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JoongAng Daily
8 SPORTS Thursday, February 26, 2009
KBL league officials handed out
their first fines for theatrical flop-
ping this week.
[YONHAP, NEWSIS,
Fine frenzy as KBL floppers get caught out JoongAng Ilbo]
By Jason Kim / Sung Ho-jun rics on the court. In an attempt to do without the the- Bryant Dunston and Woo Seung-youn “There were an overwhelming not intentionally flopping so I don’t
Staff Reporter / JoongAng Ilbo In a recent game against Mobis, atrical flopping, the Korean Basketball (Mobis, forwards). number of offenders, and from this think it’s such a bad thing,” said Cho
It’s not fair to call basketball players Johnson, all 196 centimeters (6 feet 5 League has handed out its first fines to The league office determined how point on we will use video reviewers to Sang-hyun of LG.
a soft bunch, but the overwhelming inches) and 116 kilograms (255 pounds) offenders. to hand down fines during the offsea- consistently catch floppers,” said Park “The KBL can do without flopping
number of “flopping” incidents going of him, took a dive in an attempt to KBL officials are fining players son. Although the fines were handed Kwang-ho of the KBL. but it all stems from the preferential
on in the Korean Basketball League draw a foul. found guilty of flopping 200,000 won out behind doors up to this month, all Mobis guard Chun Dae-hyun and treatment referees give to the star play-
would make even Vlade Divac gri- In a game against KCC, Samsung’s ($132). that changed on Feb. 2 when league Orion guard Chun Jung-kyu, who were ers,” said Kim Sung-chul of ET Land.
mace. Lee Kyu-sup fell on his back twice League officials reviewed videos of officials rewrote the rules to enlist video found vehemently arguing touch outs In addition to the fines, the KBL
In a game on Feb. 10, KTF center while guarding an opponent and fell games played between Feb. 10 to 15 observers to closely watch post-game and foul calls, were also levied 200,000 agreed to award a free throw to a player
Lee Eun-ho fell flat on his back as if he once again to the floor after launching a and handed out fines to 11 players for videos to detect theatrical flopping. won fines. victimized by a flop. The National Bas-
had been punched, at the slightest con- shot to draw a foul. flopping, also often referred to as “sim- This rule change resulted in the lat- Some of the players are voicing their ketball Association is not fining its
tact from LG’s center, Ivan Johnson. The Although the video replay did not ulation action” or “Hollywood action.” est bunch of offenders. The league offi- discontent at the latest turn of events. players for flopping this season, but it
referee did not call a foul on Lee. show any contact, Lee screamed “foul!” The offenders included Lee Eun-ho cials also decided to release clips of the “It’s unfair to place all the blame on is monitoring players through both in-
Johnson was robbed of a call but he in the direction of the referee with a (KTF, center), Ivan Johnson (LG, cen- incidents and press releases to the media the players when referees are also mak- game arena observers and video review-
is not innocent when it comes to theat- clenched fist in protest. ter), Lee Kyu-sup (Samsung, forward), in an effort to root out the problem. ing mistakes. In most cases, players are ers. jason@joongang.co.kr
Ex-NBA stars too ‘aggressive’ for China
BEIJING — Increasing numbers of sense of selfishness,’ and I think the The association has encouraged Known for their rigorous, boot
former NBA players are turning to Chi- Chinese don’t understand that.” physical play this season after critics, camp-style training and their never-
na’s professional league for jobs and The CBA’s top 15 scorers are all for- including Houston Rockets center Yao say-die battling spirit, Bayi became the
their aggressive domination of the court eigners this season, and the reaction has Ming, said the league’s low-contact most popular team in the nation as they
has drawn criticism from a sports sys- not been positive. style was not producing players tough won the first six CBA titles.
tem dedicated to developing Chinese Dontae’ Jones, a former Celtics for- enough for the international game. This year, however, they have strug-
players. ward now leading the CBA in points “We want to become Asia’s best gled against import-loaded squads and
China’s teams stepped up recruit- scored, has been described by local professional league,” Zhang said. “Then are 20-19 after an eight-loss streak last
ment abroad this season after new rules media such as Titan Sports as a “cancer” we can use this status to send high-lev- month.
allowed them to field two foreign play- on the Beijing Ducks because he shoots el players to the national team and Bayi remained a model for other
ers, a move the Chinese Basketball too much. achieve historical breakthroughs at the teams, said Xu Jicheng, a top Chinese
Association hoped would attract inter- Former NBA guard Wells, who left Olympics and the world champion- basketball commentator and former
est in the league and expose players to the league last month, was also blasted ships.” member of a junior army team.
tougher competition. by domestic media for pulling down The imports themselves needed to “The ‘Bayi spirit’ is not just empty
High-level imports such as former the stats of his teammates by scoring as learn about China’s culture and adjust talk,” Xu said.
NBA players Bonzi Wells and Donnell many as 50 points per game — without to its less individualistic system, he The team, who produced China’s
Harvey have, however, refocused virtu- improving Shanxi Zhongyu’s record. said. first NBA player, Wang Zhizhi, had
ally every CBA team’s strategy around CBA office director Zhang Xiong “They are here to help CBA teams developed Chinese talent without
the scoring power of the foreigners, agreed that the domination of the play, not just to exhibit their own shoot- recruiting foreign players before, and
reducing stats and game time for Chi- imports had been “detrimental for the ing skills,” Zhang said. could do so again, Xu added.
nese players. growth of Chinese players,” who now One result of the surge of foreign “In this sense Bayi spirit is not out-
“In the past it’s been guys who were play less. talent into the CBA has been a reversal dated. It is a strong spirit that Chinese
good but more team-oriented,” said However, increasing play time for of fortunes for the once-mighty Bayi basketball can learn from in the
Jason Dixon, a U.S. import who has imports had also helped to make the Rockets, who have won eight out of 13 future.”
