The reports out of Beijing recently have on separate occasions quoted LeBron James and Kobe Bryant as saying they’d leave the NBA to play in Europe for the right price, somewhere in the vicinity of $50 million a year.
Now before you tell me “who wouldn’t,” think about how much C.R.E.A.M. these two heavily sponsored players have already earned through their high profile American sponsors. Nike, Coke, Mickey D’s, the list goes on and on and we can thank Michael Jordan’s trajectory for the boatloads of dollars thrown at basketball’s top athletes these days.
The problem I have with it is this: we’re in the middle of an Olympics and they’re being baited with these questions, and they’re taking the bait. Instead of saying, America is my home, I love America for everything I’ve been blessed with while living there, they’re saying this: for the right price, I’d pack my stuff and leave, and would not look back.
How is that for patriotism?
Is there a need for more money? Who here in America would consider either of these two players by any means underpaid?
My brother took our 2004 fall-to-bronze medal the hardest. Like most of us he wants to see USA basketball back at the top where it belongs. I too very much want to see USA back on that gold pedestal. Yet with these kinds of business-is-business, money-is-money attitudes on display right smack in the middle of an Olympic competition, maybe it is time to admit the best players are not necessarily from the USA, because, off the court, the most gifted athletes from here aren’t much more than astute businessmen with their mind on their money and their money on their mind.
Beckham, see what you’ve gone and started?
{ 27 comments… read them below or add one }
Bringing this article back to the NY Knicks.
Who is the most likely player on the Knicks to be attactive to Europe?
We don’t have a player that can get that kind if money from Europe.
No 50 million dollar players………do I hears 40,30,20,…..10 million?
D L T Knicks: I know danilo has clout in europe, but all he wanted to do was come here to nyc to play nba basketball.
I’m guessing starbury is the player that most wants to play in europe.
maybe nate or crawford would be most desirable by a euro team for their unique ability to electrify a crowd.
one thing i should have mentioned in the post was the strength of the dollar versus the strength of the euro. that may have something to do with these guys saying they’d play over in europe. i still can’t imagine Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan or Larry Bird or any of the dream team I players saying that kind of thing during ’92 in Barcelona. Times have changed.
KnicksD and DLT
Whaddup defenders!
Listen the implications of the heavy C.R.E.A.M. Kobe and LBJ appear to be coveting has interesting represecussions for our team the Knicks. The way I see it such lofty overseas competitors vying for marquee and transcendant superstars means that clubs in the N.B.A. will not just be bidding against other N.B.A. franchises while facing the logistical restrictions that the N.B.A. salary cap places on teams and their ability to manuever to secure and sign role players to surrounde the Marquee talent, the overseas markets will be another competitor N.B.A. may have to contend against. If that is the case then caps may gets squatched against the big Euro dollars of the business magnates overseas who see an LBJ or Kobe as a marketing and trade promotions purchase for their products at home and abroad. The practical implications then would be that the Knicks at this junction fighting to free itself of cap space restrictions might not have cap space enought to bid against Euro clubs.
That might make the 2010 Great Pumpkin perhaps even more elusive than it already appeared.
Then again Kobe or LBJ in New York with it’s marketing potential might play conduit king maker with Euro products and american dollars. Maybe C.R.E.A.M. can help the Knicks RIse to the top.
Just Blogging boys!
really good post bro i was impressed by the insight, Kobe and Lebron are greedy bastards for claiming they would do that.
You are just pointing out the biggest problem permeating the NBA. Its not about the team, the city, the rings or the game. Its all about the almighty dollar. Why do you think that players want to be scorers instead of defenders ??? Scorers make the highlight reel and get paid. Very few defenders get paid and even fewer get any accolades. Its not about winning, its about getting yours and then getting paid. Welcome to 2008, the year of the WIIFM NBA.
@KinicksD,
It’s funny you say Starbury as the most potential Euro-star,when he is the first player the New York media is trying to make disappear.
I think it would be Zach,the 20-10 guy(also being run out of town).
The European are not big on defense and just looking at Zach’s stats and age will make him attractive over there.
KnicksD,
What are you thoughts on the Zach to Memphis rumors.(scoll down in article)
Spain Extends its Black Legend in the Modern Age
From the same group of people that brought us the Inquisition, the conquest of the Americas, and the murder and enslavement of millions of Americanindians and Africans, who preached god and raped helpless women.
Spains at it again.
Some one needs to teach these hairy smelly European Bushwakers a lesson!
http://sports.yahoo.com/olympics/beijing/blog/fourth_place_medal/post/Spanish-basketball-team-poses-for-offensive-pict?urn=oly,100152
O&B I can only hope you’re right!
DLT, I don’t think steph’s the biggest star for europe, I think he wants over there the most, just like I believe Danilo wants to be a knick the most right now. that crawford quote from last season irked me, talking about “I could go somewhere else and be part of a winning situation but I want to stick it out here.” Maybe Crawford didn’t yet realize he may be part of the problem. maybe he still doesn’t realize…
Zach couldn’t get that kind of money over there with just the numbers he puts up is my guess.
I don’t know if the Zach to Memphis trade has any tread. I don’t think we’d been getting back equal value either. Who started this rumor, was it leaked by Walsh or was Hahn, “just bloggin’?” Hard to tell these days since they’re both under the same umbella company.
I do believe there will be at least two more moves before the ball goes up in late October. maybe one trade, and one buy-out. James, Malik, Zach and Steph are all on notice. They might not all be gone but the smart money says someone among these four players will be sent packing.
Let me ask you this, with the roster the way it is currently constructed, who is the leader of the team?
Jamal? No.
