I come back from a hiatus full of expensive mojitos and magaritas to find out that one of the key players of the Atlanta Hawks, Josh Childress, owner of the best afro in the NBA, signed with the best team in...
Greece.
Yes, Greece. You know that country. The country that gave us the Greeks, frat parties, and names with way too many vowels. They also gave us the Olympics and have been regretting it ever since. Greece has a major basketball league. Did anyone really know that outside of Europe?
Afro Man did not end up signing with big name teams like the Lakers, Celtics, or the Spurs. No, it's the best professional basketball team in Greece. When I first heard the news I got ready to throw in the towel in regards to any allegiance to Atlanta sports. The Hawks lost one of their best players to a team in Greece. How much lower can they get? This would not have happened to the Celtics, Lakers, Spurs, or even the Wizards. No, the Hawks have now proven how inept they are. They lost their best afro to a team in Greece. It's like your girlfriend not just dumping you for someone else, but instead running away to New Mexico by themselves. However, on second glance at the deal I changed my tune (but only slightly) and realized that the deal was an absolute no brainer for Josh and a huge warning shot for every NBA team. This does not, by the way, change my mind that the Hawks are the worst franchise in the NBA...well except for the Knicks.
The Hawks offered The Big Afro a package deal worth in the neighborhood of $17 million dollars. The Greek squad offered the same number of years, but placed $20 million on the table. Childress, a restricted free agent, would have had to wait on the Hawks to equal the deal if he had been offered a package from any other NBA team. The Hawks would have had a chance to match or beat any other offer made by any other NBA team, which knowing the Hawks they would have never ever done. That was not the case if an offer from a team outside of the NBA.
The key to the whole deal is what Josh will be getting out of the deal. Let me explain and it's a lot more than the $3 million difference between the two offers. Here in the NBA if you got a $17 million deal, how much of that money would you be able to put away (after taxes, agents, homes etc.)? Maybe $11 million? $10 million? Less? In Greece, how much of that $20 million would you be able to put away? The same?
No.
That $20 million that Josh is going to get is actually $20 million. Why? Because that $20 million is post taxes. The Greek team will be paying the taxes up front. They will also be paying the 10% for the agent. They will also be paying Josh's bill for housing. They will also be paying for his transportation and food. In other words, he's getting a free ride and will be paid and get exactly $20 million to do it. Compare that to his situation here where his salary would have been $17 million prior to taxes, agents, food, car, and housing which Josh would have paid for on his own in Atlanta.
What would you do? Take the money and run to Greece and learn how to eat a gyro without half of it landing on your pants.
Even if the offer was the same amount of money one would be a fool not to take the Greek deal. In the end, you keep all the money in the Greek deal, which doubles the take home and put in the bank take.
I don't blame Josh for taking the deal. I would have taken the deal. It's a no brainer. I blame the Hawks a little bit for not even trying to match the deal. They were content to let him walk. However, this exodus poses a major threat to all the other teams who are trying to avoid paying superstar money to key role players. The European teams are offering far better deals. Role players in the NBA can become European superstars (that whole big fish in smaller pond scenario). This will make it 100 times harder for any NBA team to re sign role players that could get wooed away to Greece, Italy, Russia, and France. Sadly, the teams that are in the mid and low level markets are going to be hurt first. Teams like Charlotte, Atlanta, New Orleans, Seat....eh...Oklahoma City will be hurt long before high profile teams that free agents want to play for (Lakers, Celtics, Spurs etc.) These teams in Europe have the resources and are playing on an uneven field with the NBA. If you think that I am kidding that this signing poses a threat let me give you this nugget. Russian womens teams are paying six and seven figures (roughly ten times more than the WNBA) to play in the dead of winter in Russia and the top women in this country are playing there every winter. If the WNBA played in the winter there would be no WNBA (which for some would be a sigh of relief). The warning shot has been made.
Greece.
Yes, Greece. You know that country. The country that gave us the Greeks, frat parties, and names with way too many vowels. They also gave us the Olympics and have been regretting it ever since. Greece has a major basketball league. Did anyone really know that outside of Europe?
Afro Man did not end up signing with big name teams like the Lakers, Celtics, or the Spurs. No, it's the best professional basketball team in Greece. When I first heard the news I got ready to throw in the towel in regards to any allegiance to Atlanta sports. The Hawks lost one of their best players to a team in Greece. How much lower can they get? This would not have happened to the Celtics, Lakers, Spurs, or even the Wizards. No, the Hawks have now proven how inept they are. They lost their best afro to a team in Greece. It's like your girlfriend not just dumping you for someone else, but instead running away to New Mexico by themselves. However, on second glance at the deal I changed my tune (but only slightly) and realized that the deal was an absolute no brainer for Josh and a huge warning shot for every NBA team. This does not, by the way, change my mind that the Hawks are the worst franchise in the NBA...well except for the Knicks.
The Hawks offered The Big Afro a package deal worth in the neighborhood of $17 million dollars. The Greek squad offered the same number of years, but placed $20 million on the table. Childress, a restricted free agent, would have had to wait on the Hawks to equal the deal if he had been offered a package from any other NBA team. The Hawks would have had a chance to match or beat any other offer made by any other NBA team, which knowing the Hawks they would have never ever done. That was not the case if an offer from a team outside of the NBA.
The key to the whole deal is what Josh will be getting out of the deal. Let me explain and it's a lot more than the $3 million difference between the two offers. Here in the NBA if you got a $17 million deal, how much of that money would you be able to put away (after taxes, agents, homes etc.)? Maybe $11 million? $10 million? Less? In Greece, how much of that $20 million would you be able to put away? The same?
No.
That $20 million that Josh is going to get is actually $20 million. Why? Because that $20 million is post taxes. The Greek team will be paying the taxes up front. They will also be paying the 10% for the agent. They will also be paying Josh's bill for housing. They will also be paying for his transportation and food. In other words, he's getting a free ride and will be paid and get exactly $20 million to do it. Compare that to his situation here where his salary would have been $17 million prior to taxes, agents, food, car, and housing which Josh would have paid for on his own in Atlanta.
What would you do? Take the money and run to Greece and learn how to eat a gyro without half of it landing on your pants.
Even if the offer was the same amount of money one would be a fool not to take the Greek deal. In the end, you keep all the money in the Greek deal, which doubles the take home and put in the bank take.
I don't blame Josh for taking the deal. I would have taken the deal. It's a no brainer. I blame the Hawks a little bit for not even trying to match the deal. They were content to let him walk. However, this exodus poses a major threat to all the other teams who are trying to avoid paying superstar money to key role players. The European teams are offering far better deals. Role players in the NBA can become European superstars (that whole big fish in smaller pond scenario). This will make it 100 times harder for any NBA team to re sign role players that could get wooed away to Greece, Italy, Russia, and France. Sadly, the teams that are in the mid and low level markets are going to be hurt first. Teams like Charlotte, Atlanta, New Orleans, Seat....eh...Oklahoma City will be hurt long before high profile teams that free agents want to play for (Lakers, Celtics, Spurs etc.) These teams in Europe have the resources and are playing on an uneven field with the NBA. If you think that I am kidding that this signing poses a threat let me give you this nugget. Russian womens teams are paying six and seven figures (roughly ten times more than the WNBA) to play in the dead of winter in Russia and the top women in this country are playing there every winter. If the WNBA played in the winter there would be no WNBA (which for some would be a sigh of relief). The warning shot has been made.
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