played for the Guangdong Tigers for 10 CBA more physical and created compe- championships since the league start- Bayi may not even make the play-
The official baseballs for the 2009 WBC, manufactured by Rawlings. years. tition that would force Chinese players ed. offs this year and this month suffered
[YONHAP] “This year you’re finding a lot of to improve, Zhang told Reuters. Bayi, whose name means Aug. 1 — their worst loss ever — by 49 points —
high-caliber NBA players. The CBA is ultimately a training the date of the foundation of the Peo- to defending champions Guangdong
WBC pitchers get to “Even in college, [Americans] are
told, ‘If you want to play in the NBA,
you have to score, you have to have a
ground for players in a state-run sports
system focused on increasing China’s
success in international competition.
ple’s Liberation Army (PLA) — are
unable to recruit overseas because their
players are all officially soldiers.
Tigers, a team they defeated in the CBA
finals two years ago.
Reuters
grips with new balls
By Jason Kim/ Kim Seek
Staff Reporter / JoongAng Ilbo
up two hits and a run in one and
two-thirds innings during a recent
Final rosters named for
Korean and other Asian pitchers
participating in the 2009 WBC will
have to adjust to more than just the
friendly game against Australia.
“I can’t throw my curveball
because the ball is slippery,” said
World Baseball Classic
training tournament schedules. Darvish. NEW YORK — Boston’s American Tiger slugger Miguel Cabrera.
With less than a week to go until On the other hand, Korean pitch- League MVP Dustin Pedroia will form The same countries are competing
the opening day, there are mixed ers used baseballs similar to the a double-play combo with Derek Jeter in this second WBC but at some new
reviews of the official baseball to be Rawlings baseballs up to two years of the Yankees, while Ichiro Suzuki and venues. The tournament begins March
used in the tournament. ago, and since there are four official Daisuke Matsuzaka reunite for champi- 5 and ends in Los Angeles with a March
The official baseball is manufac- baseballs in Korea, Koreans are hav- ons Japan at the second World Baseball 23 championship game at Dodger Sta-
tured by Rawlings, a U.S. sports ing an easier time adjusting. Classic. dium.
equipment manufacturer, and while The baseballs, which weigh The final rosters of the 16 teams par- The field includes Australia, Cana-
most Japanese pitchers are said to be 141.7 to 148.8 grams (5 to 5.2 ounc- ticipating in next month’s WBC were da, China, Cuba, the Dominican Repub-
unhappy about the Rawlings ball, es) and measure 22.9 to 23.5 centi- announced on Tuesday and they includ- lic, Italy, Japan, Korea, Mexico, the
there are mixed reviews from the meters (9 to 9.2 inches) in circumfer- ed many of Major League Baseball’s Netherlands, Panama, Puerto Rico,
Korean training camp. ence, can provide an advantage to leading performers, playing for national South Africa, Taiwan, the United States
The Japanese use Mizuno 150 breaking ball pitchers such as Ryu pride in the international tournament. and Venezuela.
baseballs, which are also used in the Hyun-jin and Bong Jung-keun, “There is not one experience in Cuba, who have reached interna-
Olympics and Asian Games, making known for throwing circle change- baseball in the big leagues that is bigger tional tournament finals 38 times in a
it very difficult for the players to get ups. than playing for your country,” New row, return with a highly-regarded
a comfortable grip. “The slippery texture makes it York Mets’ centerfielder Carlos Beltran, national team.
Darvish Yu, a starting pitcher for easier to throw changeups,” said who is playing again for Puerto Rico, First-round games are slated for the
Japan, walked two batters and gave Ryu and Bong. told major league Web site MLB.com. Tokyo Dome from March 5-8, Hiram
The slippery surface is one differ- The 2006 Puerto Rican team did not Bithorn Stadium in San Juan, Puerto
ence but a side-by-side comparison make it out of a hotly contested second Rico, from March 7-11, and Toronto’s
shows a difference in size and seams round, losing out to Cuba and the Rogers Centre and Foro Sol Stadium in
as well. This can pose problems for Dominican Republic. Mexico City from March 8-12.
pitchers with smaller hands and Boston’s David Ortiz returns for the The second round will be held at
‘I can’t throw those who prefer fastballs and curve- Dominican Republic, who have added San Diego’s Petco Park and Dolphin
balls. Kim Kwang-hyun, known for Florida’s Hanley Ramirez and Yankees’ Stadium in Miami, from March 14-19.
my curveball relying on his curveball, and Oh
Seung-hwan complained of the
slugger Alex Rodriguez, a representa-
tive for the United States in the last tour-
Dodger Stadium will host the semi-
finals and finals from March 21-23.
because grip.
The baseballs used in Korea and
nament.
Team Canada boasts Red Sox out-
Japan, with Mariners outfielder
Ichiro and Red Sox hurler Matsuzaka,
the ball is other Asian countries are made of
horsehide while the Rawlings base-
fielder Jason Bay and Twins’ first base-
man Justin Morneau. Venezuela has
opens its defense against China in
Tokyo on March 5, while Team USA Eye on the ball — Manchester United midfielder Park Ji-Sung (left)
balls are made from cowhide. Seattle pitcher Felix Hernandez, the tries to avenge its second-round ouster fights for the ball with Inter Milan’s defender Maicon during their UEFA
too slippery.’ jason@joongang.co.kr Cubs’ Carlos Zambrano and Mets’ relief
ace Francisco Rodriguez along with
when it begins against Canada in
Toronto two days later. Reuters
Champions League match on Feb. 24 in Milan. [YONHAP]
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