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In the agreement between the National Basketball Association (NBA) and the players union, there is a clause providing $350,000 for each team to buy the contract of a foreign player. Often this sum is not nearly enough.
The NBA is gradually becoming international. For the time being, of course, it is long way from Major League Baseball or the National Hockey League, where foreigners play a leading role in many teams. However, within several years there will not be an NBA team without foreign players. One also should not doubt that in time more nations will be represented in the NBA than in the baseball and hockey leagues. It is not difficult to make such a prediction, since basketball is played in most countries.
It is possible to precisely identify when foreign players increased in the NBA. It began at the end of the 1980s and the early 1990s, when the Communist empire in Europe disintegrated. Former Communist countries had the strongest basketball players; once they had the option, they headed overseas. Among the first were Lithuanias Sharunas Marchyulenis, Ukrainias Aleksandr Volkov, Croatias Drazhan Petrovich and Toni Kukoch, and Serbias Vladi Divats.
During the same period, German player Datlef Schrempf played in the NBA. Unlike the players named above, Schrempf received basketball training in the United States, where he had come as an exchange student and then attended college. Today, dozens of foreigners play in the league. Some, such as German player Dirk Nowitzky and Serbian player Predrag Stoiyakovich, have become superstars. Now, for the first time in history, a foreigner, Spain's Pau Gasol, has been named the best rookie in the NBA. Perhaps next year China's Yao Minya or Georgia's Niko Tsitishivili will be chosen. Both will be among the first to be picked in the June draft.
Foreign players bring certain problems that NBA teams must considernot counting language problems (although these exist) nor problems of skill. The problems are with the drafter players foreign teams. Most players have contracts with teams outside the United States, which the NBA must consider.
Sometimes, but not often, time solves these problems. This was the case with Andrey Kirilenko, who finished an excellent season with the Utah Jazz. The Jazz picked him as the 24th pick in the 1999 draft. At that time, Kirilenko was playing with Moscows Central Army Sports Club, with whom he had a contract. The Jazz did not rush things, presenting Kirilenko with the opportunity to finish his contract with Central Army and then go to Salt Lake City. Kevin OConnor, the Jazzs general manager, waitednot because he foresaw problems resolving the question of Kirilenkos contract with Central Army, but because OConnor calculated that the Russian basketball player was not yet ready to play in the NBA.
Very often, NBA teams draft foreign players with contracts but with the skill allowing them to play in the best league in the world. This is where there are problems. Such was the case with Gasol, who was playing under a contract with the Spanish team, Barcelona. He was chosen by the Memphis Grizzlies, whose management was sure that he could be in the starting five. But first there was the problem of releasing Gasol from his contract with Barcelona. In the contract between the NBA and the players union there is a clause providing $350,000 for each team to buy the contract of a foreign player. Often this sum is not nearly enough, if players of Gasols quality are considered. In this case, Gasols contract with Barcelona specified that the players could be released from the contract at a cost of $2.5 million. But the Grizzlies, having chosen Gasol, did not have the right to pay more than $350,000. They found the difference: Gasol paid the missing money out of his own pocket.
The math is simple. As the number-three draft pick, Gasol had the option to sign a three-year contract for a total of $9.58 million. Even after paying off his former team, he would have made less than half this amount over three years playing in Spain.
This was a unique situation. Only the NBAs top new players, those chosen in the first round, can count on three-year contracts exceeding $9 million. Raul Lopez, chosen 24th by the Jazz, could have signed a three-year contract for a total of $2.78 million. But Loped in with a contract with Madrids Real, could not follow Gasols lead; he didnt have the money. Lopez played this past season in the Spanish league, and no one knows whether he will play in the NBA next season. It is possible that he will never play in the NBA.
David Bowman represents the NBA interests of many European players and has clients who plan to play in the league. Bowman said in a conversation with Darron Rowell, a journalist with ESPNs internet site, that much depends on the position of the European teams management. Bowman said that if all European managers and coaches with players desiring to be in the NBA supported them, as does manager Marusio Gerardini and coach Mike DAntonin from the Italian team Benetton, there would be no problems. But there arent many who act like them and their colleagues from the Barcelona. Usually we encounter opposition, Bowman said.
Happily for the seven-foot center Tsitishivili, he plays for the Benetton and thus can hope that next season he will be playing in the NBA. The manager of his Italian team will find common ground with the manager of an NBA club.
In the projected first- and second-round drafts, no fewer than 10 foreign basketball players will be chosen by NBA teams. How many of these can resolve affairs with their existing teams to enter the NBA is another question.
