The Quick Report 08.18.08: Bon Voyage, NBA?

Posted by Ben Quick on 08.18.2008

Are the NBA's days numbered?

Over the last few weeks the basketball world has been rocking at the Olympics, but so far the biggest story to come out of Beijing hasn't been the competition on the court. First, LeBron James made the statement that he would consider playing in Europe if he was offered fifty million dollars to do so. Following suite, Kobe Bryant said the same thing. Carlos Boozer also said he would consider going to Europe, but no one really cared. The actual idea of a LeBron James or a Kobe Bryant leaving the NBA to play basketball in Europe sounds bad to every NBA fan and even more so to David Stern.

"Do you know any reasonable person that would turn down 50?"

That's what Kobe Bryant said to reporters about the possibility of the leaving the NBA for European basketball. With Josh Childress and Carlos Arroyo having already bounced off for foreign gigs, one has to wonder about when the first real superstar will join them. Kobe Bryant is absolutely right when he says no reasonable person would turn down that kind of money. Of course, one could make the argument that players like Kobe and LeBron already make the kind of money that will make them very wealthy for the rest of their lives. Still, we've seen over the years that rich players always like to be a little richer.



There's no denying that European basketball is here to stay. The sport of basketball is no longer an American sport alone. In fact, basketball has grown to a level of popularity around the globe to which some say can only topped by soccer. Many of today's best players don't come from North America. From Dirk Nowitzki to Yao Ming, the international basketball scene has been heavily influencing the NBA for the last decade. Anyone that's been watching the Olympic tournament this year can see that, while the US still has the best individual players, many other countries have arguably surpassed us. The US can still dominate because of athleticism and skill, but we are far from the best "team" in the world. The NBA is supposed to be the place where all the big fish from the little ponds come to show their stuff. Still, I've seen several basketball fans being drawn to the international game of fundamentals and team play over the NBA's brand of athleticism and showmanship.

There's a lot to be offered in with the idea of playing in Europe. I'm not an expert on the US economy, let alone that of Europe, but one only has to watch the news to see that the euro is doing far better than the dollar in today's market. Teams in Europe could reasonably offer an NBA player a salary of virtually an entire NBA team. One can be sure that if a player with the stature of Kobe Bryant ever jumped to other side that the NBA salary cap would need some serious reconsiderations, if not to be scrapped all together. With several massive markets like London, Rome and Paris for players to continue to rake in the cash from endorsements, one's left to wonder what would keep a Kobe or a LeBron to stay in the US.

Of course there is always the idea of the US being home for the players, but with the kind of money they would be making there's no reason to think that a player couldn't play in Italy without still living in Los Angeles. Several NBA players keep their primary homes in cities other than the ones they play in. What's the draw back of going to another continent to play for more money and in a less stressful environment? While the international game has caught up to that of the US's brand, someone who is a superstar in the NBA would be even more so internationally. Most players we see come out of Europe tend to rely more on skill and fundamentals rather than pure athleticism. What could make an NBA-weary superstar more happy than to play somewhere in which you can be just as dominant, if not more so, and not have an entire press constantly referring to what you've yet to accomplish?

The one problem I think most NBA fans tend to have with the idea of a player going to Europe isn't even about the idea of not getting to watch that player anymore, but rather about the NBA's legacy. This is why I have a hard time seeing a player like Dwyane Wade or LeBron James jumping to Europe. With all due respect to European basketball, the NBA is still the only place where you can really become one of the greatest players ever. I've heard several names thrown out by commentators during the Olympic games recently of the great international players of all time, and not one could I remember. There wasn't one name that I could even remotely associate with players like Wilt, Russell, Magic or Michael. One thing the NBA should have taught us all by now is that, yes, athletes can be greedy, but the best ones want the glory. The best players and the best teams always come out of a desire to put "we" ahead of "I" and that goes against the entire idea of going to Europe for the money.

I've always sensed that Dwyane Wade and LeBron James care more about the game than the money. Now, I know both like their paychecks as much as anyone, especially James, but I think their main goal isn't to make money. Every superstar in today's NBA plays under a big shadow. We've seen some many crumble underneath that shadow in the last decade, but something seems different about Wade and James. They've always seemed to be saying with their game, in effect, "Not me!" So the idea of any young talent like James, Wade, Durant or Beasley going off to cash in is going to be a real test of that player's drive. Legends are made in the NBA and the best players want nothing more than to be in their generation's Mount Rushmore.

The jaded or less than great players like Josh Childress can go to Europe all they want. They don't really matter. The player that will shake up the world is a major superstar. You take a player that has never found his place in the NBA. Someone whom has always been damned if he does, damned is doesn't will be the first major jump. If I had to put my money down on one player that would be the first major move to Europe it would be Kobe Bryant. The guy has amassed a skill level that could arguably be unmatched in the history of the NBA. Still, he's not truly one of the greats of all time yet. Sure, he's as good on the court as just about anyone, but his career achievements have yet to meet the NBA's unholy rigid requirements for unquestionable greatness. If in a few years he still doesn't have that ring without Shaq, why should Kobe Bryant stay in the NBA? Why not go to Europe, make a zillion bucks, and go down in the history of basketball with one of the most shocking stories ever?

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The funny thing is with all this talk about LeBron James or Kobe Bryant going to Europe, not one team has offered them anything. Not one team has come out, as far as I know, and offered them $50 million a year. I think the mass speculation is over done, even if I'm contributing to it. I think we're a long way from seeing a major superstar going to Europe. Until the prestige of playing there can match that of the allure of an NBA championship, I think Europe will remain the place for over the hill stars and jaded one time wonders.

Still, it might not hurt for David Stern to draw up a new plan for the invasion of Normandy...