Definitive proof that D League >>> Euroleague

[Boarder Patrol]

Thanasis Antetokounmpo chose to play in the D-League for just $25,000 while turning down significant financial offers in Europe.

Antetokounmpo wants to play in the NBA and believes playing for the New York Knicks' D-League affiliate will help accomplish that goal.

According to agent Tim Lotsos, Varese offered Antetokounmpo a two-year deal worth $550,000 with an opt-out to join the NBA after one year. Olympiakos in Greece and Sevilla in Spain also offered him deals.

“Amazing isn’t it?,’’ Lotsos told The Post in a phone call from Greece. “To my surprise, he passed on it. He’s very ambitious and determined to make the NBA. It’s a big sacrifice. I didn’t try to force him. I wanted him to make his own decision.’’

Last season, before Thanasis was drafted, Antetokounmpo played in the D-League.

“He spoke with Steve Mills and Phil Jackson,’’ Lotsos said. “He felt he’s in their plans in the future. They don’t have room for him on the roster, but they supported the idea of keeping [him] within the system and working and IMPROVING. He felt they do have a plan for him but they didn’t guarantee anything for next year.’’

NBA #51 pick passes up desperate offers from top Euro teams just for 25k and a CHANCE at cracking an NBA roster.

And to think he passed up likely MVP/1st team selections over there for this as well. That sacrifice for the ultimate goal :bowdown: :bowdown: :bowdown:

[Milbuck]

Euroleague is such a shithole :oldlol:

[mentallooser]

I agree, but that isn't at all what that article says.

[Oly BC]

Olympiacos certainly didn't offer him a deal and it's funny to mention them next to Varese and Sevilla.

But Lotsos is the manager of many greek players and works with Olympiacos a lot so I guess he has the right to mention Olympiacos, trying to attract more bids for his players.

[qrich]

I agree, but that isn't at all what that article says.

A player passing up on $550,000 for $25,000 sure is a good indicator.

[mentallooser]

A player passing up on $550,000 for $25,000 sure is a good indicator.
No. No it isn't. It indicates that he wants to be in the NBA system so that franchises have a more direct on eye on him to get him into the League as the NBA itself is better than Euroleague. Doesn't in any way hint that D-League is better than Euroleague.

[Oly BC]

A player passing up on $550,000 for $25,000 sure is a good indicator.
Varese isn't a euroleague team. They played in Eurocup last season after many years and were eliminated in the first round with 2-8.

[Maga_1]

Good choice by Thanasis.
He wouldn't crack the rotation in Olympiacos.
Sevilla and Varese are not that good, especially Varese :lol

If he wants to showcase in can play in the League, it's a good option to stay in the US.

[outbreak]

That's not what the article says at all :no:

it is saying he would rather play on a small contract now to try and reach the NBA which is his dream. Who knows what he's been told by GM's anyway, he may have people promising him future deals for all we know. Also with his brother there it's likely his whole family is over and I'm sure his brother will be helping support him if he has financial difficulties.

[noob cake]

gtfo if you think there are any d-leaguers willing to play for $25k over $500k in Europe.

[Boarder Patrol]

gtfo if you think there are any d-leaguers willing to play for $25k over $500k in Europe.

Thanasis is, read the article. He's turning down big deals from euro teams to play for peanuts and a chance at cracking the NBA.

[JtotheIzzo]

Look no further than Vag Span for all the proof you need.

[Sakkreth]

He actually can't make euroleague roster as off now. It would be the same as I would say that since he can't make a team in europe he chooses to play in north america, if we simplify it to continents it can be rather misleading.

Also there are many top d-league players who joined euroelague in chance to get noticed , one of them was Justin Dentmon last year who was 2012 D-league MVP (by his own words he wanted to play in euroelague because it was as close as it gets to nba level of play).

D-league is not even close to Euroleague.

[Euroleague]

Olympiacos is the only Euroleague team mentioned in that article, and they did not offer him any contract.

