. After all they're wearing the name of your country across their chest, in essence representing you. That's gotta count for something.

Wait a second, they're not really representing me. They're representing pro basketball players who make millions of dollars a year. Kobe Bryant doesn't represent the average American. The average American doesn't make $100+ million dollars from the Lakers plus endorsements. The U.S. Olympic team represents the NBA more than they represent me. If they wanted to represent me, they'd have the average guy, 5'8" working in an office 5 days a week, 8 hours a day. When it's all said and done, basketball is basketball. Basketball is a sport. Sports = entertainment. I treat the Olympics like an All-star game with higher stakes.

The country that wins the gold medal gets the right to say "we have the best basketball team in the world." That's awesome but in the greater scheme of things, not really that important. I can't fault somebody like Hammon for making millions of dollars by having fun. To a lesser extent, I can't fault Kaman either. He wants to experience international basketball and keep in basketball shape.

Do I want the U.S. to win? Of course, I'm a U.S. citizen but it's not the end of world if they don't. And you shouldn't defame somebody and call them a traitor when it's only entertainment.