Nash's "StandUnited" mantra is a bit disingenuous considering that plenty of players are already taking money for playing in competing leagues. Standing united is picketing for being locked out, not running around the world and selling your services to the highest bidder.
Agreed. Players make it sound like this is a principle thing and they are battling for the future NBA players. They expect the fans to understand and feel for them while some (including faces of the NBA) go to other countries to cash in on some money until the NBA resumes. Doesn't seem right . . . either stand on the picket line with fellow NBA players or shut up.
I've heard this claim that players going overseas are somehow deserting the Union. That's just bullshit. The only way they could be scabs is if they UNDERCUT the union players - in other words, if they agreed their own terms to play for the NBA owners. Whether or not they get money while holding out is irrelevant. If anything, it helps the union, because it means that they, at least, will be able to hold out as long as it takes. Should we say that the NBA owners who are collecting money from their other businesses are somehow letting down fellow owners?
That's such total horseshit. What's the point of free agency if you can't go where you want? That's UNAMERICAN! Charles should fuck off to Cuba.
Whether or not they get money playing basketball while holding out may be irrelevant to you, but not to a lot of other fans. Players (and owners) are out of touch with fans and players thinking it doesn't matter to fans that they make money playing basketball overseas while the lockout is going on is one more example of players being out of touch with reality.
they should just start another league already, there are other billionaires out there that im sure would love to ride the pussy train to whore jucntion, with a layover in assfuckingtownville
It's not bullshit. The fact is that some of the NBA's most visible players are playing for millions of dollars overseas. I don't think that sends a very good message in terms of solidarity, and also in terms of the owners acting in bad faith. "Standunited" rings hollow when players seem to be acting in their own self-interest in terms of making money playing basketball. What if Kobe Bryant, for example, blows out his knee in Italy? That then becomes the Lakers' issue in terms of both paying him, and also not having him on the court. The owners should add a voided contract provision right now to their negotiations to absolve themselves of financial obligations toward players who go and play in other professional leagues under the lockout. BTW - calling legitimate opinions that you disagree with "bullshit" and "horseshit" probably isn't the best way to make your case.
As for the owners not being able to pursue other interests during the lockout, that's not a good analogy at all. If the owners were to try and disband the NBA and create a new league, I'd agree. But nothing is keeping the players from working or owning things in any industry. It's specifically going overseas to play basketball while players like Steve Nash are talking about "solidarity" and "standunited" that rings hollow and defeats that message. What is the revenue sharing in the Euroleague? Is there any, or is it just a contractual obligation? Whining about the NBA while going to play in league even more controlled by owners is foolish to me. What is the owner's urgency to settle this when they know that the players are willing to go play for less money, and less guarantees, overseas?
Pretty good point. I think players should be paid based on what their salaries would be in Europe, or other professional leagues. If they want to strike that is fine, but their beliefs are mostly illogical.
