International Basketball Blog – Page 51 – NBA Blog

Steve Nash prefers to stay home during lockout

Elderly people tend to want to stay at home a lot.

How’s that for an intro?

Of course, Phoenix Suns point guard Steve Nash is only “elderly” by NBA standards. But still, his main focus now is to stay healthy as his NBA career presumably winds down over the next few seasons.

China Daily reports:

Although hailing the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) league as a fine destination for NBA players, the Phoenix Suns’ MVP guard, Steve Nash, believes he will stay with his family during the current league lockout.

“Like I said before, if I did not have three daughters to take care of I would like to come and play in the CBA,” Nash said during a press conference on Monday in Shanghai.

The event was hosted by his sponsor, Luyou, and unveiled the all-star guard’s personal logo while he shared some of his favorite moves and shots with local fans.

“I know I have got a lot of diehard fans here, it’s incredible. The basketball league here is also awesome. It’s definitely a good league for all players worldwide. But I would like to stay with my family during the holidays,” said Nash, who arrived in China last Saturday for a four-day charity visit organized by the sports company.

Before the press conference, Nash paid a visit to Banqiao High School in Yunnan province, where he raised donations to build a new sports ground.

China is considered the leading destination for players to pursue overseas jobs once the select elite spots in Europe fill up. But no prominent players have agreed to play there during this lockout just yet.

Read NBA fan opinion or share your own views in this forum topic.

Chris Paul, Carmelo Anthony open to playing basketball in China

We all hope that the NBA lockout ends in August or September, or perhaps sometime in early October, so that no regular season games are lost.

No one really expects a mass exodus of top NBA talent in the near future. But if the entire regular season is to be lost? That’s another story.

The AP reports:

Chris Paul and Carmelo Anthony say they will consider offers to play professional basketball in China if there is no resolution to the NBA lockout.

Both players are on a promotional tour of China while monitoring news from home about the NBA’s labor impasse.

With Kobe Bryant reportedly negotiating a deal to play in Turkey, New Orleans Hornets’ Paul and New York Knicks forward Anthony said they were also considering overseas moves.

Asked by SNTV where they would go, Anthony replied “China.” Paul said “Same, no question.”

The answers may have been designed to compliment their hosts, but Anthony added “it’s a lot of history here, the fans are great; why not, why not try it out?”

Again, it’s smart for players to simply declare that they will keep all their options open, rather than ruling stuff out. So if an NBA star is asked if China interests him as a basketball destination, the obvious answer is to say yes. But this stuff will become more believable in the coming months.

Have a reaction? Discuss it with other NBA fans in this forum topic.

Jerome Jordan to play in Slovenia

So far, just under one month into the NBA lockout, the only big star to sign overseas has been Deron Williams — and he’ll return to the New Jersey Nets when the lockout ends.

Other than that, the handful of players that have headed overseas were on the NBA fringe anyway.

And now, another bench guy will cross the ocean.

Marc Berman of the New York Post (blog) reports:

Ailing Amar’e Stoudemire can tease about playing in Europe. Knicks rookie Jerome Jordan is simply going to do it without the posturing.

The center agreed in principle Tuesday to play in Slovenia for the Krka club with an “out clause,’’ his agent Todd Ramasar told The Post.

Ramasar said final terms should be worked out Wednesday.

The out clause will allow 7-foot Jordan the option to leave Slovenia when the NBA lockout ends to join the Knicks, who are desperate for size and have the Tulsa product penciled in on the roster.

The Knicks acquired Jordan’s rights for $1 million after the Bucks took him with the 45th pick of the 2009 NBA Draft. Jordan played in Serbia last season.

“This will give him an opportunity to train, give him an opportunity to play and be in game shape when the lockout is over,’’ Ramasar told The Post. “He wants to prepare himself as much as possible. He doesn’t want to sit on the bench his rookie year.’’

Jordan should have a future in the NBA as a backup center, when he returns.

Read NBA fan reaction or share your own opinion in this forum topic.

