Redeem Team Fighting for NBA

By Paulie Knep
Love of Sports Correspondent

The U.S. men’s basketball team has acquired the nickname “Redeem Team” on their quest to reclaim America’s spot at the forefront of international basketball. Recent trends in player movement indicate that they’re playing for more than the reputation of the United States. The prestige of the NBA is on the line as well.

In the 1980s, the NBA’s international exposure soared on the wings of marketing golden child Michael “Air” Jordan. Jordan and the rest of his Dream Team teammates, carried the league’s popularity to new heights with a dominant showing at Barcelona in 1992. As the Dream Team stood on the medal stand, gold dangling from their necks, every young basketball enthusiast around the globe dreamed of competing in the NBA against the greatest players in the world.

There have been recent indications that the perception of the NBA as the vanguard of professional basketball has begun to change. Nine ballplayers bolted the NBA for European teams. Six of them: Carlos Arroyo, Jorge Garbagosa, Primo Brezec, Bostjan Nachbar, Carlos Delfino and Nenad Krstic, are originally from Europe or South America. The other three: Josh Childress, Dan Dickau and Earl Boykins, were born and raised in the United States.

Childress, specifically, opened a lot of eyes around the league. He was a valuable sixth man for the Atlanta Hawks last season and a highly sought after free agent. He was also the first American-born professional in recent memory to choose Europe over the NBA.

Why the sudden migration? Naturally, money played a significant role. European teams possess sizable economic advantages over NBA teams. For starters, they’re not bound by the terms of the NBA’s Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).

Childress was a restricted free agent, meaning that under the CBA, the Hawks were entitled to match any offer he received from another NBA team. Not wanting to waste their time pursuing a player who’d likely return to Atlanta, teams explored other options, curtailing Childress’ negotiating leverage with the Hawks. He found his leverage overseas with Olympiakos of the Greek league. Unencumbered by the rules of restricted free agency, Olympiakos signed Childress to the most lucrative contract in European basketball - $20 million over three years.

There are two additional economic benefits to signing with a European team. One is the increasing value of the euro compared to the dollar. The other is that European teams typically pay the majority of taxes on player’s contracts.  European teams also don’t share the NBA’s minimum age policy. Brandon Jennings, one of the top high school recruits in the country, committed to attend the University of Arizona this year, but was ruled ineligible because he didn’t achieve the requisite SAT score. Since he wasn’t 19-years-old, the NBA wasn’t an option, so in June he signed with a team in Italy. Other high school stars may follow his lead and jump at the opportunity to make money right out of high school.

Members of the media have ignited speculation about the possibility of the NBA’s marquee players, LeBron James and Kobe Bryant, signing with a European team. European team owners aren’t restricted by a salary cap or maximum contracts, and may be willing to pay Bryant or James $50 million a season (essentially tax free). James has talked about his desire to be a billionaire and international icon. Playing in Europe for a few years would further both objectives. Bryant lived in Italy for much of his childhood, so the cultural transition wouldn’t be very difficult for him. When asked about the possibility of playing in Europe, both players indicated that they’re open to the idea.

In the information age, the world’s becoming smaller everyday. Europe isn’t quite as foreign to American athletes as it once was. Most have European teammates and have played in exhibitions overseas. Some have friends who signed with European teams after playing college ball in the U.S.

Still, despite the benefits of signing with a European team, almost all of the world’s best players play in the NBA. One reason is that most players, especially those born in the U.S., desire to live here. But perhaps more importantly, great athletes are compelled to test their skills against the highest level of competition, and that’s found in the NBA.

Rudy Fernandez, a multi-talented shooting guard from Spain, signed with the Portland Trailblazers this summer. He was reluctant to leave Spain for the NBA, where he’ll earn less money because of the league’s rookie salary scale, though ultimately, Fernandez was swayed by his desire to compete against the best players.

However, it’s not 1992 anymore, and Fernandez’s reverence for the NBA isn’t universal. In recent years, Americans haven’t dominated international competition as they once did, even failing to win the gold medal at the 2004 Olympics. When Argentina-native and former Toronto Raptors guard Carlos Delfino signed with a Russian team this summer, he stated, “I think, as a basketball level, there is not a great difference between Euroleague and the NBA. These Olympics are showing that.”

There won’t be a mass exodus of NBA players to Europe anytime soon. Yet, it’s undeniable that the league’s status has diminished in the eyes of the world, and ballplayers now believe they have other lucrative options available to them. These trends will have long term effects on the prosperity of the league if they continue.

NBA commissioner David Stern will make adjustments in response to the recent player movement, which could include expediting his plan to expand the NBA to Europe. However, the league’s success in the U.S. and abroad is most dependent on the popularity and performance of its players.

All eyes are on Redeem Team as they take on the world in Beijing, and national pride isn’t the only thing at stake.