NBA Lockout: The View From Across The Pond

Besiktas has assembled exactly one-half of an NBA dream duo.

Day 24 of the NBA lockout. More and more players are considering taking their talents overseas.

As ESPN.com's NBA insider and intel guru Chris Broussard reported Thursday, an anonymous agent pointed out that 80 percent of the league's players are (mostly privately) pursuing contracts with European and Chinese teams. Superstar players are now looking outside the borders of this country, following the example set by the Nets' Deron Williams and the Hawks' Zaza Pachulia, who both signed with the Turkish club Besiktas earlier this month.

In the past few days, Besiktas has revived its pursuit of the Lakers' Kobe Bryant, and the agents representing the star shooting guard have reached out to the Turkish basketball club. While it seems like the two parties have a mutual goal, there are still roadblocks to a potential deal. According to this report on ESPN.com, Besiktas has offered $500,000 per month, but Bryant's agent is asking for $1 million. Also, issues are cropping up over insuring his massive contract, should injury arise (the premiums for which would be astronomical), and subsidizing his paycheck with an endorsement deal.

Other NBA stars are looking overseas as well. Dwight Howard, Dwyane Wade, and Kevin Durant have all indicated that they'd be receptive to offers from European or Chinese teams.

Now, there are two sides to the debate over players taking their talents abroad: fantasy and reality.

Future starting five for the Liaoning Dinosaurs?

As Kobe lies in his bed at night, he fantasizes about the exposure he'd get from taking his talents to Istanbul...Plane lands, I get out, everyone's cheering. I'm a god to these people. I can't walk the streets without getting mobbed. First game, drop 40, crowd goes wild...my jersey sales are through the roof, the Kobe Zoom VI is flying off shelves, I just filmed a spot for Nike, and there's a picture of me and my rings on the side of a 20-story building downtown. Yachting in the Mediterranean, clubbing in Istanbul, tearing the Turkish league down with my man D-Will. L.A. was stressful...life's good when you're back on top.

Sorry to poke holes in your (and your agent's) glamorous fantasy, Kobe, but overseas ball is not all fun and games.

In light of the expected exodus, former and current American players have been speaking out about their experiences abroad. The Phoenix Suns' Josh Childress, who played two years for the Greek club Olympiakos, offered some words of caution in an interview with ESPN Radio Los Angeles.

"It's a different style of play, mentality, overall just a completely different animal. And I think you get some situations where some coaches, you're going to get two-a-days every day, and you're going to be playing one game a week, one to two games a week. It's just different. There's not a ton of things I can say about it other than it's just different and that you're aware of that. I wouldn't want guys going over there thinking it's like the NBA, because it's not."

The Bucks' Brandon Jennings, who sidestepped college for a season of pro hoops in Italy, isn't eager to head back overseas. In a text to Broussard, Jennings noted, "Right now, I'm just grinding and staying in the weight room. I wouldn't mind going back overseas if it's the right situation. And I would have to get paid everything up front.''

Once the initial euphoria of balling in a foreign land fades, players will find themselves unaccustomed to two-a-day practices, sharing a room with a teammate, rowdy and sometimes violent fans, and, as Jennings references, unreliable methods of payment.

Josh Boone, a former UConn Husky and former New Jersey Net, now of the Zhejiang Chouzhou Golden Bulls of the Chinese Basketball Association, sat down with Chris Sheridan for a chat. While Boone insists that a player like Dwight Howard would be treated like a king in China, he sheds light on the culture shock that inevitably hits American imports, including curfews, limited internet access, weird foods, isolation, inflated expectations, and caps on playing time and the number of American players allowed on teams (three quarters and two, respectively).

With the glut of players competing for jobs overseas, these problems could be compounded.

European and Chinese teams don't have NBA money, so salary expectations have to be modest, even for the most talented players out there. They may not be as eager to open their wallets to "rent-an-NBA-player," who could show up and leave as quickly as he comes. Roster slots may be available only to the best the NBA has to offer. Other players may have trouble competing with foreign-born NBA players, NBA players with overseas experience, and those who choose to leave the NBA behind for good (example: Celtics center Nenad Krstic signed a two-year deal with CSKA Moscow with no opt-out clause). Players could face difficulty negotiating a clause into their contracts that would allow them to return to the U.S. when the lockout ends.

