Former NBA star guard Gilbert Arenas attributes perceived defensive shortcomings in the NBA to European players, advocating for their exclusion.
He suggests that since Europeans don’t attend U.S. colleges, where defensive skills are honed, they lack athleticism, speed, and jumping ability, making them defensive liabilities.
Arenas contends that only a few European players, such as Rudy Gobert and Giannis Antetokounmpo, excel in defense, while the majority are considered offensive players.
“Get rid of all Europeans,” Arenas said. “You go to college to learn defense. What college do Europeans go to? They have no athleticism. They have no speed, no jumping ability. They are a liability on defense.
“They are 150 Euros in the league today… name the top defenders. None! Just Rudy [Gobert] and the Greek Freak. Other than that, they are offensive players.”
Gilbert Arenas blames Europeans for bad defense in the NBA
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) March 3, 2024
“Get rid of all Europeans. You go to college to learn defense. What college do Europeans go to? They have no athleticism. They have no speed, no jumping ability. They are a liability on defense. They are 150 Euros in… pic.twitter.com/lUmoWJBeEw
