<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">Milwaukee Bucks center Andrew Bogut is in his second year in the NBA, and he already doesn't have too many kind things to say about the league ? or U.S. culture. Bogut, 22, decried the greedy culture of the NBA, saying the public perception of the players is correct. "A lot of (NBA players) get caught up in the hype and do video clips with rappers and all that crap," Bogut said, the Sydney (Australia) Morning Herald reported. "They want bling bling all over themselves and drive fast cars. But that's just the way the culture is in America: If you've got it, flaunt it and if you don't, you can't." Bogut said he wasn't perfect, admitting he has bought a nice car, and said he didn't want to come across as arrogant, the newspaper reported. But he also wanted to separate himself from the image of most players. "The public's got it right ? a lot of NBA stars are arrogant and like to spend lots of money and have lots of girlfriends and all that," Bogut said, the newspaper reported. "The smarter guys don't do that. They like to live a regular life and want to retire and be set up. About 80 percent of them go broke by the time they retire or come close to it." Bogut blames the U.S. culture of greed and arrogance for part of the problem, the newspaper reported. "I would never want my child to be brought up in an environment like that, where if you have money you're supposed to flaunt it and make everyone jealous," he said, the newspaper reported. "The American attitude is 'We're the best'. That's why the NBA guys who come from other countries, the Europeans, all sort of stick together away from the game." </div> Source: MSNBC
He has a point, but I dont think he's got a right to take it out on an entire culture. I mean the guys has lived in the three whitest places on Earth. Australia,Utah, and Milwaukee. Wow it must be tough for him. What a ghetto lifestyle he has had to overcome. Do i agree with him, yeah sorta. But I'm a fan and can say w/e I want. However....Andrew, Don't call out your teamates/fellow workers which is essentially what hes doing. And don't insult the league, especially when its the one paying you.
^ I agree. I don't think he's necessarily wrong, but he shouldn't have said it. There's the very real possibility that this puts off some of his teammates and for what?
I think an old phrase comes in to play here, "If you don't have anything nice to say, then don't say anything at all"
<div class="quote_poster">The Walrus Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">He has a point, but I dont think he's got a right to take it out on an entire culture. I mean the guys has lived in the three whitest places on Earth. Australia,Utah, and Milwaukee. Wow it must be tough for him. What a ghetto lifestyle he has had to overcome. Do i agree with him, yeah sorta. But I'm a fan and can say w/e I want. However....Andrew, Don't call out your teamates/fellow workers which is essentially what hes doing. And don't insult the league, especially when its the one paying you.</div> Milwaukee actually has a large black population. He is not saying that he had to overcome anything, that he had to stay on the Australian equivalent of welfare or anything. He just correctly analyzed American culture today. I don't see how you can say he doesn't have a right to say that (in a land of free speech) and at the same time agree with him to an extent. If anything I say he has more of a right to comment on the culture since he's seen the side of a culture to a more up close extent than any of us have probably. He didn't take a shot at the league, he took a shot at the players. He didn't say, "You, David Stern, are a greedy hip-hop loving little man." Chances are he's not alienating anyone because those players know what lifestyle they lead. I don't believe just because he gets paid by the NBA he has to keep his mouth shut and follow everyone else. There have been a number of players/former players over the years speaking on this I don't see why all of a sudden Andrew Bogut doesn't have a right to do so also.
<div class="quote_poster">sunsfan1357 Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">Milwaukee actually has a large black population. He is not saying that he had to overcome anything, that he had to stay on the Australian equivalent of welfare or anything. He just correctly analyzed American culture today. I don't see how you can say he doesn't have a right to say that (in a land of free speech) and at the same time agree with him to an extent. If anything I say he has more of a right to comment on the culture since he's seen the side of a culture to a more up close extent than any of us have probably. He didn't take a shot at the league, he took a shot at the players. He didn't say, "You, David Stern, are a greedy hip-hop loving little man." Chances are he's not alienating anyone because those players know what lifestyle they lead. I don't believe just because he gets paid by the NBA he has to keep his mouth shut and follow everyone else. There have been a number of players/former players over the years speaking on this I don't see why all of a sudden Andrew Bogut doesn't have a right to do so also.</div> I'm not sayin he doesnt have the right to say it. I just feel that it was inappropriate and a very very DUMB move. I mean players are gonna remember this when they play him. And arent you a bit offended he's classifying all of us Americans as hiphop greedy money hungry people? HE's right in some senses, but he shoulda just kept his mouth shut.
<div class="quote_poster">The Walrus Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">HE's right in some senses, but he shoulda just kept his mouth shut.</div> Why? Just because players are going to remember he said that next time they play Milwaukee? And then what? Are they going to try and fight him for telling the truth and being humble? He didn't even say any names. And I also don't understand why someone pointed out that he's from Australia.... like that really makes any difference. This maybe wouldn't be as much of a problem if athletes weren't so ridiculously overpaid these days....
