Hey Reality!
When I first read your proposal, I will have to say that initially it was an LOL moment...but upon reflection, that may not be a bad idea. How the influx of the best of the world's roundball talent would be properly dispersed among the lesser preforming teams would be a major snag, but it would certainly beef up the talent levels of those teams' squads, increasing competitiveness and thereby fan interest in the league. Hmmm...
Shaq #1
Good point! I'm split on the idea...
Travel would be awful but expanding the NBA into Europe makes sense considering the amount of talent that is continually being produced. Names like Dirk Nowitzki, Pau Gasol and Tony Parker, all of whom are from Europe, are now NBA superstars.
Yet doesn't that almost invalidate the idea? After all, we've sent BACK several players who, for one reason or another, couldn't make the cut in the NBA. In fact, as defined by the GM's, the best two players Europe has who aren't in the NBA are Ricky Rubio, and former Memphis Grizzly Juan Carlos Navarro. This was the result of the NBA GM poll of the upcoming season (or perhaps, the past). Navarro bolted from the NBA several years back, and while he had a few supporters (me among them) who insisted he wasn't being given the chance to do what he could, he was, by and large, just another mediocre guard at the NBA level. And Rubio will come, but on his terms, not those of Minnesota. (See, the Euro-guys have learned from our pampered superstars!)
In other words, we're ALREADY getting the *BEST* talent. Expansion makes sense if we're LOSING that talent to overseas.