The NBA is gradually becoming international. For the time being, of course, it is long way from Major League Baseball or the National Hockey League, where foreigners play a leading role in many teams. However, within several years there will not be an NBA team without foreign players. One also should not doubt that in time more nations will be represented in the NBA than in the baseball and hockey leagues. It is not difficult to make such a prediction, since basketball is played in most countries.
It is possible to precisely identify when foreign players increased in the NBA. It began at the end of the 1980s and the early 1990s, when the Communist empire in Europe disintegrated. Former Communist countries had the strongest basketball players; once they had the option, they headed overseas. Among the first were Lithuanias Sharunas Marchyulenis, Ukrainias Aleksandr Volkov, Croatias Drazhan Petrovich and Toni Kukoch, and Serbias Vladi Divats.
During the same period, German player Datlef Schrempf played in the NBA. Unlike the players named above, Schrempf received basketball training in the United States, where he had come as an exchange student and then attended college. Today, dozens of foreigners play in the league. Some, such as German player Dirk Nowitzky and Serbian player Predrag Stoiyakovich, have become superstars. Now, for the first time in history, a foreigner, Spain's Pau Gasol, has been named the best rookie in the NBA. Perhaps next year China's Yao Minya or Georgia's Niko Tsitishivili will be chosen. Both will be among the first to be picked in the June draft.
Foreign players bring certain problems that NBA teams must considernot counting language problems (although these exist) nor problems of skill. The problems are with the drafter players foreign teams. Most players have contracts with teams outside the United States, which the NBA must consider.
Sometimes, but not often, time solves these problems. This was the case with Andrey Kirilenko, who finished an excellent season with the Utah Jazz. The Jazz picked him as the 24th pick in the 1999 draft. At that time, Kirilenko was playing with Moscows Central Army Sports Club, with whom he had a contract. The Jazz did not rush things, presenting Kirilenko with the opportunity to finish his contract with Central Army and then go to Salt Lake City. Kevin OConnor, the Jazzs general manager, waitednot because he foresaw problems resolving the question of Kirilenkos contract with Central Army, but because OConnor calculated that the Russian basketball player was not yet ready to play in the NBA.
Very often, NBA teams draft foreign players with contracts but with the skill allowing them to play in the best league in the world. This is where there are problems. Such was the case with Gasol, who was playing under a contract with the Spanish team, Barcelona. He was chosen by the Memphis Grizzlies, whose management was sure that he could be in the starting five. But first there was the problem of releasing Gasol from his contract with Barcelona. In the contract between the NBA and the players union there is a clause providing $350,000 for each team to buy the contract of a foreign player. Often this sum is not nearly enough, if players of Gasols quality are considered. In this case, Gasols contract with Barcelona specified that the players could be released from the contract at a cost of $2.5 million. But the Grizzlies, having chosen Gasol, did not have the right to pay more than $350,000. They found the difference: Gasol paid the missing money out of his own pocket.
The math is simple. As the number-three draft pick, Gasol had the option to sign a three-year contract for a total of $9.58 million. Even after paying off his former team, he would have made less than half this amount over three years playing in Spain.
This was a unique situation. Only the NBAs top new players, those chosen in the first round, can count on three-year contracts exceeding $9 million. Raul Lopez, chosen 24th by the Jazz, could have signed a three-year contract for a total of $2.78 million. But Loped in with a contract with Madrids Real, could not follow Gasols lead; he didnt have the money. Lopez played this past season in the Spanish league, and no one knows whether he will play in the NBA next season. It is possible that he will never play in the NBA.
David Bowman represents the NBA interests of many European players and has clients who plan to play in the league. Bowman said in a conversation with Darron Rowell, a journalist with ESPNs internet site, that much depends on the position of the European teams management. Bowman said that if all European managers and coaches with players desiring to be in the NBA supported them, as does manager Marusio Gerardini and coach Mike DAntonin from the Italian team Benetton, there would be no problems. But there arent many who act like them and their colleagues from the Barcelona. Usually we encounter opposition, Bowman said.
Happily for the seven-foot center Tsitishivili, he plays for the Benetton and thus can hope that next season he will be playing in the NBA. The manager of his Italian team will find common ground with the manager of an NBA club.
In the projected first- and second-round drafts, no fewer than 10 foreign basketball players will be chosen by NBA teams. How many of these can resolve affairs with their existing teams to enter the NBA is another question.