duncan228
07-24-2008, 10:46 PM
http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/spurs/Not_Ballin_in_America.html
Not Ballin’ in America
While Josh Childress’ signing with the Greek club Olympiakos on Wednesday was noteworthy, he’s not the first player to leave the NBA for Europe. And, as reports that Houston’s Carl Landry could go overseas indicate, Childress might not be the last. The Express-News takes a look at five players who have made the move or might do so:
Bostjan Nachbar
Country: Slovenia
NBA career: Was a key scorer for the Nets off the bench last season, averaging 9.8 points per game.
Greener pastures: Signed for a reported $14.3 million over three years with Dynamo Moscow. “The NBA had better be careful,” Nachbar told ESPN.com. “European teams are offering a lot of money. It’s much more, considering there are no taxes, than what I could make signing for the midlevel exception.”
Carlos Delfino
Country: Argentina
NBA career: Was a valuable 3-point shooter off the bench for Toronto, hitting 120 from long range last season.
Greener pastures: Signed a three-year deal — for what the Toronto Sun reports was “huge” money — with BC Khimki, a Russian team. “I really wanted to return to Europe,” Delfino said in a story on Eurocupbasketball.com. “Khimki is an ambitious club that will soon become one of the strongest in Europe. I will do my best to make it possible."
Juan Carlos Navarro
Country: Spain
NBA career: Averaged 10.9 points per game with the Grizzlies last season, knocking down a team-high 156 3-pointers.
Greener pastures: Navarro went back to FC Barcelona, where he played before joining the Grizzlies last season. The Memphis Commercial Appeal reports the deal will pay him between $20 million and $24 million over the next four years.
Nenad Krstic
Country: Serbia & Montenegro
NBA career: The center has started 201 of the 226 games in which he’s played, all with the Nets.
Greener pastures: Nets president Rod Thorn said in a recent Newark, N.J., Star-Ledger story that the team would like to bring back the restricted free agent. The problem, though, is a familiar one: The team isn’t willing to spend as much as he could command in Europe.
Tiago Splitter
Country: Brazil
NBA career: Drafted by the Spurs in 2007
Greener pastures: Rather than join the Spurs, Splitter signed with Spain’s Tau Ceramica through 2011-12 for several times what the Spurs could pay him. “With the way the economy is,” Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said, “he would have had to be an idiot to come here.”
Not Ballin’ in America
While Josh Childress’ signing with the Greek club Olympiakos on Wednesday was noteworthy, he’s not the first player to leave the NBA for Europe. And, as reports that Houston’s Carl Landry could go overseas indicate, Childress might not be the last. The Express-News takes a look at five players who have made the move or might do so:
Bostjan Nachbar
Country: Slovenia
NBA career: Was a key scorer for the Nets off the bench last season, averaging 9.8 points per game.
Greener pastures: Signed for a reported $14.3 million over three years with Dynamo Moscow. “The NBA had better be careful,” Nachbar told ESPN.com. “European teams are offering a lot of money. It’s much more, considering there are no taxes, than what I could make signing for the midlevel exception.”
Carlos Delfino
Country: Argentina
NBA career: Was a valuable 3-point shooter off the bench for Toronto, hitting 120 from long range last season.
Greener pastures: Signed a three-year deal — for what the Toronto Sun reports was “huge” money — with BC Khimki, a Russian team. “I really wanted to return to Europe,” Delfino said in a story on Eurocupbasketball.com. “Khimki is an ambitious club that will soon become one of the strongest in Europe. I will do my best to make it possible."
Juan Carlos Navarro
Country: Spain
NBA career: Averaged 10.9 points per game with the Grizzlies last season, knocking down a team-high 156 3-pointers.
Greener pastures: Navarro went back to FC Barcelona, where he played before joining the Grizzlies last season. The Memphis Commercial Appeal reports the deal will pay him between $20 million and $24 million over the next four years.
Nenad Krstic
Country: Serbia & Montenegro
NBA career: The center has started 201 of the 226 games in which he’s played, all with the Nets.
Greener pastures: Nets president Rod Thorn said in a recent Newark, N.J., Star-Ledger story that the team would like to bring back the restricted free agent. The problem, though, is a familiar one: The team isn’t willing to spend as much as he could command in Europe.
Tiago Splitter
Country: Brazil
NBA career: Drafted by the Spurs in 2007
Greener pastures: Rather than join the Spurs, Splitter signed with Spain’s Tau Ceramica through 2011-12 for several times what the Spurs could pay him. “With the way the economy is,” Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said, “he would have had to be an idiot to come here.”