Although the NBA is still head-and-shoulders above the worldwide circuit, leagues across the world have developed significantly in the last decade. The level of competition is higher, fans are more passionate, and coaches and owners care more about winning. Having "NBA Player" on your resume will no longer bring team owners to their knees to beg for your services. If Kobe Bryant, one of the best players ever and one of the most visible athletes on the planet, is having trouble navigating a satisfactory deal overseas, then that spells trouble for other, less talented, and slower-to-react players.

Hasheem could go the 'tea and crumpets' route.

As rosters fill up and money wears thin, expect to see the middle-of-the-road players signing contracts for less money for less than desirable teams in middling leagues (Hasheem Thabeet on the Cheshire Jets of the British Basketball League, anyone?).

Here's some advice for NBA players: stay healthy, maintain your fitness, and consider doing as Baron Davis does...exercise your brain!

As for Kobe, if he cherishes his remaining time in the NBA, he should hold off on making plans for a Euro trip. Going into his 16th season, he can't afford to put extra mileage on his weary and injury-prone body. This time off the court should be spent getting completely healthy, so he can be ready to guide the Lakers into the Mike Brown era, and perhaps have one last shot at a MJ-tying sixth championship ring.


Hate the column? Love the column? Send us an email at jabronifreesports@gmail.com. 


Dean Karoliszyn is the Coeditor-in-Chief and cofounder of Jabroni Free Sports.

2011 NBA Draft Retro Diary: The Year of the Euro-broni

Who Will Earn The Right To Be Dubbed "Lithuanian Lightning?"

Hey all, welcome to the first annual JFS live draft commentary!

So many questions, but one sticks out: is Kemba Walker excited for his upcoming internship?


7:24 P.M. - Pre-draft coverage is smothered by Adele's "Rolling in the Deep," which has been played over and over again. British soul just doesn't seem right for basketball. It's apparent that something has gone wrong in the NBA's advertising department. Maybe they've started cutting costs, but a once-prestigious product has taken a hit in quality, with talking basketballs instead of a slo-mo black-and-white clip of LeBron James landing a massive dunk on the Celtics. Times have changed; now we get to see Jimmer Fredette dressed up in golfing regalia, sputtering out a ditty on a drum set and awkwardly pointing the sticks towards the camera.

7:44 - As expected, Kyrie Irving is picked first by the Cavaliers. More importantly, let's talk about his father's name. I feel better about myself and my life, knowing that someone named Drederick exists in the world. Even better: his retro-NBA graphic features one of the finest flat tops I've ever seen. "Don't laugh," Stuart Scott says, laughing.

7:55 - Jeff Van Gundy chimes in with one of those comments only Jeff Van Gundy can make: "Why are [NBA executives] clapping? They already know what the pick is..." He's met by silence and a pat on the back from Jon Barry. Did he hit his head? Oh yeah, I forgot, he did.

8:06 - 35 minutes in and Jan Vesely is officially the winner of this year's draft. The Czech big man is taken sixth overall by the Wizards. First order of business in the NBA? Snog his girlfriend on national television. You'd better believe jan vesely girlfriend is trending right now. Fran Fraschilla awkwardly jokes before his analysis of the pick, "Well, first of all Stu, he has great taste in women." I've got a good feeling about Vesely; with his shameless PDA and Arnold Schwarzenegger-like accent, he's going to produce many a great soundbite/YouTube clip.

8:10 - The Bobcats pay the Corey Maggette tax to get a the seventh overall pick. Seems like a dubious first step towards redemption for MJ's franchise...trading a slightly-less washed-up ball-hog for a slightly-more washed-up ball hog. In his twisted (but usually correct) logic, Van Gundy suggests the Bobcats must "get really good, or get bad to try to get good." Yes?

8:12 - Bismack Biyombo is picked by the Kings (to be traded to the Bobcats) with the seventh pick. I agree with Stuart Scott, he has the coolest name in the draft so far. That won't get him far in the NBA, though. Pardon the obvious comparison, but he reminds me of a shorter, more athletic Hasheem Thabeet. Biyombo was chosen by many analysts as the most likely to be a bust, a high risk/high reward guy. Jon Barry says he has "no offense at all." If that doesn't scream "red flag," I don't know what does. Not a problem, he'll just develop his big-man skills and navigate his way through pro ball with the veteran help of new front court mate Kwame Brown.

8:30 - Now on to the "experience" guys. Kemba Walker goes at number ten to the Bobcats. Maybe MJ knows what he's doing, going for one "potential" guy and one "proven" guy. This may be (is) a biased UConn fan talking, but how can you dislike Kemba? He plays with heart and emotion, he's not afraid to take the big shot, and hey, he did (almost single-handedly) dominate the NCAA competition for the last month of the season. Ok, ok, so I'm very biased.

