Charlie Villanueva and John Calipari (mutual accusations)

[upstater]

John Calipari had this to say:

http://www.cbssports.com/nba/eye-on...llanueva-from-dominican-republic-olympic-team

"Charlie was not in good form when we saw him," Calipari said to Deportes en la Z.

"He was overweight, and unfortunately, we could not slow down the entire team and it was a decision taken collectively.

"Last year, Charlie behaved really well with us and his only problem was his weight."

Behaved really well. Except for his weight? Villanueva has never been a bad character. The criticism is that he does not play as hard as he can. Nonetheless, that Dominican team came very close to making the Olympic field for the first time. They were the last out. Villanueva would have been their second NBA player. He played well for them in 2009-2010. And Calipari makes a comment about him, which Villanueva disputes! Now Villanueva is not bothering with them. Orlando Antigua is the coach. And the thing is, people are lauding Calipari for not including a guy who half-asses it. Well, the Dominican does not have many NBA caliber players. Charlie is one of two. Calipari makes this stand (against a UConn player, hmmmm), then the team doesn't make the Olympic field, he retires from coaching them after just one year, installs his guy as the coach... and meanwhile the second best player from that country won't play for them.

Here's Charlie's version where he calls Calipari a liar:


http://www.fibaamericas.com/noticiasread4.asp?r=FB3DD8962EB84A8C81089284C717BC2A

"I will talk about the issue of the DR (Dominican Republic) now, so they do ‘not lie to me, as they did last year. Thanks, and I love my country so much," he wrote.
"I will concentrate my game in the United States because this is an important year for me. Love my country but I'm just focused on my family and career," said Villanueva.

So, in case you're wondering what this is about, there's more:

http://www.nba.com/pistons/features/truebluepistons_120707b.html

Villanueva has no idea what was behind John Calipari’s comments last month saying that he, in his role as coach of the Dominican Republic national team, had “cut” Villanueva because he appeared out of shape in a workout he’d overseen and feared Villanueva’s presence would slow down the rest of the team.

“I’m at home relaxing and people are hitting me up like, ‘You got cut from the Dominican Republic team?’ I didn’t know anything about it. The crazy thing is I spoke to coach Cal like two weeks before I supposedly got cut. Everything was fine. Everything was cool, then this article came out that I got cut. I had never worked out for them. Besides one conversation I had with coach Cal, they never saw me.
“I still don’t know what was the reason. I read I was overweight? I’m like, ‘Are you kidding me?’ That’s not the case at all. I’m feeling great. I don’t know, but whatever. It is what it is.”
Kander said Villanueva weighed less and had a lower body-fat percentage as last season wound down than he’d had since becoming an NBA player and Villanueva said his weight has been maintained since the season ended.

Charlie's brother weighs in and says there never was any tryout whatsoever:

http://www.freep.com/article/20120624/SPORTS03/206240579/1051/sports03

 

[61cygni]

How very squid-like.

 

[jrazz12]

Scum bag. What else is new?

 

[caw]

Probably wanted to give a spot to a kid he was recruiting...who happens to play the same position as Charlie V.

 

[upstater]

Probably wanted to give a spot to a kid he was recruiting...who happens to play the same position as Charlie V.

I saw that too.

This was a double whammy for that kid as well, because if his NBA career pans out and he becomes a perennial all-star, he will never get to play for the USA team. I wonder if Karl Towns realized that.

 

[James]

Karl towns is so overrated he doesn't even play at big tourneys only sneaker camps etc

 

[joober jones]

Karl Towns couldn't even get an invite to the Hunts BBQ Sauce Tournament For The Cure of Underbites, and that's not even a real event.

 

[Rico444]

Karl Towns couldn't even get an invite to the Hunts BBQ Sauce Tournament For The Cure of Underbites, and that's not even a real event.

But I heard he did get one to the European Wax Center Anthony Davis Invitational.