If Deron Williams wants act like a turkey and play in Turkey, does anyone care? I sure don't. If I was an NBA owner I'd charter a bus to the airport for all the players who wish to go overseas. I'd call the players' bluffs every day and twice on Sunday.
Dear player: If you want to play internationally, that's your choice. Go if you want to go. Nothing is stopping you.
Personally, and I've written about this before on some forum (i.e. if not in this blog specifically), I think Williams is an idiot. Unfortunately, he's not alone. 5 million guaranteed in Turkey. Great. I happen to think that these people are very short-sided in their thinking.
I don't believe that NBA players with viable NBA careers think international competition is the best competition. I also don't think that playing overseas is smart from a marketing perspective since I feel it would make people lose interest in their brand. This isn't the Yao Ming phenomenon. Yao already had his audience. International players who grow up in their native land have a built in audience their and then "matriculate" to the NBA. The same metaphor can be used when amateurs matriculate to the professional level. No offense to international competition, but FIBA and global basketball is much different compared to the NBA.
As I've stated before, I predict that the NBA lockout will go til at least 2012. I think the NBA All-Star festivities in Orlando won't happen. I also think with a shortened season, that the teams that are already "stable" will sprint to the finish line. Tough luck to the teams that are rebuilding or hoping that they could "gel" and build "chemistry". Players will enjoy their summers and extend vacations. Some players will work out with MLB baseball teams and/or join other summer leagues.
Of course, this is all my opinion, after experiencing the 1998 NBA lockout and having an inside perspective into how it affects players, coaches, agents, media, and fans.
In all honesty, I'm not really a fan of Deron Williams to begin with so I have to ask why anyone is really listening to him? The guy is on the New Jersey Nets. Who cares?!!?
Dear, Deron Williams: Talk is cheap. Let us know when you have a boarding pass.
THE WIRK
With so much uncertainty, people are going to do and go where there are offers... I don't blame him for just taking the 1st offer, because it is a sure bet, assuming the lock out will end before the season starts is a gamble... I totally understand where he is coming from
ReplyDeletei don't blame him either. i just don't care about him or players of his caliber. he could go play in turkey or go to the mall, and it wouldn't matter to me. now, if the real nba elite make the move, then it'll get more interesting for me...
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