8:33 - As the clock winds down on the 10th pick, Jon Barry prophesizes, "It's Jimmer time." Fredette is chosen by the Bucks (and traded to the Kings). The two most impressive tidbits of information I learned about Jimmer tonight? (1) His freshman year in college, he and his brother signed a contract confirming his NBA draft aspirations (Stuart Scott snipes, "His defense needs some help, and maybe his handwriting does too"). Balls-y. (2) Jimmer and his brother played basketball with inmates at a local prison. In his first game, Jimmer dropped 40 points. Jimmer vs. The Prison System: sounds like a great movie idea.

8:44 - An interview between the newly-appointed head coach of the Warriors, Mark Jackson, and his former colleagues turns bromantic quickly..."We really miss you here...we all miss you man."

8:52 - Markieff Morris is selected by the Suns with the 13th pick. Mysteriously, his twin brother Marcus is the one who starts crying. As he wipes away tears, he says, "It ain't the end of the world, we're gonna see each other again."

8:56 - As Marcus Morris is taken by the Rockets with the 14th pick, a man at his table musters his inner Lil' Jon and yells "Yeaaaaaaaah, LET'S GO!" No more tears, Marcus. Congrats, Marcus. Time to be the Robin to the Brook Lopez, or even better, the Harvey to the Horace Grant.

9:05 - Mark Jones on Kawhi Leonard's hands: "Those things are meat cleavers!"

9:14 - Knicks fans are starting chants, cheering, and booing. They are loud, unruly, very disillusioned, and preparing for the worst.......Iman Shumpert! ESPN cuts to the Knicks contingent with their hands on their heads in disbelief. One fan mouths to the camera, "What were you thinking? What were you thinking?" He's a great defender, super athletic, but with no shot. Sounds like a player the Knicks cut four months ago. In an uncomfortable post-pick interview with Spike Lee, he gives his less than ringing endorsement of the now-goat Shumpert: "We're gonna go with it, we have no choice."

9:42 - Newark's own Kenneth Faried is chosen by the Denver Nuggets. He kisses his baby, hugs his family, and thanks the crowd. This marks the last-ever feel-good moment for Newark basketball fans.

9:59 - The Celtics choose the offensively gifted, defensively challenged MarShon Brooks with the 25th pick. In another example of the pitfalls of miked-up commentating, Jay Bilas calls Marshon Brooks "a matador defender." Perhaps that's the case, but maybe wait to rip his deficiencies until the kid gets done shaking the commissioner's hand?

10:05 - Brooks is traded to the Nets. Andy Katz announces it to underwhelming applause from the home crowd. C'mon New Jersey, get excited! In a few years, if Brooks is dropping 25 a night, you can always commute up to Brooklyn to watch him play in front of a crowd of hipsters wearing retro Nets hats and sweatshirts from Salvation Army.

10:21 - The Bulls take Marquette's Jimmy Butler with the last pick in the first round. The heartwarming tale of Butler's improbable run to the NBA draft is dampened by a rain of boos on David Stern, who, in typical draft-day fashion, eggs them on by sarcastically replying, "Thanks for that." The boos double in intensity. Unlike the NFL draft, the NBA draft is packed with rowdy, jersey-wearing frat boys who cheer and boo like they're at a wet t-shirt contest. Stern smiles and turns the second round of picks over to the Deputy Commissioner, Adam Silver. I'm getting strong deja vu; didn't they star in Pinky and the Brain?

Sometime around midnight - Why am I still watching this? The Lakers just made the two worst picks in (what must be, in my limited knowledge) NBA history, Chukwudiebere Maduabum, a skinny power forward from Nigeria and the NBA Development League's Bakersfield Jam, and Ater Majok, a tall jabroni who played for UConn last year under Jim Calhoun before shamefully quitting in favor of pro ball in Australia. On a closing note, the last pick in the draft is Isaiah Thomas, a player whose father named him after the exiled ex-Knicks GM when he lost a bet. And that'll do it for the night.

As the least memorable draft in recent memory ends, so begins the longest waiting period of these newly-minted rookies' careers: the summer before the lockout-threatened season. But I digress. The most important story of the night: Ron Artest has officially filed to change his name to Metta World Peace.


Hate the column? Love the column? Send us an email at jabronifreesports@gmail.com. 


Dean Karoliszyn is the Coeditor-in-Chief and cofounder of Jabroni Free Sports.