Balling Abroad

It is now day 103 of the NBA lockout. The NBA season usually begins in October but owners and players have failed to see eye to eye on a new labor agreement. The NBA on Tuesday cancelled the rest of its exhibition schedule and is on the brink of scrapping the first two weeks of the regular season which is suppose to start November 1st. The league locked out players on July 1st after the expiration of the old collective bargaining agreement. After losing $300 million last season the league is seeking big changes, owners want a new salary cap structure and are seeking to reduce the players' guarantee of basketball revenue from 57 percent, to perhaps 50 percent or below.

As the lockout continues to drag on, it seems that the NBA owners have opened a pandora's box and now NBA players', rookies and veterans are looking at their options. Either stay home and relax or go overseas.

Kobe Bryant, who is the NBA's most notable player said that he's considering playing overseas. The Los Angeles Lakers superstar told the Associated Press on the side lines of a youth basketball clinic in Singapore, that he didn't know if there will be a 2011-2012 season and hasn't ruled out playing abroad. The italian team, Vitrus Bologna wants to sign Bryant during the lockout if they can solve their scheduling problems. The $3 million, 10 game contract hinges on other clubs changing their schedule to ensure Bologna has five home games during the period.

There are around 30 teams in the NBA with about 360-450 players who play in the league in any given year; 105 of them are interested in playing abroad. And now there are 58 NBA players committed to player overseas.



Tony Parker

There are several contract options for players who didn't want to wait on the lockout talks. Some high level players have a opt out deal. Others have signed one or multiply season contracts such as Wilson Chandler, J.R Smith, Kenyon Martin; all Denver players and all signed to go to China. San Antonio Spurs', Tony Parker just signed to a team in Villeurbanne, France. New Jersey Nets All-Star Deron Williams and Sasha Vujacic signed to teams in Turkey. Leandro Barbosa from the Toronto Raptors is going to France with an opt out deal. Nicolas Batum from the Trailblazers is going to France and Jordan Farmar from the New Jersey Nets is going to Israel.

The question is, how does this affect overseas basketball?

When I spoke to overseas ball player, Angelo Tsagarakis who plays for Bourg-en-Bresse in France. He said, "the lockout will help people look at the Euro League as a viable basketball option". The lockout has open up possibilies for players to think beyond the NBA.

With the exodus of NBA players going overseas, what happenes to the players already playing overseas? Well they have to become better or move out of the way. Even if the NBA lockout were to end tomorrow, 30 out of the 57 players are in one or mulitple year contrracts with no opt out deals. And for NBA and graduating college players who thought the NBA was the end all of basketball, they might see Europe or China as another option.



Angelo Tsagarakis (R)



True NBA fans love basketball at any level and will watch and read about quality play anywhere in the world. The league owners overseas will gain more profit through tickets and merchadise sales; by having NBA players playing for them during the lockout and if the season is cancelled.

Where does that leave the NBA owners?

Well they just lost a few good players because of greed and possibly stared awhole new basketball outlet.

 

 

 http://soundcloud.com/torkwase-trinidad/balling-abroad