[NashyMingParticipant]

Reasons why most NBA stars won’t be playing in Europe.

http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/sports/52219471-77/allred-nba-players-team.html.csp

Highlights:

"I saw that number, and I laughed," he said. "Deron could be above the fray with that sort of high-profile signing. That team might not want to have the reputation of not paying him, but that increases the chances that the other players will leave. If Deron gets his money, a lot of other people on that team aren’t going to get theirs."

A few years ago, Allred signed a deal to play in Italy for $160,000. "I didn’t receive a dime of it, even though it was FIBA-guaranteed. The team folded two months later. It’s such a crapshoot."

"NBA players are so used to a posh lifestyle — four-star hotels, traveling accommodations, unlimited towels, Gatorade and everything. You’re so used to the comforts of a nice shower, and masseuses. Every European locker room I’ve ever been in doesn’t even live up to my college locker rooms. There’s grease-stained floors, cockroaches, showerheads that don’t work. Those [fine] kinds of accommodations are gone.

"Plus, the travel, you’re usually getting on a bus, you don’t have your own private jet, usually. The little things that we tend to forget as NBA players, those are gone in Europe. I’ve known a lot of NBA players who go over and after about a month, they say, ‘I can’t do this anymore.’ Even if they’re getting paid, it’s just the living conditions, the apartments they put you in. … You have a lot of NBA players who go over, and they think it’s going to be great and they just kind of disappear. It doesn’t match the lifestyle they want and have in the NBA.

"Deron likes to run the show, he doesn’t really listen to coaches much. But if you thought Jerry Sloan was tough, these European coaches are lockdown. When I was in the Ukraine, we practiced twice a day, five days a week. People say, ‘Oh, you only play one game a week, you can relax and rest your body.’ Not the case. … It’s ultracompetitive with the team, plus the coach wants to control everything."

I don’t see it’s a realistic option for most NBA players to play in Europe.

The money is limited.  The rules to protect players are pretty vague.  If you land in a bad spot with some bad luck, you are screwed.

There are only a few teams that can play 3mil a year and with the current economic state, a lot of teams are near bankrupcy.

Deron Williams got a sponsored deal.  It’s a backdoor deal.  Kobe may also get one, however, these deals are limited.

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