So the USA loses about 10 games in the past 25 years against teams that play together a ton more, and they're not the best anymore...I see where you are going..errr..I don't
I think you're the one being condescending. The NBA DOES have quality basketball, they also play longer seasons so when the olympics roll around they have had less time to practice together AND they have to adjust to play by a very different set of rules. and what exactly did dntrwl say that wasn't true? Childress is being offered more money than he would have if he would have stayed here, obviously they feel that he is worth more to their league than NBA GM's due. Also there have been plenty of cases where guys either go undrafted or get waived from NBA teams and go other places and become big time players. I think freaking Kareem Rush was the MVP in some Lithuanian league. It happens all the time, guys who can't play here go overseas. Sure the rest of the world is catching up in bball but don't sit here and try to act like there is another league on the same level, there isn't. Just stop it.
Someone will - WOW THAT'S A BOLD PREDICTION. Somebody will sign in Europe - I predict it will be Bob McAdoo.
I think these sort of moves are going to get more and more frequent just based on the monetary aspect of the move and this will create issues about the salary cap and relations between US and FIBA or international basketball. If you take into account that a contract for lets say 10million euros is worth 15.78400 million U.S. dollars. So I can see why these players choose to play in Europe. But as stated above these sort of issues create problems for the salary cap. One such problem is whether of not a restricted free agent who signs with an international club can have his contract matched by an NBA? Another such problem is one that is currently happening with hockey and this about when can these international teams negotiate with players who are under contract? These are some issue that such moves can create and if they start occurring they will need to be addressed.
If Atlanta does not get their collective head out of their......this is going to happen. That's almost $7 mill a year, not to mention all the other perks they get including a huge tax break. Childress would have to make close to $10 mill per year or more over here to equal that contract. Not to mention if the dollar keeps falling vs. the Euro, he's going to make even more than that. It's just a matter of time before this happens. If not Childress, then it could be somebody else.
I will start to pay attention to european basketball more now. My favorite European player >>> Spanoulis
Keep in mind that Greek contracts are NET. So that is 3 years $20 million NET. Just like Nachbar and Delfino have net contracts in Russia and Navarro a net contract in Spain. In those leagues the contracts listed are only net. They don't list or report the gross salary like the NBA does. In fact most of the big clubs do not even release that information to the press. So 3 years $20 million US net. Because in the NBA the contracts are gross, but in Greece they list the after taxes amount. I will not even count state taxes just federal. They would be 35% in the US and the NBA money listed is BEFORE taxes. So you are talking a $31 million 3 year contract gross. Remember all NBA contracts are gross. So ALREADY Childress is being offered more than Delfino was. The already have upped the bar. Now think about that. 3 years $31 million gross NBA contract for Josh Childress. Athens is a lot nicer place to live than Atlanta is. It's not even debatable. There is going to be a mass exodus of NBA players to Europe unless the NBA does something drastic very soon. Olympiakos is a super rich club that can afford just about any number you could think of to sign players. PS cue SamFisher in 3,2,1 with a "this all lies"..
Ufff, let's see: I would love to open a thread to explain all this staff because I think it's an important issue that is bieng twisted brutally by international and american journalists... but for some stupid reasons I can't, right. Frankly, it is amazing what can be read today by some american forums and websites... Assume this: that offer for Childress is absolutely impossible. I'm putting you in a real situation: - Navarro signed with Bareclona a contract of nearly 2M euros per year, thats about $3 M per year, no more. - Nachbar will earn in Moscow $4'77 p/y---> 3M euros. - Delfino signed $13'5 - 3 years, again around 3M euros per year, no more. - Papaloukas will earn also 3 per year, same of Sarunas, and like that... Thats the maximum for europeans richest teams, 3 - 3,5 per year... and we're reading this days unbelieveable inflated offers for Scola from Olimpiakos and more bull****. Because it's all bull****, we're not living the apocalipsis yet.
Prediction: If this happens, it will kill the salary cap as currently constructed. Owners and players alike will demand the ability for NBA teams to be allowed to compete with Euro teams for players like this.
My friend I don't what planet you live on. Olympiakos is a billion dollar sports club. This contract amount would be nothing at all for them.
LMFAO - not even close. Apollo/KillBill/BBall Scientist/Rockets Dynasty/Nine_Gates - please stop lying, there are children reading this board.
And one trying to goad him into an argument...SHAME On you Sam. Don't you care for the sanity of the boards? Or is it more important for you to try to get someone's goat on the internet? SHEESH ! DD
You don't count FIBA tournaments like African Championship, Oceania Championship, Asian Championship, and Americas Championship (even though everyone in the US is trying to) as real FIBA professional level tournaments between national teams. Because the level of play is about like NCAA. The real international tournaments that are played at a professional level between nations are the European Championships, the World Championships, and the Olympics. You can't use the European Championships obviously for the US because they don't compete in them. But the US always is qualified for the World Championships and the Olympics. So let's use them for a guideline and let's see what the results are. Not what fans claim or what people insist in their opinion is fact, but what the actual results and facts really are. 2002 FIBA World Championship (took place in the US mind you, so the US had home court advantage): 1. Yugoslavia 2. Argentina 3. Germany 4. New Zealand 5. Spain 6. United States 2004 Olympics: 1. Argentina 2. Italy 3. United States 4. Lithuania 5. Greece 2006 FIBA World Championship: 1. Spain 2. Greece 3. United States 4. Argentina 5. France So based on this, the reality is that it is very open for debate about who is the best now in basketball. Everyone that keeps asserting that it is a still a fact that the US is without a doubt the best is not being truthful or forthright on the matter in the least bit way.
I think the NBA is still by far the best league, and will continue to be. I also disagree that Panathinaikos is worth more than ManU etc.. It also seems that SamFisher is right about Nine Gates being BBall Scientist. Sam's still a dork, though.
Not really Rockets Dynasty - according to FIBA it's not in doubt: 1. USA USA 832.2 0.0 2. Argentina ARG 726.0 0.0 3. Spain ESP 580.0 0.0 4. Serbia SRB 534.0 -24.0 5. Lithuania LTU 486.0 16.0 6. Greece GRE 429.0 12.0 http://www.fiba.com/pages/eng/fc/even/rank/rankMen.asp I know we had this same argument last year with one of your old identities- see the old thread for your fraudulent responses. P.S. GO EFES !
The best individual talent does not always make the best "Team"....... The USA used to be so much ahead of the rest of the world that it did not matter. Now though, you have teams that have a very good chemistry among their players and star level players as well...like Argentina etc... They are quite capable of beating the USA, in fact there are several teams capable of beating the USA in the Olympics. Argentina, Spain, and Greece to name a few, but at the end of the day the USA is still the favorite. Gonna be fun to watch, and the reason I like watching is that I love the World Cup and I hope someday the World basketball championships generate a similar interest around the globe. DD
