Lakas Fan Yo
03-20-2010, 03:30 AM
I am posting this for general information for American fans here since the forum seems to be under the false impression that Rubio was the most expensive European basketball transfer in history, which is untrue.
This is the actual list of the most expensive and maybe this will give some better perspective to Americans here about the difference between the NBA and Europe. A lot of Americans in this forum are saying that "only 5-6 teams in Europe" can pay a good salary, "only a handful of players in Europe make a good salary", etc. It's not really true.
Also keep in mind that European salaries are net income. Not gross like in the NBA. In the NBA players lose 35% of their income to federal taxes, 8% to player union retirement fees, and 4% to agent fees. They also have to pay state taxes based on what city they play away games in, which averages from about 5%-8%. The European salaries are listed in net terms, after such expenses are already deducted. So that's a huge difference from NBA salaries which are listed in gross terms.
Also keep in mind that the NBA itself has said about 3 times already that max NBA contracts might only be around $10 million under the new NBA CBA. This is something that I think NBA fans are forgetting about, when they compare European salaries to NBA ones.
Some of these transfer fees include buyouts and some are just salaries, and I included the ones of 5 million euros and up because that is about the standard rate where star salaries begin in Europe.
The most expensive European basketball transfers in history are:
1. Josh Childress - €15.1 million euros
2. Juan Carlos Navarro - €14 million euros
3. Theo Papaloukas - €10.5 million euros
4. Matjaz Smodis - €10 million euros
4. Luis Scola - €10 million euros
6. Bostjan Nachbar - €9.6 million euros
7. Felipe Reyes - €9 million euros
7. Arvydas Macijuaskas - €9 million euros
9. Ricky Rubio - €8.9 million euros
10. Sarunas Jasikevicius - €8.7 million euros
11. Carlos Delfino - €8.5 million euros
12. Erazem Lorbek - €8 million euros
12. Sergei Monya - €8 million euros
14. Dominique Wilkins - €7.8 million euros
15. Viktor Khyrapa - €7.2 million euros
16. Fran Vazquez - €7 million euros
16. Zoran Planinic - €7 million euros
18. Vassilis Spanoulis - €6.9 million euros
19. Lazaros Papadopoulos - €6.6 million euros
20. Ramunas Siskauskas - €6.5 million euros
21. Nenad Krstic - €6 million euros
22. David Andersen - €6 million euros
22. Darjus Lavrinovic - €6 million euros
22. Aleksey Savrasenko - €6 million euros
22. Lior Eliyahu - €6 million euros
22. Jorge Garbajosa - €6 million euros
27. Dimitris Diamantidis - €5.7 million euros
28. Tiago Splitter - €5.6 million euros
29. JR Holden - €5.55 million euros
30. Nikos Zisis - €5.5 million euros
30. Igor Rakocevic - €5.5 million euros
32. Ersan Ilyasova - €5.4 million euros
33. Carlos Arroyo - €5.25 million euros
34. Panagiotis Vasilopoulos - €5.2 million euros
35. Ioannis Bourousis - €5.1 million euros
35. Terrence Morris - €5.1 million euros
37. Mike Batiste - €5.1 million euros
38. Marcus Brown - €5 million euros
This is the actual list of the most expensive and maybe this will give some better perspective to Americans here about the difference between the NBA and Europe. A lot of Americans in this forum are saying that "only 5-6 teams in Europe" can pay a good salary, "only a handful of players in Europe make a good salary", etc. It's not really true.
Also keep in mind that European salaries are net income. Not gross like in the NBA. In the NBA players lose 35% of their income to federal taxes, 8% to player union retirement fees, and 4% to agent fees. They also have to pay state taxes based on what city they play away games in, which averages from about 5%-8%. The European salaries are listed in net terms, after such expenses are already deducted. So that's a huge difference from NBA salaries which are listed in gross terms.
Also keep in mind that the NBA itself has said about 3 times already that max NBA contracts might only be around $10 million under the new NBA CBA. This is something that I think NBA fans are forgetting about, when they compare European salaries to NBA ones.
Some of these transfer fees include buyouts and some are just salaries, and I included the ones of 5 million euros and up because that is about the standard rate where star salaries begin in Europe.
The most expensive European basketball transfers in history are:
1. Josh Childress - €15.1 million euros
2. Juan Carlos Navarro - €14 million euros
3. Theo Papaloukas - €10.5 million euros
4. Matjaz Smodis - €10 million euros
4. Luis Scola - €10 million euros
6. Bostjan Nachbar - €9.6 million euros
7. Felipe Reyes - €9 million euros
7. Arvydas Macijuaskas - €9 million euros
9. Ricky Rubio - €8.9 million euros
10. Sarunas Jasikevicius - €8.7 million euros
11. Carlos Delfino - €8.5 million euros
12. Erazem Lorbek - €8 million euros
12. Sergei Monya - €8 million euros
14. Dominique Wilkins - €7.8 million euros
15. Viktor Khyrapa - €7.2 million euros
16. Fran Vazquez - €7 million euros
16. Zoran Planinic - €7 million euros
18. Vassilis Spanoulis - €6.9 million euros
19. Lazaros Papadopoulos - €6.6 million euros
20. Ramunas Siskauskas - €6.5 million euros
21. Nenad Krstic - €6 million euros
22. David Andersen - €6 million euros
22. Darjus Lavrinovic - €6 million euros
22. Aleksey Savrasenko - €6 million euros
22. Lior Eliyahu - €6 million euros
22. Jorge Garbajosa - €6 million euros
27. Dimitris Diamantidis - €5.7 million euros
28. Tiago Splitter - €5.6 million euros
29. JR Holden - €5.55 million euros
30. Nikos Zisis - €5.5 million euros
30. Igor Rakocevic - €5.5 million euros
32. Ersan Ilyasova - €5.4 million euros
33. Carlos Arroyo - €5.25 million euros
34. Panagiotis Vasilopoulos - €5.2 million euros
35. Ioannis Bourousis - €5.1 million euros
35. Terrence Morris - €5.1 million euros
37. Mike Batiste - €5.1 million euros
38. Marcus Brown - €5 million euros