Their roster was officially closed months ago.

His agent is completely fabricating that.

[Euroleague]

A player passing up on $550,000 for $25,000 sure is a good indicator.

No Euroleague team offered him a contract you moron.

[Euroleague]

Good choice by Thanasis.
He wouldn't crack the rotation in Olympiacos.
Sevilla and Varese are not that good, especially Varese :lol

If he wants to showcase in can play in the League, it's a good option to stay in the US.

As already mentioned, Varese and Sevilla are not Euroleague teams.

Although Sevilla does play in the 2nd tier league Eurocup, and they have an American coach that has coached in the NBA for many years, so that is probably why Knicks would steer Antetokounmpo and his agent to a team like that.

Olympiacos did not offer him any contract. That's total bullshit. Their roster and budget has been closed for like 2 months now.

The Antetokounmpo family are Olympiacos fans and Thanasis' agent is also a friend of the manager of Olympiacos.....so he probably thought he could just sneak that one into to US media and they would let him say it to boost Thanasis' value in negotiations with other teams.

Whether it be NBA, or Europe.

For example, Giannis and Thanasis used to practice at Olympiacos' practice facility all the time. So they are good friends of the team.

They are just doing it as a PR favor, since they know that the Antetokounmpo family are really huge Olympiacos fans - fans of the whole club, the football club, everything.

But yeah....they did not offer him any contract. Their roster and budget was closed months before the Knicks even said they were not going to sign him. So this is all total and complete bullshit. It's specifically targeted for all the morons in USA that don't know any better.

[Euroleague]

Thanasis is, read the article. He's turning down big deals from euro teams to play for peanuts and a chance at cracking the NBA.

It's just his agent making up bullshit. Antetokounmpo's are huge Olympiacos fans and his agent is a friend of the Olympiacos manager.

It's just a fluff piece meant only for US media to try to boost his value in negotiations.

There is not even an offer made.

The $550,000 offer is probably also just pulled straight out of his agent's ass.

I happen to know the salaries in Italian League.......that would make him one of the highest paid players in that team......and basically that salary as they are talking about it (net US dollars) is close to like the highest salary you basically get in Italian League outside of playing in Olimpia Milano or Sassari, or higher end Italian clubs.

Low end Italian clubs don't give salaries like that to players coming straight from D-League that have no experience at all playing in a top European league.

His agent just took the highest possible salary number a non Euroleague Italian club would might reasonably pay ($550,000 US net income for 2 years) and quoted that number.

Stop being a moron.

Freaking players like Bryant Dunston and Andre Smith didn't make that in Italian League.

I mean if he said a club like Cantu or Roma, the salary would be more believable.....Varese?

I think the whole budget of the club is only around 5 million euros. They can't freaking pay a guy who has only played D-League any freaking salary like that.

[Euroleague]

He actually can't make euroleague roster as off now. It would be the same as I would say that since he can't make a team in europe he chooses to play in north america, if we simplify it to continents it can be rather misleading.

Also there are many top d-league players who joined euroelague in chance to get noticed , one of them was Justin Dentmon last year who was 2012 D-league MVP (by his own words he wanted to play in euroelague because it was as close as it gets to nba level of play).

D-league is not even close to Euroleague.

Nizhny
Dinamo
Turow
Cedevita
Alba
Limoges
Baskonia
Red Star
Neptunas
Zalgiris

He can make the roster of all of those 10 POS teams.

I am assuming that UNICS make the last Euroleague place, so I am leaving off the last potential team. But if it some team like Strasbourg or Oostende, basically any team other than UNICS that makes the last spot, then it would be another team he could make.

He is at the level of players of all of those above teams. He might only be in the rotation of about half of them though.

But just as an example, those teams like Dynamo, Alba, Turow, Limoges...he is the exact kind of player that teams like that sign basically. So I am sure he could be in the rotation of clubs like that. In other words, he could play right now in a few of the POS teams.

