NBA players believe China has more potential than Europe: Basketball News
It has been just over two weeks since the lockout was imposed on the players and they have already started seeking other options.
The major reason behind this move by the players is the fact that no substantial steps have been taken to sort out the Collective Bargaining Agreement or CBA. There is a general impression, that if the negotiations process between
the player’s union, league and the franchise owners keep going at the same pace, then there is high probability that the league might lose the entire season.
The owners are apparently showing no flexibility in their stance and are looking for as much leverage as they can get from players without offering much in return. Some of the owners have already started sacking their office employees
in the name of cost cutting.
This has left the players with no choice, but to take their talents overseas and in this regard Europe has been the most preferred destination.
Until very recently though.
With so many players in the queue, the European leagues might not be willing to pay much to the NBA players. In addition to that, there are also restrictions on playing more than two or three American players in each team.
This has made the NBA players reconsider their options and the general consensus has made China and its Basketball League a really favoured choice. Although the league does not provide the same level of competitiveness as the European
leagues do, the Chinese are offering the NBA players, double the money than what they could earn from Europe.
Some of the top agents in the league consider China as the best option, if players are looking to make money.
An agent said, “The biggest money is China, hands down. You can make almost double in China what you can in Europe. The Chinese league isn’t as good of a league, but if it’s all about money you might as well go over there and make
as much money as you can.”
Moreover, the Chinese basketball season starts in December and the hiring takes place during September and October. This leaves NBA players with ample time to decide. At that point, they will also have a clearer picture on the
lockout situation.
At the moment the biggest fear of the NBA players is the insurance factor. Insurance costs hefty amounts and if they play abroad, they are not likely to get that luxury. However, even with all the apprehension, some of the top
NBA players like Kobe Bryant, Dwight Howard and Dwyane Wade have already indicated that they are seriously considering the playing option in China.
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