Othello Hunter: 'I'm sick and tired of seeing foreigners get disrespected in Europe' / News - Basketnews.com

Hunter argued that if European teams truly valued their players, they would not experience high player turnover each year and struggle to achieve success in the playoffs or Final Four. Hunter believed that longer contracts would provide players with a sense of security.

Credit: IMAGO/Eibner - Scanpix Credit IMAGO/Eibner - Scanpix

FC Bayern Munich veteran center Othello Hunter expressed his opinion on the current state of European basketball and the treatment of American players on his Twitter account.

Points this season

42%76,6Points made:76,6Accuracy:42,1%Place in standings:15Record max:98Record min:53Best scorer:Cassius WinstonTeamEuroLeagueStatisticsSchedule

The 36-year-old emphasized the need for American players to receive longer contracts in Europe and questioned the emphasis on domestic athletes as the core of teams.

Hunter highlighted the importance of being a part of a winning culture and being valued by the teams. He criticized the tendency of teams to constantly look for the "Next Thing" in terms of coaches and players, often favoring cheaper options.

The player argued that if teams truly valued their players, they would not experience high player turnover each year and struggle to achieve success in the playoffs or Final Four.

In Hunter's opinion, both local and foreign players are crucial in building a winning culture in European basketball. He expressed his frustration with the disrespect that foreigners sometimes face in Europe and emphasized that team culture is built with the right players, regardless of their nationality.

Othello Hunter's Twitter posts:

"Just needed to get this out. It would be nice to see American players get longer contracts here in Europe. You have some people who talk about domestic players and how they need to be the core of teams and it just blows my mind. You really can see how no matter what there is a divided..

Culture period. I say that to say this. You think Americans or foreign players going to a different country wouldn't like to actually be apart of a winning culture? Or even be apart of the core of a team? Instead, everyone is trying to the "Next Thing".

The next coach, the next player for cheap. Sucks to see teams not actually trying to build winning culture. I'm not saying all but majority of the teams don't value their players like they should. If they did you wouldn't have teams having 4-5 new players every year and wondering why we can't make it to the playoffs or Final Four?

Othello Hunter

MIN:17.91PTS:7.75 (53.66%)REB:4.83As:1.04ST:0.58BL:0.38TO:0.96GM:24ProfileEuroLeague2022/2023

I really do think guys would stay longer if they knew they were valued by the teams. Longer contracts equal better team identity and culture. You have a longer time to actually build a great team that you can trust.

You're not going to have guys that are thinking just about stats. So, all in all, you need domestic and foreign players in Europe to build winning culture.

I'm sick and tired of seeing foreigners get disrespected in Europe. You just don't build team culture with domestic players you build with the right players period. Don't forget we all need each other in the world and in basketball. Have a blessed day."

Olympiacos Piraeus head coach Georgios Bartzokas recently addressed the significance of domestic players.

He highlighted the advantage of having domestic players who understand the culture of the club and the fans, allowing them to represent the club better.

"If you have a bunch of domestic players, they know the culture of the club, basically. "Also, the culture of the fans," Bartzokas said. "They can represent the club a little bit better than everybody else."

Bartzokas also argued that a stable core of six, seven, or eight players who have played together for a long time can develop strong chemistry and understanding on the court. Adding a few new pieces every summer can then supplement this core group if necessary.

"At the end of the day, I believe more than to have domestic players is to have a lot of players that play a lot of years in the club," the coach underlined. "You need to have a core of players of more than six, seven, or eight to play together for a long period. Then they know each other and how to play. And then add some pieces every summer if you need something."

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