[chocolatethunder]

NBA #51 pick passes up desperate offers from top Euro teams just for 25k and a CHANCE at cracking an NBA roster.

And to think he passed up likely MVP/1st team selections over there for this as well. That sacrifice for the ultimate goal :bowdown: :bowdown: :bowdown:
I'm an NBA fan and live in the states. While the poster "euroleauge" is annoying. The league Euroleague is not a joke and is light years better than the D League. It is also far behind the NBA. But don't get it twisted, a team like Maccabi Tel Aviv who one Euroleauge last year could be in the NBA. They wouldn't be the worst team either. I know guys who play in the NBA and guys who play all over. From Angola to Spain to Israel and South America. Any of the guys who I know who have played in the D League and in Europe will all tell you that the D league can't compete with a European A league. It's not even close. Thanassis is only playing in the D league because he wants to get called up and thinks that it will be easier for him to get a call up. He thought he was getting an invite to camp for the Knicks. Unfortunately for him, I don't think he's an NBA player and if he is he's a 8-12 man.

[Euroleague]

Maccabi are the Euroleague champions, but their coach left and most of their best players left also. And then one of them that did stay, your buddy Devin Smith, had knee surgery.

They have to play against the Latin American champs, Flamengo, at the Club World Cup, and then they have to play in the US against NBA teams.

PG Jeremy Pargo/Yogev Oyahon
SG Marquez Haynes/Sylven Landesburg
SF Devin Smith/Nate Linhart
PF Brian Randle/Guy Pnini/Jake Cohen
C Sofoklis Schortsanitis/Alex Tyus


It's obviously a much different team from the one that won the Euroleague last season, with it's head coach and 6 rotation players gone from that team, and one of it's rotation players that stayed (Smith) coming off knee surgery.

Obviously though, that above team would destroy any D-League team. But I don't think that team is anywhere near the level of a Euroleague champion though.

[Knicks101]

Could have been the Euroleague GOAT, but will settle for peanuts in the D League. Wow.

[fandarko]

Could have been the Euroleague GOAT, but will settle for peanuts in the D League. Wow.

Yeah right.

Oh, and D-League's top scorer Pierre Jackson last season (29 pts/game) averaged 4 points in 10 minutes for Euroleague's Fenerbahce Ulker.

[Euroleague]

Yeah right.

Oh, and D-League's top scorer Pierre Jackson last season (29 pts/game) averaged 4 points in 10 minutes for Euroleague's Fenerbahce Ulker.

Don't destroy the delusional world paradigm of the NBA only fan trolls so badly. Their fragile little minds just can't take it.

[Knicks101]

Yeah right.

Oh, and D-League's top scorer Pierre Jackson last season (29 pts/game) averaged 4 points in 10 minutes for Euroleague's Fenerbahce Ulker.

Wow, I guess Euroleague really is better than the NBA.

[unbreakable]

im from texas.. but even i know that the WORST teams in europe would ANNIHILATE every team in the d-league

dont hate just to hate.. hate with reason

[Oly BC]

Yeah right.

Oh, and D-League's top scorer Pierre Jackson last season (29 pts/game) averaged 4 points in 10 minutes for Euroleague's Fenerbahce Ulker.
And in his first minute in a european court managed to get blocked by a small (in euroleague) Kostas Sloukas.

Whipped into submission straight away.:banana:

[chocolatethunder]

Maccabi are the Euroleague champions, but their coach left and most of their best players left also. And then one of them that did stay, your buddy Devin Smith, had knee surgery.

They have to play against the Latin American champs, Flamengo, at the Club World Cup, and then they have to play in the US against NBA teams.

PG Jeremy Pargo/Yogev Oyahon
SG Marquez Haynes/Sylven Landesburg
SF Devin Smith/Nate Linhart
PF Brian Randle/Guy Pnini/Jake Cohen
C Sofoklis Schortsanitis/Alex Tyus


It's obviously a much different team from the one that won the Euroleague last season, with it's head coach and 6 rotation players gone from that team, and one of it's rotation players that stayed (Smith) coming off knee surgery.

