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Show me the money (and the world)
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Published: July 24, 2008
I was stunned when I read Atlanta Hawks forward Josh Childress, a free agent who played for the Atlanta Hawks, abruptly signed a deal to play professional hoops in Greece (http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=350148...).
The more I really analyze this situation leads me to believe that Childress made a fantastic choice (I'm sure he finds that very comforting).
Let's start with the money. I actually think the benefits from this aren't really connected with the extra dough he'll make, but it's probably the most-discussed aspect.
Because he was a restricted free agent, the Hawks could only pay him a certain amount of dollars. On the international stage, those NBA bylaws don't apply. So when Olympiacos offered him a three-year deal worth $21 million -- after taxes -- well, that's a pretty sweet gig.
But there's so much more to this. Childress has a chance to do what so many dream about -- travel the world. I mean, he gets to live in Greece, one of the nicest, most historic places in the world. Sure beats smoggy Hot-lanta, right?
He'll get to experience other cultures, learn languages and compete in front of an entirely different fan base. The marketing and glitz of the NBA sometimes -- oftentimes, really -- gets pretty annoying. The hard-nosed European game, perhaps with better-informed fans, could be a great change of pace.
Hey, this is a tough situation for Atlanta to be in. But the pros clearly outweigh the cons here.
There are a couple of things to keep an eye on in the future. It's pretty clear that a top-flight superstar, like LeBron or Kobe, would never bolt for Europe. They just make way too much money, especially through Nike and other sponsorships. But don't be surprised if European teams start getting creative and attempt to lure over several middle-tier players. And don't be surprised if some of Europe's top pro prospects stay overseas rather than declare for the NBA draft.
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