Nobody is literally saying basketball is only played in one country. But its majority audience can be attributed to one nation of about 250 odd. That alone qualifies it as a very one-country sport.
hmmm i dont know. The NBA's majority audience is usa, but the rest of the world has its own audience and its own leagues.
How many boxing fights are on in the world each day... do you get to watch them? do you care? just because something is out of your market/target or whatever... doesnt mean its not being played, watched etc
It also whether meant or not comes across so arrogant when its our US cousins that say MJ is the greatest athlete, when only one nation really has a chance at producing the greatest ever basketball player. Football (soccer) is Europes, South Americas, and Africas sport. Dominated. Boxing is played to a proffesional level by almost every semi-developed country in the entire world, and there are current world champions from about 18 countries let alone competitors!
Of course its not MJ's fault its a US sport, but i still dont think he qualifies for the best athlete ever.
well... what you call the US audience considers MJ as such.... because they're the ones who've watched him the most? Does that mean he isn't? couldnt this be a case of a 'missed' or 'misunderstood' talent?
Anyone can produce great basket ballers..... not everyone will reach the nba and its audience... but they are out there. same goes for every sport. its very difficult to name a single greatest athlete....... perhaps a triathlon or super olympic guy...... but not many people have exposure, or get to watch them on a regular basis... bummer.
This always happens, someone (not their fault at all) takes something too literally and it spirals off.
welcome to internet?
Yeah but theres a saying over here called "cream of the crop" when the crop are too few, the cream dont rise. Thats why theres no British, French whatever Basketball players, cause the "scene" is too small and unpopular over here.
Look at India, most populated Cricket loving country, and they dominate at it, cause theye got masses of people who play it each and every day to form a team from.
Notice when you have an event that incorporates many sports, prime example olympics, the countries that always finish top 3 in medal count?
China
Usa
Russia
(irrelevant but at Beijing 2008 UK came fourth beating auld enemies France and Germany!)
Why, cause theyve all got hundreds of millions of people and plenty of sports to focus on. So naturally they end up getting most medals. More talent to choose from.
Why do you think Russia Canada and the US are the best three at ice hockey? Cause theyre the only ones that really play it, could lump Finland in there too.
What this all comes back to, is that Michael Jordan dominated a sport, where he was technically the best in the world. But the rest of the world.....it didnt really care.....
Alain Prost - Lewis Hamilton - Kamui Kobayashi - Fernando Alonso - Kimi Raikkonnen - Jenson Button