Obviously though, that above team would destroy any D-League team. But I don't think that team is anywhere near the level of a Euroleague champion though.
I was using them historically as an example. They usually field a very good squad. And you were complaining about Blatt being a shitty coach so I assumed you would think it was a good thing that he left.

[Partizan]

Maccabi are the Euroleague champions, but their coach left and most of their best players left also. And then one of them that did stay, your buddy Devin Smith, had knee surgery.

They have to play against the Latin American champs, Flamengo, at the Club World Cup, and then they have to play in the US against NBA teams.

PG Jeremy Pargo/Yogev Oyahon
SG Marquez Haynes/Sylven Landesburg
SF Devin Smith/Nate Linhart
PF Brian Randle/Guy Pnini/Jake Cohen
C Sofoklis Schortsanitis/Alex Tyus


It's obviously a much different team from the one that won the Euroleague last season, with it's head coach and 6 rotation players gone from that team, and one of it's rotation players that stayed (Smith) coming off knee surgery.

Obviously though, that above team would destroy any D-League team. But I don't think that team is anywhere near the level of a Euroleague champion though.

edit: Nvm, I see that Rice has signed with Khimki.

[Rooster]

Yeah right.

Oh, and D-League's top scorer Pierre Jackson last season (29 pts/game) averaged 4 points in 10 minutes for Euroleague's Fenerbahce Ulker.

DLeague MVP Andrew Goudeluck averaged 19.8 points:oldlol: in 25.4 minutes :oldlol: while shooting 55.6% FG :oldlol: and named Eurocup MVP:applause: :oldlol: . Mini Mamba is running over slow motion Euros with no breaks.:oldlol:

[GOATbrook]

DLeague MVP Andrew Goudeluck averaged 19.8 points:oldlol: in 25.4 minutes :oldlol: while shooting 55.6% FG :oldlol: and named Eurocup MVP:applause: :oldlol: . Mini Mamba is running over slow motion Euros with no breaks.:oldlol:
EURO CUP not EUROLEAGUE.

Big difference.

[chocolatethunder]

DLeague MVP Andrew Goudeluck averaged 19.8 points:oldlol: in 25.4 minutes :oldlol: while shooting 55.6% FG :oldlol: and named Eurocup MVP:applause: :oldlol: . Mini Mamba is running over slow motion Euros with no breaks.:oldlol:
Get a clue homie.

[Euroleague]

I was using them historically as an example. They usually field a very good squad. And you were complaining about Blatt being a shitty coach so I assumed you would think it was a good thing that he left.

Not compared to the coach they have now.

[Euroleague]

EURO CUP not EUROLEAGUE.

Big difference.

And those are not even the right numbers either. He keeps making up imaginary inflated numbers here all the time.

:facepalm

[JohnFreeman]

http://www.quickmeme.com/img/3d/3dce880b01247f60a757529b2d4e8bd49bd75168924cf1877e 0c09da5b99efec.jpg

[chris02jammers]

A player passing up on $550,000 for $25,000 sure is a good indicator.

is 25k a monthly offer?

because 25k x 24 months = 600k

600k 2 years > 550k for 2 years in Euroleague

Smart Move, more money and chance to play in NBA

[Euroleague]

is 25k a monthly offer?

because 25k x 24 months = 600k

600k 2 years > 550k for 2 years in Euroleague

Smart Move, more money and chance to play in NBA

1. The max salary in D-League is $25,000.

2. He was not offered a contract by any Euroleague teams, as already explained here several times.

3. The salaries in Europe are actually listed in net income, so you can't compare it like that.

[Bandito]

I think Vassilis Spanoullis could average good stats in the league if he puts his mind to it. He is at least that good right? He could maybe come back to the NBA if lucky...

[Smoke117]

No Euroleague team offered him a contract you moron.

You ever posted in a thread where you haven't resorted to 8 year old name calling? Pathetic.