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07-17-2008, 06:41 PM
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July 17, 2008
A Recruit Flees to Italy, Possibly Setting a Trend
By PETE THAMEL (http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/t/pete_thamel/index.html?inline=nyt-per)
Brandon Jennings, the former high school star turned basketball trailblazer, signed a contract Wednesday to play in Italy’s top professional league next season. Jennings is the first American basketball player to turn pro in Europe straight from high school, agreeing to a three-year guaranteed contract with Virtus Roma.
He is expected to play one season there, then be selected high in the 2009 N.B.A. draft (http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/organizations/n/national_basketball_association/nba_draft/index.html?inline=nyt-classifier). At that point, the team that drafts him will essentially pay a buyout fee for Virtus Roma to release him.
The financial terms of Jennings’s deal were not released, but he is expected to make about $600,000 next season, not including endorsements.
Jennings , who is 6 feet 2 inches and from Los Angeles, had committed to play for the University of Arizona (http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/organizations/u/university_of_arizona/index.html?inline=nyt-org) out of high school, but the combination of academic problems and international curiosity will instead take him to Rome. The question now is whether Jennings will be an anomaly or a trendsetter.
Sonny Vaccaro, a former sneaker company executive who advised Jennings throughout this process, said Wednesday in a telephone interview that he had received calls from the families of six highly regarded prospects seeking more information about the European option. Vaccaro also said that teams from Italy, Spain, Greece, Israel and Russia inquired about Jennings.
While Vaccaro does not forecast an exodus, he said a door had clearly opened.
“I’ve had people call me and want to come and meet me in August and September and explain what’s happening here,” said Vaccaro, who declined to name the prospects. “It’s a viable option. I think a few kids will do this.”
Jennings has said that the situation in Europe had to be perfect for him to go there. At Virtus Roma, Coach Jasmin Repesa speaks English, which was one of the factors that Jennings and his mother outlined as important. Repesa also coaches the Croatian national team.
Virtus Roma’s roster last season included the former Villanova guard Allan Ray and the former Penn guard Ibby Jaaber. The Toronto Raptors (http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/sports/probasketball/nationalbasketballassociation/torontoraptors/index.html?inline=nyt-org) signed Roma point guard Roko Ukic on Wednesday, creating an opening for Jennings.
The announcement has been a mere curiosity in America, but Vaccaro said that it could resonate more in Europe. A news conference is scheduled over there next week, and Jennings’s mother and younger brother are expected to move there to ease his transition.
“A lot is going to depend on how Brandon handles it mentally and emotionally,” Vaccaro said. “That’s what all the naysayers say that he won’t be able to do. It’ll be a test of his character and his own strength.”
College coaches disagree on how viable an option going to Europe will become for recruits. Syracuse Coach Jim Boeheim said that it would be “very, very rare,” and Connecticut Coach Jim Calhoun (http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/c/jim_calhoun/index.html?inline=nyt-per) said “there will be more going.”
The future is uncertain, but Jennings’s contract means that a new reality for youth basketball has begun.
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July 17, 2008
A Recruit Flees to Italy, Possibly Setting a Trend
By PETE THAMEL (http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/t/pete_thamel/index.html?inline=nyt-per)
Brandon Jennings, the former high school star turned basketball trailblazer, signed a contract Wednesday to play in Italy’s top professional league next season. Jennings is the first American basketball player to turn pro in Europe straight from high school, agreeing to a three-year guaranteed contract with Virtus Roma.
He is expected to play one season there, then be selected high in the 2009 N.B.A. draft (http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/organizations/n/national_basketball_association/nba_draft/index.html?inline=nyt-classifier). At that point, the team that drafts him will essentially pay a buyout fee for Virtus Roma to release him.
The financial terms of Jennings’s deal were not released, but he is expected to make about $600,000 next season, not including endorsements.
Jennings , who is 6 feet 2 inches and from Los Angeles, had committed to play for the University of Arizona (http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/organizations/u/university_of_arizona/index.html?inline=nyt-org) out of high school, but the combination of academic problems and international curiosity will instead take him to Rome. The question now is whether Jennings will be an anomaly or a trendsetter.
Sonny Vaccaro, a former sneaker company executive who advised Jennings throughout this process, said Wednesday in a telephone interview that he had received calls from the families of six highly regarded prospects seeking more information about the European option. Vaccaro also said that teams from Italy, Spain, Greece, Israel and Russia inquired about Jennings.
While Vaccaro does not forecast an exodus, he said a door had clearly opened.
“I’ve had people call me and want to come and meet me in August and September and explain what’s happening here,” said Vaccaro, who declined to name the prospects. “It’s a viable option. I think a few kids will do this.”
Jennings has said that the situation in Europe had to be perfect for him to go there. At Virtus Roma, Coach Jasmin Repesa speaks English, which was one of the factors that Jennings and his mother outlined as important. Repesa also coaches the Croatian national team.
Virtus Roma’s roster last season included the former Villanova guard Allan Ray and the former Penn guard Ibby Jaaber. The Toronto Raptors (http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/sports/probasketball/nationalbasketballassociation/torontoraptors/index.html?inline=nyt-org) signed Roma point guard Roko Ukic on Wednesday, creating an opening for Jennings.
The announcement has been a mere curiosity in America, but Vaccaro said that it could resonate more in Europe. A news conference is scheduled over there next week, and Jennings’s mother and younger brother are expected to move there to ease his transition.
“A lot is going to depend on how Brandon handles it mentally and emotionally,” Vaccaro said. “That’s what all the naysayers say that he won’t be able to do. It’ll be a test of his character and his own strength.”
College coaches disagree on how viable an option going to Europe will become for recruits. Syracuse Coach Jim Boeheim said that it would be “very, very rare,” and Connecticut Coach Jim Calhoun (http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/c/jim_calhoun/index.html?inline=nyt-per) said “there will be more going.”
The future is uncertain, but Jennings’s contract means that a new reality for youth basketball has begun.