Comments on: Is being drafted still worth it?

By: Mark

Mark — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 23:48:52 +0000

two words JOSH CHILDRESS! hahahahaha! end of debate!

By: The NBA Draft for Euros begins in the 2nd round : Ball in Europe - Basketball Blog

Tue, 24 Jun 2008 21:45:22 +0000

[...] spoke about the salary point of this already in a previous article but I tried to look at this from an NBA executive point of view today. If you draft a top European [...]

By: US High School Star playing in Europe? : Ball in Europe - Basketball Blog

US High School Star playing in Europe? : Ball in Europe - Basketball Blog — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 19:26:20 +0000

[...] talked already about the question if it is still worth being drafted for Europeans. And we spoke, more in a joking way, when European teams will recruit American High [...]

By: Kris

Kris — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 05:16:30 +0000

@Hersey:
Salaries in Europe are after taxes while the numbers we know are before taxes.When you add the fact, that the dollar is on a critical low this year, than even a lottery pick could be interested playing in the first three years in Europe as well, depending on the offers, as I would not wonder if some teams in Europe would make bigger offers than before if they believe in a player.

Regarding the World Champion, your answer is bogus, as they all compete in the same sport, no matter what different rules they set up, so claiming a title in a particular sport without playing against teams from around the globe is purely arrogance in my eyes.Yes, American hoops used to be the best available, but nowadays, the NBA should at least consider the fact, that some European teams could edge many NBA-teams in real competition, and due to that, may re-name the championship into the US-Canadian-Championships , which it is de facto.
Arenas is just a positive example (on the opposite side, there are probably five Ronnie Fields), what about all the players still playing in the minors without ever cashing in any big-time money, just because they wont give up their dream of playing in the NBA? Moneywise a stupid move, but when you’re heart says so, thats good other players,that means for above-average players less competition for the big money offered by big teams in Europe.

By: Can the NBA Keep Attracting Foreign Talent? | top sport blogs

Can the NBA Keep Attracting Foreign Talent? | top sport blogs — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 02:26:43 +0000

[...] which means that the salary being offered really does go straight to a player’s pocket. Ball in Europe breaks down the math: For example, the player drafted at No. 1 this year knows that he will earn [...]

By: Hersey

Hersey — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 19:18:21 +0000

Interesting article and comments. I think the strongest points are for players toward the bottom of the first round and second round who could actually make more money in Europe. Business-wise it would be shrewd but there are factors in favor of the NBA (some already mentioned.)

For example let’s look at a player like Gilbert Arenas. He was a second round pick. He got spotty playing time his first year and then exploded into a star and cashed in. The potential to make a ton of money on a contract and turn the television exposure into lucrative endorsements is much greater in the United States. The NBA is third in popularity and the top salaries are higher than the NFL and on par with MLB, which plays a season twice as long.

Will basketball ever get the attention proper football does in Europe? I seriously doubt it. How likely is it the average European would know a player from a local Euro team as opposed to someone saying I play for the New York Knicks in the NBA? The earning potential and the prestige tips the scales.

I found some salary numbers on your site and it seems the best paid Euro players earns a strong NBA role player’s salary. If I’m a lottery pick, there’s no way I make the jump to Europe. Danny Ferry did it to avoid playing for the Clippers.

Now if I’m parent with sports prodigy, I’d take a long look at Europe’s player development system. That’s an interesting topic right there.

As for the world champion question. I don’t think it’s stupid. I would like to see the NBA’s best in a mini-tourney with other international champions. But the X factor is the NBA plays with significantly different rules. So technically the NBA champ is a rightful world champ being only the league playing with those rules.

By: Alberto

Alberto — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 16:26:51 +0000

Teo, I meant that in Europe, the players get their salaries in time (few exceptions), and I don’t think any american player think about staying in the states ‘cos in Europe he won’t get his money. It’s more that they don’t know Europe exists before coming here, I think.
About the world champions, yes, that’s a proof of how stupid americans can be…

By: Teo

Teo — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 23:08:41 +0000

@alberto:
no actually, I believe that basketball-wise europe even has superior talent to the states (although that is a big discussion). Only basketball isn’t half as much of a business in europe as it is there, and as such, it is much more streamlined in the states. Some teams even make money in the states, and top notch european teams are black holes when it comes to money and really need loving caring sponsors (teams with great sponsors like AJ, Benetton, PAO, Oly, etc…)

But all things considered, the fact that upcoming stars such as Pekovic choose to stay in europe although nba teams could be salivating over them shows a good trend and certainly things are moving here. Let’s just wait until you can get a free agent of LBJ-magnitude to CSKA and that will be the exact point when top-US-born players will start considering europe. but until then we have lots of arenas to build and laws to pass and rules to agree upon in our messy european thing which, considering that so many countries and leagues are involved, is by far a harder task than it was for the NBA.
Maybe we should be content until then with the fact that the eurobasket probably is the overall tightest basketball competition on the planet and let the nba champions be the world champions of marketing

(btw. is anyone else annoyed by the fact that every nba title is called the world championship? even if they ARE the best team, they first would have to compete to reach that title, otherwise it’s just speculation…but hey, that’s marketing, and the players there actually BELIEVE it. they would never believe they are playing for the world champion if that was CSKA, even if they had one of the best european players of our time in papaloukas in their rosters and 6 more of those. who is nikos galis to them, they have larry bird!)

By: Alberto

Alberto — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 21:16:51 +0000

I think you believe that Europe is Africa or something like that…

By: Christophe

Christophe — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 20:53:13 +0000

all your points are excellent. Of course, the day when a No1 pick would come to Europe are not close to happen.

The shoe deals, well, I don’t know that much about them, but a No25 picks wont earn millions with them i guess.

The prestige is of course still a factor. however, playing level if you play for a team that has no chance going to the Playoffs is not that big either.

The safety of the salaries is of course a factor.

But tell me how to calculate all these factors into this? If you can do that, then we would have a great result.