Team Canada loses 106-44 in exhibition game to France

The Canadian Press reports:

Canada’s men’s basketball team dropped a 106-44 decision to France in an exhibition game Tuesday in an ugly start to the 2011 season.

Kelly Olynyk of Kamloops, B.C., had six points to lead the Canadians, who trailed 30-8 after the first quarter and 57-17 at halftime.

Vancouver’s Levon Kendall had four rebounds for Canada, No. 23 in the world rankings compared to No. 14 for France.

Charlotte Bobcats forward Boris Diaw topped France with 16 points, while Mickael Gelabale added 15 points and Nando De Colo scored 12.

The Canadians shot just 29 per cent from the field, and 13 per cent from three-point range.

Blazers guard Patty Mills may stay in Australia

AAP reports:

Exciting Boomers guard Patty Mills is considering playing in the NBL as he weighs up his options during the NBA lockout.

Currently in a Boomers camp on the Gold Coast, Mills has been linked with Adelaide as uncertainty surrounds the next NBA season.

Officially the NBA season tips off in November – but the current lockout could last months and cause it to be scrapped.

The lockout has ensured Australia’s NBA star Andrew Bogut and fellow Boomers big man David Andersen will not feature in the Oceania Olympic qualifying series against New Zealand in September.

It also initially threatened Mills’ availability for the three-match series against the Kiwis.

But Portland-based Mills confirmed on Tuesday that he would suit up for Australia – but after that his future remained clouded.

Celtics rookie E`Twaun Moore headed to Italy

The Boston Herald reports:

Count E’Twaun Moore among those NBA rookies who won’t be waiting for a lockout resolution.

As of today the Celtics rookie was close to signing a deal with one of a number of teams in Italy’s Serie A, according to agent Mark Bartlestein.

“We’re going through successful talks,” said the Chicago-based agent. “Nothing has been agreed to yet, but we’re talking to a couple of teams. Can we get a deal done? We think so.”

Bartlestein estimated that a deal should be completed by Tuesday for Moore, the Celtics’ second round draft choice, and the Purdue teammate of Celtics first round pick JaJuan Johnson.

Update: Sportando reports:

Cimberio Varese, via its president Cecco Vescovi, confirmed the agreement with E’Twuan Moore for the season 2011-12. The product of Purdue University was selected by Boston Celtics in the 2011 NBA Draft averaged more than 18ppg as senior in NCAA. Moore will have short NBA out in the contract to exercise when the lockout ends if he gets an offer from Celtics.

Read NBA fan reaction and share your own opinion in this forum topic.

Kobe, Durant, D-Rose were well-paid for playing in Philippines exhibition game

Sam Amick of Sports Illustrated reports:

There are marketing opportunities to discuss and negotiations to be had over possible jersey sales that would almost certainly result in players getting a significant slice of the financial pie that they don’t in their agreement with the NBA (although some expect the NBA would challenge the players’ ability to sign such deals). There is a fact that seems to always be forgotten, too: playing overseas means not paying taxes. While there are taxes to be paid, several agents with experience doing international deals said they typically negotiate for the team to cover those payments as part of the contract.

So considering Williams’ salary with the Turkish team, Besiktas, has been reported as a one-year, $5 million deal, that’s the approximate equivalent to a $10 million NBA deal for the player who stands to lose $16.3 million if the entire season is lost because of the lockout. There won’t be enough jobs for the masses, but the players, their agents, and union representatives clearly hope the threat of losing elite players strikes some fear in the owners’ hearts.

Star-studded exhibition games like the two taking place in the Philippines this weekend are proving to be quite profitable as well, with one source with knowledge of the deals saying the Lakers’ Kobe Bryant, Oklahoma City’s Kevin Durant and Chicago’s Derrick Rose are being paid more than $400,000 apiece for their weekend of work (reminder: tax-free). Worthwhile ventures like these are a less-explosive strategy on the labor front, though there is — as reported by Yahoo! Sports on Saturday — an impatient contingent of agents who is pushing for a more aggressive approach that involves the decertification of the union and subsequent antitrust lawsuits.