Steph? No.
Curry? No.
Q? How much time is Q going to get with Danilo, Chandler, and Crawford in the picture?
I think the guys Walsh has brought in, Danilo and Duhon, are players that D’Antoni is going to try and have lead this team in 2008-2009. Just bloggin’
by the way did you guys see this?
http://abcnews.go.com/Sports/story?id=5563668&page=1
not respectful.
KnicksD
Since my last post regarding that racist photo taken by the Spanish National Team didn’t get through I suppose you know where I already stand on that issue.
Spain as a country has a terrible history of colonialsm, oppression, dictatorial regimes, and in some instances very racist people. I’ll be rooting for the U.S. team to pimp slap the Spaniards.
No apologies here!
True that O&B… Calderon and Gasol since they have been here ballin and living should be sensitive to that kind of high school silliness.
They do have many stains on the cloth of their history…Pure examples of man’s inhumanity towards man
Hey Saipan
Whaddup!
Truth is almost all nations have done some dirty deed. But individuals need to be more aware of the reprecussions of their actions being that we reside in a global environment where global awareness for the sake of diplomacy should prevail over knee jerk acts of “good ole fun.”
Anyhow, do you think that the possibility that Players like Kobe or Lebron would consider mega buck 50mil per year to play abroad, makes the Knicks 2010 quest a bit more complicated?
Or do you think that New York’s marketing power and situs as an international city that can benefit many an investor, mogal shipping magnate, might play in New York’s cutting deals to get a transcendant multinationally endorsed mega star?
THREE TEAM SIX PLAYER TRADE CAVS GET MO!… MO WILLIAMS
See attached Link.
http://realgm.com/src_wiretap_archives/53990/20080813/cavs_bucks_and_okc_complete_trade/
Nate for Sean Williams Swap Anyone?
http://www.theknicksblog.com/2008/08/13/nets-would-listen-to-nate-for-sean-williams-swap/
O & B,
I’d sign off on that trade. Williams could be a C in D’Antoni’s system. It would also free up Lee to be combined w/ someone in a trade scenario.
John Q
Agreed! We need a mobile athletic 4 masquerading at the 5.
Hey now that the Cavs traded away Joe Smith, their scoring 4 do you think they’d do a Ben Wallace for Z-Bo trade to strengthen their low post scoring? Would that Idea be feasible?
whats up guys?
not much going down in knick land right now. check out this article by realgm on the knicks draft history, if you haven’t already done so.
http://knicks.realgm.com/articles/25/20080808/the_history_of_new_yorks_drafts/
d wade is tearing up the olympics this year. he looks very healthy, got his vert back. he’d be a nice consolation prize should LeBron not choose NYK in 2010.
KnicksD @#8
Good question. I’d like to think Jamal would step-up in that leadership role.We know Curry is no leader.It would help if our big man were the team’s fire,like O’Neal,Duncan and others.That’s not Curry,too much of a laid-back attitude.I don’t know if Steph(buy-out/cut) or Zach(with all the trade rumors)will be on the team when the season starts.Q won’t be on the floor much.Isiah’s plan included his PG Steph(his best player) being the leader..Steph’s role hasn’t worked out to good,did it? Duhon is too new and too young to take on that role.We won’t have one,and that’s bad.
O&B Peace! Blood I think many elite cats will come to NY if there is a plan and the dough… so we have got peices of that already b/c DW is an old school well respected type GM and Mike D is a positive over negatine type coach a people person.I think they will make a good pitch..Plus the Garden is trying to renovate
so..plus there’s location location location in 2010 free agents targets will get the shuttleworth type treatment when they come to ny like in the HE GOT GAME flick
Stephon talking to the press in the summer usually spells bad news.
Saipan
I agree that the Knicks are remaking their image from that of a dysfunctional organization to one that on its surface is certainly more palatable to Stars not looking to compromise their image by being on a bad PR nightmare organization.
D’antoni is networking over in Beijing, and I have more faith in him than I do Donnie. Think Donnie could have done more. Not Isiah Thomas stupid big name splash more but solid practicle cost effective more.
Hit us back.
KnicksD
Bermanbury’s dying for a story so he’s on Steph jock at this point.
O&B:
berman might be trying to create a story, but I believe there is already a real story:
>>>who is going to be the starting point guard for the new york knicks in late October?
You have a point.
As long as Starcrossedbury remains with the Knicks the possibility that he may play up to his talent level and provided direction for this team at the point, poses a threat to Duhon’s emergence as a starter with the Knicks, and Mardy Collin’s possible development as Duhon’s understudy.
I would place a super tight and short leash on Starbury, he hasn’t earned any reprieve due to his antics the past several years!
I could be wrong in fact I hope I am wrong but
I think DW’s comments re: Marbury this week were pure PC dont trash the merchandise while it’s still on the shelf mumbo jumbo. I think he will be gone… the way he keeps talking about another situation it’s Marb’s ha s been
you are leaving just shut and play nice and we will see what we can do for you.. if not your fate may be worse than you think
Duhon will start
yes DW may have missed out on a move or too… However I think his patience will pay off]
teams are trying to jack the knicks right now b/c of last years record and stench and they know change must be had
teams are hoping to catch th rich knicks in a desperation panic mode
I say wait it out
with the same crew sans no 3 and JJ1(the big one) they will play and compete better
b/c of Mike d and the new atomosphere
another blip on the radar:
the knicks have picked new york’s skidmore college as their new stomping ground for training camp.
KD,
Wow, nice fresh new look for the blog…
MarBurman is at it again…. smelling and inhaling Steph’s jock strap.
Nice new format KD.