The European Problem

            As of now, there is no solution to the NBA's lockout woes. Players and owners have run into a wall over, what else, money, and the insistence that one party needs more. But I don't want to talk about the greed of owners and athletes; after all, my space is limited.

            But now that the upcoming NBA season is in jeopardy, what do players do now? A lockout prevents them from getting to coaches or training facilities and most players won't be happy to sit back. So what's a super talented basketball star to do without a league?

            Well, believe it or not, the United States isn't the only one with a basketball fascination. European countries have their own leagues with money to spare for talented Americans who have no where to play. The deal seems sweet for players: take an obscene amount of money, play a year in a weaker league, keep the rust from a long hiatus away and move back to the NBA when the negotiations are settled.

            If owners are upset about their stars going overseas, then they should work harder to keep the players happy. It's not the athlete’s fault that they have a skill that others will happily pay millions for. Players like Tony Parker and Kobe Bryant have been entertaining thoughts of a move across the pond; the former to his homeland of France and the latter to a high paying side in China.

            The risks are obvious for playing somewhere else as the NBA attempts to right itself, but the logic is sound. If owners want to keep their stars in the states, they need to bite the bullet on the current negotiations.

            It's the players who have sought after skills, not the suits in the office.