<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">Doug Smith takes a closer look at the Toronto Raptors and answers your questions in his mail bag. This week: the world watch continues, and all-time best Raptors plays. Dog days over yet? Almost, we can only hope. So, before the Raptors start returning to town and there's some semblance of news, we'll stick with a heavy dose of international hoops to get us through another week. We cannot measure the heart of another man, nor truly know the depths of his passion, so none among us should really criticize Jorge Garbajosa for doing whatever he could to play basketball for his country. There are those among you who think he's being selfish for pushing his federation to the limits to acquire the necessary insurance to allow him to play in the European championships when everyone in the world knows his employers, the Toronto Raptors, would rather he take the tournament off. But why? Why not praise him for his passion for his country, his dedication to rehabbing his leg and ankle to the point that as many doctors think he could play as think he shouldn't. Sure, he's got to have some allegiance to a team that will pay him $12 million over the length of his NBA contract but he also has to have allegiance to his country and there are those on this side of the ocean who can't fathom that. Believe me, international competition is as important ? in many cases more important ? as the NBA to the top European players. The Raptors, or the Spurs, or the Grizzlies, or anyone else is a 'club' team, his country is a player's 'real' team. Is allowing Garbo to play a gamble? Hell, it's a gamble to drive on the 401 every day but no one's parking their cars, are they? The European tournament will be a special time for Garbajosa and any member of the national team. Spain won the world championship ? its first ever ? last September and is playing at home for the first time since. And even though Spain has locked up a berth in next year's Beijing Olympics and doesn't need to do anything at Eurobasket 2007, the tournament is the most significant of the summer for European national teams. </div> The Toronto Star
