Which is more highly regarded, WBC or Olympics?

[sinobball2]

I think you're afraid to admit that WC may actually have significance to the world (not more or less than the Olympics).

The only idea I get is that the WC is considered by many Olympic enthusiasts as a second tier tournament. It seems you're one of those people.

You are completely wrong about me; I consider WBC the same as Olympics basketball. Calling me an Olympic enthusiast is a joke, many people on this forum know I don't give a damn about other sports. What I'm merely stating is the attendance of WBC is abysmal compared to the Olympics, a point you even admitted. I don't know why you are offended over this. The fact that the WBC'06 final is crowded with Greek/Spanish fans and not Japanese fans doesn't speak highly of the event's influence, I don't know if you can see that.

 

[saalsapr2]

I can't remember the host ever finishing 12th, maybe you are predicting 2012?

Nope, but the host, even playing at home, has medaled only 4 times in history.

Three of those where the US, and one was the Soviet Union.

 

[honeybadger2]

Americans do not wish to send their stars to the World Cup because they are tired of the 82+ games they play each year.
Also, because they are scared that those same stars will lose to a bunch of pissed off Serbs.
Jokes aside, Olympics are 10x more important than the World Cup, because it is the only time we see NBA stars in action against the rest of the world. I really wish they could all come to Turkey this year, or the next WC, but we all know it will never happen. :7
One thing I do not understand, how come soccer players at the Olympics are all U21?

 

[JGX2]

What I'm merely stating is the attendance of WBC is abysmal compared to the Olympics, a point you even admitted.

I posted this in another thread, but these articles sum it up nicely:

1998: "FIBA: Low Attendance hurting sport's image"
http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P1-19569087.html

2002: "Poor Attendance at World Games"
http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P1-67148690.html

2006: "Not so big in Japan: World championship fails to draw fans"
http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P1-127961320.html

Canada '94 was probably the most successful WC...they benefitted from big local contingents of Greece and Croatia fans along with the hosts and US being big draws...even so there were lots of empty seats.

It sounds like Turkey will do pretty well though. What are ticket prices like?

 

[donmar2]

Americans do not wish to send their stars to the World Cup because they are tired of the 82+ games they play each year.
Also, because they are scared that those same stars will lose to a bunch of pissed off Serbs.
Jokes aside, Olympics are 10x more important than the World Cup, because it is the only time we see NBA stars in action against the rest of the world. I really wish they could all come to Turkey this year, or the next WC, but we all know it will never happen. :7
One thing I do not understand, how come soccer players at the Olympics are all U21?

Somehow FIFA did pretty well in making the Olympics insignificant while making sure the big prize is the World Cup...

Concerning basketball, it goes back to history... if we look at history, Americans set the tone since the game was born in their soil.. anyway, back then, US always sent their best teams in the Olympic Games while disregarding (despite sending a delegation) the World Championships.. if we look at US Olympic and WC record, its basically, all Olympics even to these days..

Personally, I tried my best to treat both competition as equal significance... if FIBA wants to do what FIFA did.. they can always make the Olympic competition for U21 instead for seniors but that would just ruin Olympic basketball records and history in my opinion... and less competitions for the best teams in the world (which is a big NO for me)..

 

[Khalid802]

I posted this in another thread, but these articles sum it up nicely:

1998: "FIBA: Low Attendance hurting sport's image"
http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P1-19569087.html

2002: "Poor Attendance at World Games"
http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P1-67148690.html

2006: "Not so big in Japan: World championship fails to draw fans"
http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P1-127961320.html

Canada '94 was probably the most successful WC...they benefitted from big local contingents of Greece and Croatia fans along with the hosts and US being big draws...even so there were lots of empty seats.

It sounds like Turkey will do pretty well though. What are ticket prices like?

I bought Zone 1 tickets for the first round in Izmir as well as Zone 3 tickets for the second round and zone 4 tickets for the quarterfinals (best tickets I could get as all else is sold out).

The prices are as follows:

Preliminary Round:
Zone 1 = 45 Euros
Zone 2 = 35 Euros
Zone 3 = 25 Euros
Zone 4 = 20 Euros
Zone 5 = 10 Euros

Second Round (Zones 1 and 2 sold out):
Zone 1 = 60 Euros
Zone 2 = 45 Euros
Zone 3 = 35 Euros
Zone 4 = 25 Euros
Zone 5 = 12 Euros

Quarterfinals (September 8 games only Zone 5 tickets left, September 9 sold out):
Zone 1 = 75 Euros
Zone 2 = 55 Euros
Zone 3 = 40 Euros
Zone 4 = 30 Euros
Zone 5 = 15 Euros

Semifinals (sold out):
Zone 1 = 100 Euros
Zone 2 = 70 Euros
Zone 3 = 50 Euros
Zone 4 = 35 Euros
Zone 5 = 25 Euros

Final (sold out):
Zone 1 = 130 Euros
Zone 2 = 90 Euros
Zone 3 = 65 Euros
Zone 4 = 45 Euros
Zone 5 = 30 Euros

 

[Hepcat2]

The Olympics by far. It isn't even close, particularly in North America where the World championships are just a sidelight on the sports pages.

