This all happened didn't quite happen overnight, but it feels that way. Hoopsworld.com, an in-depth source for all things NBA basketball, rated the Top 10 free agents and the status of their free agency. Will they stay on their team, or leave for a new one? Will they resist a team's lower offer, or know they can't nab the money they want anywhere?
Hoopsworld introduces a new, not-so-freshing option, to this NBA fan anyway. European clubs. Europe has been on a basketball high for some time, but the notion that LeBron, for example, might leap across the pond to play for Olympiacos is daunting. Why? Because there are outstanding advantages for each player that considers European ball. First, how Hoopsworld evaluates the advantages:
"On the other hand, what if - as our own Steve Kyler suggested - Olympiacos offered LeBron $50 million tax-free?
What if LeBron decided the pressure of the whole "Witness" campaign, which set expectations for his career so high he has to win a title and MVP to even begin to realize his imagined potential, just isn't worth it? What if he decides that being incredibly wealthy (even by pro athlete standards) is better than wallowing in mediocrity, which is largely brought about by the size of his own contract? There is no salary cap in Europe . . .and did I mention no tax? Instead of pulling in half of whatever the Cavs offer, LeBron could rake in all of his European paycheck. They'd even provide a house, transportation, and plane tickets home."
Yes, money would be most players' motivation. But, the tax breaks and benefits are so overwhelming that buying up LeBron might be feasible. Plus, as Hoopsworld notes, Lebron would be that much more of an international hero.
And, to run on my own tangent, consider the shift in how the fan views you, the NBA player who's just joined a European league. Your game will instantly look better. Europeans will see you struggle in footage of your NBA career, but you'll blow by most of the defenses in Europe. You won't be beat off the dribble nearly as often. The fans will respect your game that much more - whether you're Josh Childress, Karl Landry...or LeBron James. Any player's game would flash brighter. Well at least until so many players come that...the competition evens between European and American leagues? Lord, I hope we don't see that day.
See the noted Hoopsworld pieces:
Lebron to Olympiacos
Free Agent Top 10
Saturday, August 02, 2008
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