Euro Trip?

Photo courtesy of nj.com.

By Josh Kramer

There is nobody in America who has an inkling of a clue when the NBA Lockout will come to a close.  I will tell you this much.  There is not even “cautious optimism.”  That could be a major issue considering “cautious optimism” is still 114+ days of a lockout.  The NFL players really have no other options until the lockout is settled football wise.  NBA players do have options though, and some are already taking matters into their own hands.

One of the game’s elite point guards, Deron Williams, has stated that if no season occurs, he will just take his talents to Turkey.  Typically NBA players that are in the twilight of their career or up and comers who are not quite ready for the NBA take their talents overseas.  What would happen if players in the prime of their careers started heading over to Europe?

Basketball fever would hit its highest point.  The NBA has begun to close back in on the heights that the game once knew during the Jordan era.  In addition, the NBA Draft featured an astonishing four international players getting drafted within the first seven picks.  The NBA would become truly global if players all headed East for even just a year.

I will admit that I would be extremely disheartened if there was no NBA season this year.  I will also admit that it is extremely far fetched to think that a bunch of NBA players would be able to head overseas and get the kind of deal that D. Williams has worked out.  But in the long run, if there was more feasibility, it could be good for the League.  It would give the NBA time to settle it’s issues completely, rather than coming to a rushed compromise that does not please either party.  Plus the following overseas would exponentially grow if a good number of NBA players starred in the European Leagues for a year.  Europe would realize just how good these guys truly are and fall in love with their highlight reel abilities.  One taste of a Blake Griffin dunk show or a Deron Williams 20/10 effort would have fans begging for more.

Dare I say a “Euro Trip” may not be such a bad thing for the NBA.

Stay tuned for the next edition of TheSportsKraze.

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