 

[Federoy2]

Players "skip" the WC because of the NBA really.

Americans don't care about anything else other than the Olympics, so they do not allow their players to go to this one.

Yes, Americans generally do value the Olympics over the WC for a variety of reasons:

1) The Olympic competition is an older, more established tournament.

2) The Olympic tournament is arguably better because it condenses the world's best NTs down to 12, unlike the watered down WC, where you have huge disparities in talent and skill from 1st-24th. The Olympics are more of a grindfest because every team encountered is capable of winning.

3) Although the Olympics is a multi-sport competition, basketball, along with athletes and swimming, is a premier event and commands a lot of attention from viewers and advertisers. So from FIBA's perspective, it's better to have the lead role in a mega multi-sporting event like the Olympics where BILLIONS are watching versus being just another summer co-star after the World Cup ends.

4) The US hasn't always sent its best players, so up until recently, there hasn't been a seriousness placed on the WC as a legitimate compliment to the Olympic tournament. We once had an Air Force recreation team represent us at the WC. Now is that legit or what?

As a result, players like Kaman don't attend as they don't want to be "tortured". Germany without Nowitzki, Kaman or not, sucks. So Cuban ruined Germany's chances of a decent run in the tournament, Germans won't care much.

Cuban doesn't like any of his "investments", German, American or otherwise, to participate in any non-NBA sanctioned event, but that didn't stop Jason Kidd from playing in 2008 or Nowitzki from playing on past German teams. This subject has been brought up before, and the fact is, unless players are injuried or have a history of injuries (thereby increasing the insurance that some teams aren't willing to pay on big contracts...i.e. Amare's removal from USA's NT camp because of the Knicks unwillingness to pay), NBA owners are bound by agreement with FIBA to release their players for NT duties. Sure, owners like Cuban can "persuade" their players from participating, but they can't outright legally stop them unless a prevision is built into their contracts.

 

[Federoy2]

Somehow FIFA did pretty well in making the Olympics insignificant while making sure the big prize is the World Cup...

Concerning basketball, it goes back to history... if we look at history, Americans set the tone since the game was born in their soil.. anyway, back then, US always sent their best teams in the Olympic Games while disregarding (despite sending a delegation) the World Championships.. if we look at US Olympic and WC record, its basically, all Olympics even to these days..

Personally, I tried my best to treat both competition as equal significance... if FIBA wants to do what FIFA did.. they can always make the Olympic competition for U21 instead for seniors but that would just ruin Olympic basketball records and history in my opinion... and less competitions for the best teams in the world (which is a big NO for me)..

I think just as importantly, FIBA needs to hold the WC a year before or after the World Cup. The World Cup takes so much attention away from other sports, so I never understood why FIBA hasn't considered moving the championship to an odd year so most of the attention and promotion can be given to basketball. I would prefer that the Olympics be reduced to an U-21 tournament while the WC become the senior championship. Under the current structure, I don't see that happending anytime soon.

 

[JGX2]

2) The Olympic tournament is arguably better because it condenses the world's best NTs down to 12, unlike the watered down WC, where you have huge disparities in talent and skill from 1st-24th.

Right, for the elite teams the elite tournament is more important.

4) The US hasn't always sent its best players, so up until recently, there hasn't been a seriousness placed on the WC as a legitimate compliment to the Olympic tournament. We once had an Air Force recreation team represent us at the WC. Now is that legit or what?

I wonder about the early history of the WC. The first five were all held in South America, during the Southern Hemisphere's summer and during the normal basketball season which of course made it difficult to send a real team. What's the story with that?

Amare's removal from USA's NT camp because of the Knicks unwillingness to pay)

I thought the problem was that his current insurance didn't cover his bad knee and they were having trouble getting a new policy.

I would prefer that the Olympics be reduced to an U-21 tournament while the WC become the senior championship. Under the current structure, I don't see that happending anytime soon.

I can't imagine that happening either, for two reasons:

1. The IOC wouldn't allow it. Soccer gets away with it because it can still fill big stadiums and lets the organizers spread games around the country a bit, but even so, they have to allow some overage players at the insistence of IOC. No chance any other sport could hold a junior competition at the Olympics.

2. FIBA would be stupid to eliminate their highest-profile event.

 

[JGX2]

Semifinals (sold out):
Zone 1 = 100 Euros
Zone 2 = 70 Euros
Zone 3 = 50 Euros
Zone 4 = 35 Euros
Zone 5 = 25 Euros

Final (sold out):
Zone 1 = 130 Euros
Zone 2 = 90 Euros
Zone 3 = 65 Euros
Zone 4 = 45 Euros
Zone 5 = 30 Euros

Those look like reasonable prices. Do you know how many tickets are zones 4/5 versus zones 1/2/3?

