[illadef5]

Just to get it out of the way, I don't care how much money a player makes. If making money is more important to them than winning, good for them (no sarcasm). If winning is more important than making money, good for them. However, I know there are a lot of people who still hold on to old school "do it for the love of the game" belief and I want hear what their take is.

Before, it used to be fringe NBA players and those who had no chance that went overseas to make a living rather than go the D-League/Minor League route. I don't think anybody would chastise them for leaving the US. But now, we're seeing guys who can play and make "decent" NBA money like a Josh Childress headed to Europe because of better pay. Now, I'm not sure how much the Hawks offered (or didn't offer) Childress, but let's assume for a second the Hawks and the Greek team offered the same amount and the difference was that the Greek team offered to take care of taxes. Would you hate on Childress for leaving?


Now, this probably isn't a big deal because Childress was a supporting player on a sub-.500 team. We'll probably never see a superstar make the jump, but how about when the day comes when a somewhat big name on a contender (like say, a David West, Mehmet Okur, Tayshaun Prince type) bolts for Europe because the difference was that European team was willing to pay the taxes. Will there be a backlash against the players because they want to get paid?

[norcalsports]

Good question, I think there would be people in the US that would not like that player anymore and be heartbroken. But the fans they gain overseas will grow by leaps and bounds. It will be interesting to see if there cards aren't collected here, but overseas.

I say, take the money and run....

[exquisitejunkie]

I like foreign players coming here so I certainly couldn't hold it against an NBA'er going over there.

[ByronScott4ever]

I think some might wait to see what happens with the players who go over there. If they are miserable, what does the money matter? If Childress comes back to the NBA after a year, it might send a message that playing there is only for the short term. I wonder what life would be like for those people in a foreign country. I also can see many players not going over strictly because of their family.

[ewilkens]

I've got no issue, they can do what they want. But I think players would typically rather be in the NBA and I think most Euro deals will have outclauses so they can get back into the league. But good for Europe. I'm not gonna hate.

[bballjunky24]

NO, capitalism is great. They deserve to make as much as they can. Besides no great NBA players will end up in Europe. Childress was a nobody when it comes down to brass tacks.

Think about how many of the great players in the NBA came here from overseas. I would much rather see Dirk Nirkowitz (as much as I hate him) and Manu Ginobili (as much as I absolutely want him to have a bad accident) here in the states and give up watching Josh Childress to Greece...

[newfiecomicguy1]

I love watching Euro ball and to be honest they play a different style over there. Euro ball is more about the fundamentals of the game, shooting, passing, setting picks, its more of a team game. The NBA game is usually centered around 1 or 2 players. Its more about the flashy game, dunks allyoops (spelling). Thats one of the reasons that international teams have been doing so well against the US teams over the past few years. The NBA teams have struggled at the fundamental parts of the game.

I think the players who go away well have to adjust their styles and get back to a team oriented game. They will become better players, more rounded. IMO NBA players are better pure athlete's but Euro league players are more well rounded players.

[bgomourto]

I won't look at them different, but unless it's one of my top 5 players, I'll probably not pay attention to how they are doing. The internet makes it easier, but I'm not going to make the effort to see how a player like Josh Childress is doing on a Greek team. I'm a lazy American. Spoon feed me the headlines, please.

[asujbl]

So basically some of you, at least the OP, are coming of as an American Eliteist and only the NBA counts...

Obviously I consider the NBA the best league in the world and the best players should hopefully want to play here, but if they go to Europe it only counts for money?? What if they sign with the "celtics" of Europe?? That doesn't count as winning?? A European League championship means less then the NBA championship?? pretty short sighted of you.

I realize 99% of us (myself included) don't care about Soccer - but if I player left the Premiership for the MLS it wouldn't necessarily make it about the money.

I don't think it's a bad or good thing for the NBA - the top guys will always get top money - but to say going to Europe is for the money and signing in the NBA for less money is about winning is ridiculous.

[illadef5]

asujbl Wrote:So basically some of you, at least the OP, are coming of as an American Eliteist and only the NBA counts...

Whoa, slow down. If there's one thing I'm not, it's an American Elitist. I'm all for the globalization of the game and hopefully we will see the day where we can crown a true "world" champion in every sense of the word. But let's face facts for a second. Now there are probably exceptions (like when Dominque Wilkins won a European championship a few years ago), but I'm guessing a great deal of those American-born players who are in Europe, Asia, or wherever else, even Josh Childress, would rather be in the NBA and winning in the NBA right now if the economics were right. They grew up on American basketball, and I'm guess their dream would be to win the American basketball championship. Now if Childress had said something to the effect of "I'm not getting any minutes. I want to go where I'm gonna play and have a shot of winning," then fine, I can buy that, regardless of how much more or less money he was gonna make in Europe. But all reports stated that Childress left because the Hawks weren't going to pay him. It's that cut and dry. It's the same way with Sasha Vujacic and Carl Landry. They're looking for a payday, not a ring, NBA or Euroleague...

My post was in no way meant to belittle European basketball. FIBA basketball is great and that brand of basketball has won the previous Olympics and past few World Championships. If anybody took it the wrong, then I apologize...