Yet despite the worst-case scenario fears of some agents that the league’s owners could be willing to lose two seasons to get the hard salary cap and monumental rollbacks they’re seeking, NBPA officials still appear to be more inclined to let the clock keep ticking and the pressure keep building.

Update: Game organizers deny reported figures. Interaksyon reports:

But MVP Sports Foundation executive director Chot Reyes denied the figures cited by Amick, hinting that the real numbers were much lower. “Every player had a different contract as well,” Reyes added.

While Reyes would not divulge the exact figures, he was earlier quoted as saying that the event cost “between expensive and very expensive.”

Bryant is estimated to make around $25 million from the Los Angeles Lakers this season, which would amount $300,000 per NBA game. The difference, though, is that Bryant’s earnings in the Philippines would be tax-free as opposed to his regular NBA salary.

Read more and see video: NBA exhibition game in Philippines.

Kalin Lucas signs in Greece

Euroleague.net reports:

Olympiacos found a young playmaker to help run the show by signing Kalin Lucas over the weekend. Lucas (1.85 meters, 22 years old) arrives from Michigan State University, where he was a four-year starter and helped the Spartans reach the 2009 NCAA Tournament championship game. He finished his career as the school’s career leader in free throws made (507) and attempted (637) and also among the top 10 in scoring (fourth, 1,996 points), assists (sixth, 558) and three-pointers made (eighth, 149).

Bulls pick Nikola Mirotic leads Spain to U20 European championship

The Arlington Heights Daily Herald (blog) reports:

Chicago Bulls draft pick Nikola Mirotic produced 29 points and 11 rebounds, leading Spain to an 82-70 win over Italy in the [Under-20] European championship game.

The 6-foot-10 Mirotic was the tournament’s leading scorer. In nine games, he averaged 27 points, 10 rebounds, shot 59.5 percent from the field, 85.1 percent at the foul line and knocked down 10-of-25 attempts from 3-point range.

The Bulls traded two picks and cash to Minnesota in order to select Mirotic with the 23rd pick of this year’s draft. The Montenegro native is under contract with Spain’s Real Madrid and not expected to join the NBA for a few years.

FIBA Europe reports:

Nikola Mirotic, the announced MVP of the tournament, was everywhere once again and made a huge difference in favor of his team, as he did on every night of this championship.

Tonight he wrote yet another double-double, his sixth in the competition, and reached 29 points and 11 rebounds.

Spain missed their second best scorer in Joan Sastre who got injured after one minute and didn’t return to the floor.

His absence makes the double-digit win even more impressive.

Josep Franch stepped up to take over Sastre’s points and finished with a tournament high of 19 points, just in the right time, next to seven assists and five rebounds.

Alejandro Barrera added 10 points.

For Italy, it was Alessandro Gentile who finished with only 14 points after a streak of four games with more than 20.

Riccardo Moraschini tried to fill his spot and scored 17 points, that weren’t enough.

LeBron James not looking to play overseas

Chris Broussard of ESPN reports:

Dwyane Wade, Kevin Durant, Kobe Bryant and Dwight Howard are among the superstars who are reportedly willing to consider playing overseas. One superstar who, at least for now, is not looking into playing elsewhere is LeBron James, according to sources.

Other agents weren’t so high on the idea of playing overseas. Some felt it wasn’t worth it for a superstar player with a large NBA contract to risk injury by playing overseas. Sure, he can get insurance in case of injury, but the premiums on a contract worth $30, $40, $50 million is not cheap.

One agent said he’s trying to get clients who are free agents jobs overseas, but he’s advising those who are signed to NBA clubs to stay in America.

InsideHoops.com editor says: To please some spiteful fans who dislike LeBron out there, I will now suggest you feel free to make up your own joke about Euros and 4th quarters or something, and then laugh heartily about it.