<div class="quote_poster">The Walrus Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">I'm not sayin he doesnt have the right to say it. I just feel that it was inappropriate and a very very DUMB move. I mean players are gonna remember this when they play him. And arent you a bit offended he's classifying all of us Americans as hiphop greedy money hungry people? HE's right in some senses, but he shoulda just kept his mouth shut.</div> Again you're not reading it right, he called the NBA players those obsessed with being featured in hip-hop videos, didn't say that about American culture. He straight up called out American culture for its value of GREED. If you have it, flaunt it and if you don't have it you can't. That is 100% correct about American culture today. Keeping up the Joneses. Players are not going to remember this because he's not the first and only one to say it. Never have I seen someone after a game say "Yeah I tried to dunk on him because he said I'm greedy and like hip-hop." Players just don't get offended by that because for the most part players know it is true. He shouldn't keep his mouth shut, him saying that is no worse than us coming on basketball message boards in huge groups critisizing the lifestyles of players and critiquing every aspect of their game. If he has an opinion, especially a correct opinion, then he has the right to voice it to through any outlet he can and should not keep his mouth shut.
Every player has his opinion. If Kobe is allowed to rant on about being traded and then not wanting to be traded till it lasts longer then Jericho, then Bogut can say what he wants. He is partly right, but I notice that most players are not like that. Why not get nice things, most of these player grow up in a style where they don't have nice things, so when they get the money first thing they want is a nice car, nice house, and things for the parents and friends like LeBron did with his mom. Bogut is just expressing himself, he is always talking smack about the USA, but whatever, he can say what he wants. It seems to be a trend among NBA players today anyway.
<div class="quote_poster">Bahir Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">Doesn't sound too far from the truth to me.</div>
<div class="quote_poster">Bahir Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">Doesn't sound too far from the truth to me.</div>
<div class="quote_poster">sunsfan1357 Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">Again you're not reading it right, he called the NBA players those obsessed with being featured in hip-hop videos, didn't say that about American culture. He straight up called out American culture for its value of GREED. If you have it, flaunt it and if you don't have it you can't. That is 100% correct about American culture today. Keeping up the Joneses. Players are not going to remember this because he's not the first and only one to say it. Never have I seen someone after a game say "Yeah I tried to dunk on him because he said I'm greedy and like hip-hop." Players just don't get offended by that because for the most part players know it is true. He shouldn't keep his mouth shut, him saying that is no worse than us coming on basketball message boards in huge groups critisizing the lifestyles of players and critiquing every aspect of their game. If he has an opinion, especially a correct opinion, then he has the right to voice it to through any outlet he can and should not keep his mouth shut.</div> That's a very dumb as ignorant thing to say, speaking of Bogut. How many NBA players have been in rap videos? Not many. It seems this is another assault on Hiphop. Everything that's wrong with the NBA gets blamed on Hiphop for some reason. I think it's safe to say "greed" comes along with ALL professional sports players. Even Baseball, where "Hiphop" isn't as prevelant. If Bogut would've stated his opinion about players being greedy, I'd excepted it. But blaming Hiphop and "bling bling" on players and their lifestyle is plain out ignorant and borderline racist. NOTE:How can Bogut criticize the NBA players for buying nice things, and then hop in his BRAND NEW luxury car and speed off. Must be Hiphop again
What are they supposed to blame it on then? Black people? It's a proven fact that Rap music influences a lot of things. Where did hoes, pimps, flossing, bling bling, fancy cars, throwing money, expensive alcohol become popular? It originated in hip hop and rap.
<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">If Bogut would've stated his opinion about players being greedy, I'd excepted it. But blaming Hiphop and "bling bling" on players and their lifestyle is plain out ignorant and borderline racist.</div> Everything seems to be a racial issue with you. You're the type of jackass who goes around instigating conflicts where there was perfect harmony beforehand. Bogut is criticizing the ostentatiousness and gaudiness of the NBA lifestyle, nothing more. Idiot.
<div class="quote_poster">The Walrus Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">He has a point, but I dont think he's got a right to take it out on an entire culture. I mean the guys has lived in the three whitest places on Earth. Australia,Utah, and Milwaukee. Wow it must be tough for him. What a ghetto lifestyle he has had to overcome. Do i agree with him, yeah sorta. But I'm a fan and can say w/e I want. However....Andrew, Don't call out your teamates/fellow workers which is essentially what hes doing. And don't insult the league, especially when its the one paying you.</div> Australia is far from being one of the whitest countries in the world, we're a very diverse country. But anyway, I dont see what being white has to do with any of this anyway. He called out NBA players as a whole, not just black NBA players.
<div class="quote_poster">Dark Hero Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">Bogut just needs to shut up.Even though he is telling the truth.</div> This is what I don't understand. Why should he shut up? If he's right, then he should say it. And if it's for the better, then why not?
<div class="quote_poster">NTC Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">Australia is far from being one of the whitest countries in the world, we're a very diverse country. But anyway, I dont see what being white has to do with any of this anyway. He called out NBA players as a whole, not just black NBA players.</div> Yeah I don't understand why mentioning Australia and 'White' is of any relevance here?? The Walrus has obviously never been to Australia in making such comments... and I didn't read anything of a racist nature in Bogut's comments.
What's wrong with wanting more in life? Everyone wants more. If your rich and you're greedy, let it be. It's there money and they can spend it however they want. Even if they go broke by the time they're 50.
