One question that BallinEurope receives in the virtual inbox from time to time was asked again this week by reader Richard:
[H]ave you made an article about a comparison between the NBA and Euroleague? If you haven’t, can you make one? But if you already made it, can you give me the link? Thanks.
Hey, well, ask and ye shall receive. I’m not exactly sure what specific comparisons Richard and his ilk would like to have made, but below are enumerated a few pieces from the BallinEurope.com archive that hopefully will do the job.
Before the Beijing Olympics of 2008 (and at the dawn of BallinEurope.com), then-editor Christophe Ney took the time to answer a number of questions from English-speaking news outlet China Daily about international basketball vs. the American game in terms of quality of play, audiences, attitudes and such. Not too much has changed in terms of the information imparted in “General questions about international and European basketball,” so feel free to have a look.
Back in 2007, blogger/super coach Ettore Messina (and concomitantly, BiE editorial) put in his two Eurocents on the question, proclaiming that “European basketball [is] something between NCAA and NBA” in terms of quality.
Writing on the occasion of Theodoros Papaloukas – he “who killed the US national team in the semifinals of the [2006 FIBA World Championship],” Messina helpfully reminds – being named FIBA Europe Player of Year, Messina’s “Now They Know about Theo” remains a useful read, citing as it does a number of specific individuals still playing NBA or Euroleague ball.
An important piece BallinEurope ran in 2009 is well relevant today, though the financial situation has changed a bit more for the worse for some of Europe’s top clubs. Christophe’s “Is being drafted still worth it?” examines a crucial financial consideration for any European taken up by an NBA club past, say, the mid-first round, and also details some differences between financial considerations franchises must make on either side of The Pond.
But perhaps the single best primer on certain divergences between the NBA and top European ball can be read over at Slam Online. Blogger/player Casey Jacobsen tells all (well, a lot) about styles, economics and mentalities in an August article from his “Deutsche Land Pöst” column entitled “The NBA vs. Europe.”
Here’s hoping this helps. Until next time, vive la différence!
Tags: 2006 FIBA World Championship, 2008 Beijing Olympics, 2008 Olympic Games, Basketball business, Casey Jacobsen, Ettore Messina, Euroleague, FIBA, FIBA Europe, NBA, Theo Papaloukas
Hey thanks to made this article, you know I get this idea from this web
http://forums.realgm.com/boards/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=814380
The author of that article claimed that Euroleague will be as good as the NBA in 2 years or so, and the article was written in 2008, so no he wasn’t right.
But the author made some good points that Euroleague might offer the players more money, more luxury etc but not better basketball league.
Honestly I think Euroleague can pull closer to the NBA (But not surpass it).
Btw you have any idea how salary things in Euroleague? I’m curious about that one, Is Euroleague salary NET? And is NBA salary GROSS? Thanks for answering.
Richard,
After living in Europe for the better part of 15 years, i still forget which is “brutto” and which is “netto,” but typically NBA contract figures don’t include income tax which must be paid out and Euroleague figures are quoted after tax.
Now, i don’t know about tricky accounting maneuvers in Europe, but i know a clever accountant in the ‘States can wipe out quite a bit of that 29%-maximum rate. So, when you see a player quoted as making $5 million for 2009-10, that could be as little as $3.5 million after taxes or as much as, well, $5 million.
Cheers,
Os.
I think Nba is not so good than european leuge…look at brandon jennings…he made in italy 3 ppg,in the nba in his 6 or 7 game he made 55!!points…that crazy….i think that european players just not can play the american style…they just not fit in…
bye for now
I think that Europeans can play the American style of basketball.If you look at brandons
game that he played in Europe and the states it´s not that much different except for the fact
that in Europe he was against a wall of defense.Team defense is hell for a one on one players.In the Nba you are basicly on your own,if you man blows by you there is not much help.
Richard H
I’d love to see you guys do power rankings for the various European national leagues (not teams). I’d put Spain’s ACB at the top, but after that…? Italy? Greece? How strong is the Turkish TBL compared to, say, France’s ProA? How does Switzerland compare to Italy’s Lega2?
I guess you could base it somewhat on Euroleague and Eurocup results, but then often it seems like these national leagues are dominated by 1-3 top teams (built for international competition by wealthy owners) and then a lot of weak teams beneath them. So how do you tell who is strongest top-to-bottom?
[...] i guess. Shortly after we went into a game and I noticed that we seemed to be playing in more of an American style rather than the European style i was accustomed to. For example, the point guard would be central, then 2 other players in wing or [...]