From Allen Iverson on down, here’s a story from Australia that should turn off basketball players from outside The Continent to play in Europe … at least in certain countries (ahem).
Australian news outlet WA Today this morning carries a story by Matt Knight, now with the Perth Wildcats, about his travails last season with the Soproni Sördögök of the Hungarian basketball league.
Marvel at the apathy and incompetence as Knight details stories about lazy players, needle-happy doctors and 10-hour bus rides (BiE doesn’t really know how that’s possible from within Hungary, but hey).
In the end, says Knight, “I am happy to be here in Perth and playing for the Wildcats and not having to worry about the things I had to when I was overseas.”
On a more positive note, Brose Baskets Bamberg’s Casey Jacobsen writes an open letter to “Mr. Answer” Iverson, encouraging A.I. to stick it out in Turkey. Urges Jacobsen, who’s been playing European ball since 2005 interrupted by a season with the Memphis Grizzlies, in part:
“Don’t worry about the stats! Just stay humble and keep working at it. The European game is so different than what you have been accustomed to in the NBA, but it’s still just basketball. You will eventually find your old form, but it will take longer than a month or even two. The only stat that really matters to any real fan is wins.”
True, true…
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