Shaq attacks US basketball for technical fouls

Team USA's grip on the basketball world is being undermined by a lack of focus on fundamentals and will eventually be threatened by emerging international powers, according to Olympic and world championship gold medal winner Shaquille O'Neal. Renaissance man O'Neal, whose many pursuits since retiring last year after a 19-year National Basketball Association (NBA) career include TV commentary, feels players who leave college after one year for the pros are hurting their development while international players practice more. "Over here, the one-and-done phase took a big stab in the development of our young kids," O'Neal, referring to a rule that allows players to join the NBA one year after their high school graduating class, told Reuters in a recent interview. "Over there in Europe, I've been at a lot of these camps, they're sticking to the basic fundamentals and that's why they are great shooters and great passers like [Spain's] Ricky Rubio. There's gonna be one day where another country is going to dominate us in basketball." Shaq said the weakening of fundamental skills was compounded by the inspiration that up and coming international players get from watching countrymen compete on the NBA stage. There are 76 international players from 36 countries and territories on official NBA rosters, according to the league, including eight from France, six from Turkey, five from Spain and four each from Argentina, Brazil and Canada. "That's it, exactly," said O'Neal, promoting his role as a spokesman for the Dove Men + Care skin care product. First overall pick O'Neal spent three years at Louisiana State University before declaring himself for the 1992 NBA draft, where he was selected with the first overall pick by the Orlando Magic. He went on to win three consecutive NBA titles with the Los Angeles Lakers and one with the Miami Heat. Illustrating the surge in international basketball, the only foreign player taken in that '92 draft was Predrag Danilovic of Yugoslavia with the 43rd pick by the Golden State Warriors.