[xstreaminsanity]

So, Deron has a contract and in time, others may as well. Will this, if your players or players from your teams, give you interest in buying foreign league products?

[got watcha want]

So, Deron has a contract and in time, others may as well. Will this, if your players or players from your teams, give you interest in buying foreign league products?

Not here.

This is just a negotiating tactic on the behalf of the player's union. Kobe and his camp started the idea to help with leverage in the CBA negotiations. Stern didn't realize that he was shooting himself in the foot when he went global.

Now pro basketball players have other smaller markets to play for. This may be a bad thing for FIBA and Europe Basketball. Now I bet the owners want more strict policies for their contracted players trying to play overseas.

Then again throw some all-stars in Europe and watch the global popularity really take off.

Williams may never play a game for Turkey because if the lockout ends so does that contract.

[xstreaminsanity]

Not here.

This is just a negotiating tactic on the behalf of the player's union. Kobe and his camp started the idea to help with leverage in the CBA negotiations. Stern didn't realize that he was shooting himself in the foot when he went global.

Now pro basketball players have other smaller markets to play for. This may be a bad thing for FIBA and Europe Basketball. Now I bet the owners want more strict policies for their contracted players trying to play overseas.

Then again throw some all-stars in Europe and watch the global popularity really take off.

Williams may never play a game for Turkey because if the lockout ends so does that contract.

That is honestly my hope. I'm just curious that if the owners don't step up to the plate and do something about it, if some all stars do start playing over there, what will it do for our hobby. I don't know about licensing, but would Upper Deck be able to get in on that (not that I want them to) or does Panini have a stronghold on FIBA as well?

[folkertino]

I haven't seen any FIBA cards, but considering Panini is from Italy and also its historically strong presence in Europe, through national basketball league cards/stickers, but mostly through other sports and non-sports cards and stickers in general, I'd say Upper Deck wouldn't stand a chance.

If the lockout persists and these NBA players do end up playing here, perhaps a more relevant question is whether they would launch a product focused on markets outside Europe. Remember that card collecting in Europe is predominantly a hobby for the age group between, say, 5 to 13 years old - not including those few collectors such as myself buying USA products. Products here are base sets with a minor insert set. No parallels, MEM, AU or S#. Perhaps the arrival of NBA players in the Euroleague may indeed set the pace for a more American-style product, or maybe some sort of hybrid.

[got watcha want]

That is honestly my hope. I'm just curious that if the owners don't step up to the plate and do something about it, if some all stars do start playing over there, what will it do for our hobby. I don't know about licensing, but would Upper Deck be able to get in on that (not that I want them to) or does Panini have a stronghold on FIBA as well?

I honestly believe that it will not get a chance to go that far. The NFL is setting precedece for the NBA with the NFL court rulings. These players are in trouble with the CBA talks because of the rulings for the NFL in the owners favor.

These players are grasping for barganing chips, because Stern has most of the owners ready for a longer lock out just to break the players and their desire to continue with something close to the previous CBA. These new owners don't get the same asset value appreciation that the earlier owners did. Stern has basically told them to follow me to a lock out and we can finnaly make some cash on every single NBA team.

I believe the players are going to fold this time before the owners do. The deck is stacked against them.

Decertification and filing a lawsuit won't work for them just as it didn't for the NFL players union. After that the only other bagaining chip the players have is the " we can play somewhere else and make money" chip.

The players won't win a lawsuit so the owners can hold out until they get what they want. I think Hunter knows this and is using the risk of losing a season as a chip to keep as much of the revenue split that he can for the players. That is why the players didn't bite at the 50/50 split offer.

This is all just my opinion though.

[xstreaminsanity]

Well I hope there will be a season. Not a euro league season (no offense to the euro league), but an NBA season. The arenas, the music, the atmosphere, etc. Sorry, can't beat it.

[odditycards]

Yeah! More Euro products for me to hunt down! Yippie!!
There are "regular basketball sets in Greece, Spain, and Serbia...probably in other countries as well.
It's interesting what players you find playing for the Int'l teams...and now, maybe even more so.

[crimedawg47]

I hope the owners call the players bluff. Lets see these guys really go to Europe to play....I welcome it