In Indianapolis at least, the ticket prices for the later stages were way too high and it killed the crowds. Good to see a more sensible approach here.

 

[aussieasker2]

In Australia I'd say winning an Olympic gold would be held more highly than winning the WC....

 

[FIBA Europe Basket2]

I am sorry but some of the comments here are a bit ridiculous. Some people (unsurprisingly USA fans) are claiming that the Olympics is a higher level tournament and higher level of competition than the World Championship is.......

I am sorry but that is completely wrong. The World Championship is a much higher level tournament and the competition is far stronger than the Olympics is. Actually, the Olympics isn't even much better than the EuroBasket is, if it even is at all.

No way can you claim the Olympics is a higher level tournament than the World Championship. Seriously, some of those posts amount to trolling IMHO.

 

[Federoy2]

I wonder about the early history of the WC. The first five were all held in South America, during the Southern Hemisphere's summer and during the normal basketball season which of course made it difficult to send a real team. What's the story with that?

That's an interesting question. I have a basketball magazine I bought like 16 years ago that I still have, and I remember an article in it highlighting some of the US teams in the tournament's formative years. It appears that early US teams were represented by US service men, AAU, YMCA or some other amateur association at the time. Of course, none of these teams amounted to the brightest and best the US had to offer, so Olympic-like domination never came to be in the WC.

I think your observations are dead on. Because of the opposite seasons, NCAA or NAIA basketball players weren't available to participate, so it led to a crazy hodge podge of different teams representing the US. I believe the long term affect of that lingers to this day. Had early Team USAs been stocked with college stars, the WC may have gotten the respect and support it deserves from the American public and media, and prehaps it would've surpassed the Olympics as the more important event.

I thought the problem was that his current insurance didn't cover his bad knee and they were having trouble getting a new policy.

I'll degress on that point. I'm not familiar with the details of why Amare was pulled from camp. I just know that it was an insurance issue, but what you suggest sounds reasonable.

 

[JGX2]

You know it's getting close to a big international tournament when VS shows up. Can't wait.

 

[Federoy2]

You know it's getting close to a big international tournament when VS shows up. Can't wait.

LOL...Dude, you stole my thunder!!!!!

 

[donmar2]

I think just as importantly, FIBA needs to hold the WC a year before or after the World Cup. The World Cup takes so much attention away from other sports, so I never understood why FIBA hasn't considered moving the championship to an odd year so most of the attention and promotion can be given to basketball. I would prefer that the Olympics be reduced to an U-21 tournament while the WC become the senior championship. Under the current structure, I don't see that happending anytime soon.

Agree to that... same calendar year as the FIFA World Cup is not such a good idea.. of course, its the cycle.. every 4 years for FIBA-WC with Olympic Games in between... I think they should reduce the Olympic Games to under-21 and then move the FIBA World Championship a year later or a year before the FIFA World Cup.. of course, they should have a Confederation Cup to serve as the tournament in between those 4 years..

Anyway talking about significance, if I am a player.. I wouldn't say my career is complete without winning BOTH Olympic Gold and World Championship..

I am sorry but some of the comments here are a bit ridiculous. Some people (unsurprisingly USA fans) are claiming that the Olympics is a higher level tournament and higher level of competition than the World Championship is.......

I am sorry but that is completely wrong. The World Championship is a much higher level tournament and the competition is far stronger than the Olympics is. Actually, the Olympics isn't even much better than the EuroBasket is, if it even is at all.

No way can you claim the Olympics is a higher level tournament than the World Championship. Seriously, some of those posts amount to trolling IMHO.

You're just saying that because your team is going to be slaughtered in 2012... in your home turf as well...

 

[Dtown2]

You're just saying that because your team is going to be slaughtered in 2012... in your home turf as well...

He's not British, he changes Flags and names every time he gets banned. As Federoy and JGX hinted at, he's got a bit of a reputation.

 

[donmar2]

He's not British, he changes Flags and names every time he gets banned. As Federoy and JGX hinted at, he's got a bit of a reputation.

Is he?.. so he's the troll in IBN's European forum?

 

[Dtown2]

Is he?.. so he's the troll in IBN's European forum?

Here's a thread he wrote after the Redeem Team went undefeated in group play back in 2008. http://forums.interbasket.net/f56/i-wont-watch-another-game-7735/ judge for yourself.


BACK ON TOPIC

It's not a surprise American's view the Olympics as more important. I honestly couldn't tell you if the World Championships were televised before 1994. Compare that to the Olympics where the 1972 result is still being reviewed and will continue to be looked at to see whether the judgment was fair or foul for as long as Basketball is popular in this country.