Firstly, you're forgetting Luc Longley.

Secondly, the NBA is the top basketball league on the planet and it's only natural for people to aspire to play in it.

What's "has it done his game any good?" got to do with anything? He's playing against the best in the world and earning more than possibly the entire NBL (well, declared salaries). If he's enjoying it (or probably even if he's not), why should he do anything differently?

Isaac why the attack. I was just raising a question. Don't attack the man, attack the ball. Longley, ahh yes i remember him. He forgot to show up and play for his Australian team on a couple of instances. Ahh yes the lure of money, overides everything else and it is a good point. If we could offer players better money in our own league though. It will never be the same as NBA. My question wasn't really about Bogut, it's about the lure of the NBA and making Australian basketball better. Just because he is in the NBA and playing the best, did he play that well at Olympics? I don't think it has raised his game to any great new height. Longterm - the jury's out, we'll wait and see.

**Balla** thats like telling a kid to ignore the AFL and a potential $200,000+ salary to play only SANFL for what...$5-10,000 per year?

Come on, get real here. It's only natural to want to play against the best in the world at your chosen sport, and if you're good enough, you'll play enough.

Balla, quote the part of my post that attacked you and not your argument...

Balla......phone your boss right now (assuming you work) and tell him you want to leave for another job paying less than 10% of what you earn now - then be ready to get laughed at.

Be realistic and lighten up !!!

Yeah **Balla** relax mate! Isaac did attack the ball with some very valid points. Just because someone doesn't agree with you, doesn't mean they are attacking you!

NBA is absolute pinnacle of basketball, best of the best. Why would any talented person in any field ignore the "lure" of being amongst the best? And being paid accordingly?

Gaze, Anstey and Heal played limited minutes in the NBA too and made a shirt-load of cash for doing it. Paid that much money to be amongst the best in the world for a short time, wish my chosen corporate industry offered that kind of situation!

Attacking luc u are a tool . The sooner school holidays r over the better go study or some thing balla or get a job

Oh Yeh Longley the guy who won NBA championships and got to play with that Jordan guy, your right silly move.

"...did he play that well at Olympics?..."

Considering he was still a NCAA Soph. at the time of the last Olympics - i say WHAAAA???... I guess you meant did he play that well at the WC`s - i`d say he did considering the load he had to carry (with luminaries such as Hinder and Skeletor playing behind him) - he played very well in the games when we needed him most... I think these guys benefit greatly by playing in the NBA - even if it`s on the bench (12th man included - they still have to scrimmage etc in training against the best in the world)...

Thomo, what do I always say about playing the ball, not the man?!

Fair enough.....

Isaac....Your balls suck!!!!!

Different person.

Haha, what a classic thread. The stuff about Bogut is hilarious. Of course playing in the NBA has improved him (although he has had a s#!t coach so far) and no he wouldn't improve as much if he was playing in the NBL.

He would be putting up about 25/15/5/3 over here, it would be too easy and he would hardly improve. Maybe he wouldn't do as well in Europe, but he still wouldn't be playing at the same level he is now.

And I think he actually put up about 14 and 8 in Athens, so yes, he did play well at the Olympics, but like Johnny said, he wasn't even in the NBA at the time.

The NBA will always be everybody's dream, making it means your one of the best basketballers in the world and it also brings massive paychecks.

And really, the more players we have in the NBA, the more bball gets noticed in Australia, which brings in new fans, hopefully leading to more money for the NBL. Which means, better players, facilities, etc.

isaac that thomo post was not me
can you check the ip!

Since when does everybody suddenly love the NBA?
I'm used to seeing, the NBA is all athletecism, no-one plays real defence, overpaid, glorified, euro is much better etc???