Chicago Bulls guard Kyle Korver not thrilled about European opportunities – NBA News
While most NBA players are banging on about playing overseas as a counter weight to the NBA lockout, Kyle Korver is not a fan. The Chicago Bulls guard revealed his nonchalant views on the matter in a recent interview.
The NBA lockout has dragged on for around two months now. The league and NBA Commissioner David Stern have cited huge losses; just $300 million last season, as a reason to completely overhaul the financial system in a new CBA that
will see the players take massive cuts in salary. The NBA players on the other hand question the claims and believe they shouldn’t bear the entire burden anyway and have proposed that the league look into revenue sharing.
The sides don’t seem like budging one inch from their stances so far. During the lockout there has been just one meeting between the two sides to negotiate on the matter, another one was cancelled and one is scheduled soon.
However most analysts believe, and have openly commented, that there won’t be an NBA season for 2011-2012. The differences seem just too steep and the National Basketball Players Association itself has been encouraging players
to move abroad in order to find playing opportunities.
Apart from earning their keep, the players would be putting some pressure on the NBA by doing so. Many players have picked up on the advice and have been actively seeking jobs; however Kyle Korver poured cold water on the whole
idea in his interview.
The Chicago Bulls reserve stated that there is no way Europe or other professional basketball leagues around the world can absorb a significant chunk of NBA players.
"I really don't think the opportunity's there for everybody like everybody seems to think there is," he said. "If something great came up, obviously you would look at it and probably take [it]. You only get to play basketball at
a professional level for so long. You got to find something else to do. You get a little old. But I'm not actively [searching for a job overseas].”
Korver was of the view that some NBA players, the big names, can make some money overseas. But for the rest of the league the money on offer might be too insignificant or there might just not be many opportunities any way.
"If you're an All-Star, I think you can go over there and make some pretty good money, but if you're not, there's only so many teams that are reliable to pay.”
His views seem consistent with the on goings at major European clubs. European basketball figures have expressed reservations over signing players who could abandon ship as soon as the NBA lockout ends. Chinese authorities have
actually actively put measure in place to prevent an inflow of talent from the United States.
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