Halftime Hype

That dude looks exactly like Russel Westbrook.

With the game of basketball constantly expanding, it's no wonder that as of late, NBA players have engaged in somewhat of a diaspora. Recently, Von Wafer and Linas Kleiza have chosen to stray away from the States in hopes of greener grass, or to equalize the analogy, shinier hardwood. But this continent to continent travel is nothing new, of course. Brandon Jennings defied the NBA's age laws and played in Europe. Last offseason, Josh Childress abandoned Atlanta and made his voyage across the Atlantic. This all causes one to wonder: Are they making a smart decision?

The common catalyst in an athlete's decision to settle down has always been money. It's just what makes the world go 'round. As a friend of mine put it, when teams like the Olympiakos are "throwing money at you" it's difficult to turn down a foreign offer. This all makes more sense when, as Kelly Dwyer of Yahoo! Sports pointed out, the term "luxury tax" is unheard of in the EuroLeague. In the NBA, sometimes to keep a player would mean to actually pay double the salary terms on his contract because of the dollar-for-dollar penalties by the association. The luxury tax does good things, too. The funds collected from teams over the limit are then redistributed. In other words, it keeps a constant cash flow. However, at the same time, it's become a factor in why our domestic teams can't restrain the European movement.

Success, though, is a universal concept. When Ronaldinho was the face of global soccer - or just the same, the face in front of Nike stores - you wanted to try on his cleats. Just because he wasn't an American, or much less, didn't play in America, didn't stop soccer fans from purchasing his products. Basketball players are starting to realize that if they perform well, they are performing well - no matter where they are. To rephrase this in a marketing perspective, there's no difference between a consumer buying a jersey or a pair of shoes in the States' as oppose to elsewhere, because in essence, they are still buying the brand. For many players, it's all about establishing themselves - both as an athlete and a brand.



Even though it's tough to think about, basketball is gradually emerging as a global sport. Despite the fact that we invented this game, does not mean it is exclusively ours. With every Olympic games, we in the United States continue to observe how legitmate our foreign competition is. You don't even have to look further than an All-Star game to realize that a commendable percentage of our top talent has been imported. In the (near) future, look to see basketball become more like soccer: the NBA will become one of many competitve leagues around the world. The strange apples to oranges comparison of that statement: the NBA will be to basketball as the FA Premier League is to soccer - probably the top league, but barely edging out others.

The conventional excuse has always been to pad the resume. Professional experience is still professional experience. Playing in Europe still involves a great deal of work, conditioning, effort, and dedication. Maybe just a much as the NBA, except against lesser competition. The problem here is that many have a misconception of the Euro League. People think that an NCAA championship team or a D-League team could undoubtedly crush a Euro League team. That's definitely a lie. The Euro League has it's beasts too, ya' know.

Another misconception that one could have is that a player would get less attention outside of America. Wrong. The presence of an African-American in the Euro League is still daunting, and has heads turning there nearly as much as drivers and passerbys staring at an Italian sportscar here. Plus, playing against weaker talent can come in handy. NBA scouts will surely pay attention when someone is averaging 20 plus points, double figures, or some impressive milestone on a nightly basis. Talent is recognized - everywhere.



How does this European movement affect the NBA? Truthfully, it doesn't. Thank G-d, for the NBA Draft, right? We have Derrick Roses, Russel Westbrooks, and Kevin Durants poured into the pool every year. Big deal, some athletes go to Europe. Is it a smart move? If they're happy, we're happy. A replacement is always looming and with new talent constantly in the mix, the NBA will always be at the height of professional basketball.

In all honesty, the press is completely blowing things out of proportion with their analysis of European transfers - that statement sounds very soccer-ish, doesn't it? There hasn't been any real superstar that has decided to leave the league. Kobe Bryant and Lebron have joked about making the switch before, but the point is that they were joking. Right now, the Euro League is still a joke compared to the NBA, simply because the talent and coverage is not the same. While Ricky Rubio is happy to secure a spot in a Gillete commercial, American athletes await the day when their shoes are on the locals' feet. Ballers in Europe would be pretty satisfied if someone took the time to make a highlight reel of them for YouTube. Here, you can enjoy a bit of praise once your face has been on the cover of SLAM, Sports Illustrated, and ESPN Magazine.

Give it some time, though. The Euro League will soon prove that they, too, "got game."