Jae Crowder has come to the defense of European basketball, responding to Gilbert Arenas\u2019 recent criticism of the game across the Atlantic. The ASVEL forward, who spent 13 seasons in the NBA and reached two Finals as a starter, strongly disagreed with the former player\u2019s comments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI just think it\u2019s disrespectful to the European culture more so than the NBA guys,\u201d Crowder told BasketNews. \u201cI don\u2019t take it personally. I know what I\u2019ve done. I played, I did some stuff Gilbert Arenas never done. I started in the Finals. I played two Finals in the NBA as a starter. So, his comments, everyone has an opinion. I don\u2019t agree with him.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Crowder also questioned how someone could dismiss a competition without experiencing it firsthand, pointing to former NBA starter Jonas Valanciunas as an example of the talent playing in Europe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI think this is a great atmosphere. I think this is great basketball,\u201d he added. \u201cThese are maybe not more athletic players, but they\u2019re very smart, very intelligent teams, very intelligent coaches, very intelligent game plans. And I think you have to respect that, and I do respect it.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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