Kobe Says He Will Test Global Market Before Next NBA Contract

Kobe Plans To Test Global Market Before Extending Lakers Contract

WRITE & WRONG: In response to reports that Cavaliers F LeBron James would consider offers to play overseas, Cavaliers Owner Dan Gilbert said, "The reason this thing is where it's at, is that we've got a bunch of bored, East Coast sports writers who have nothing to do because the offseason is a few months away and the Olympics (hadn't) started yet." Gilbert added, "The only thing you can come up with is there are certain writers, or people who live on the East or West Coast, who think that Cleveland, Ohio, is not a good enough place for a superstar of LeBron's caliber to spend his career. Despite the quality of the franchise, the quality of life in the Midwest, the fans -- it's a complete slap in the face from people who do not live in Cleveland ... to Cleveland." Gilbert added if James were playing for "what they consider glamour teams, I don't think there would be any of this talk. And the proof of it is there. Because there's not talk of any of these other stars." Gilbert added of playing in the NBA versus playing in Europe: "It's not money-to-money comparison. It's an opportunity cost. The U.S. is the No. 1 market for who he is and what he does -- and I mean not LeBron but any player" (AKRON BEACON JOURNAL, 8/10).

OVERSEAS EXPANSION: ESPN.com's J.A. Adande wrote Stern's "desire to spread the game around the globe has worked so well, it's jumping up to bite him." Stern "can get rid of the salary cap and allow NBA teams to try to beat 'em," or "make good on the long-discussed thoughts of expanding to Europe and join 'em." An NBA source said that a European NBA division is "'becoming increasingly realistic,' given the opening of NBA-caliber arenas in London and Berlin, with buildings in Rome and Madrid still to come." However, "that wouldn't account for the richest teams, which are based in Greece and Moscow." In regard to eliminating the cap, the source said that "there was 'no chance.'" The source: "We're paying out 57[%] of gross revenue right now, over $2[B] (per) year in salaries and a majority of our teams are losing money. There will always be a star player or two who can get picked off, but no other league in the world can even pay a fraction of the amount in total salaries" (ESPN.com, 8/9). ESPN’s Michael Wilbon said, “It’s going to take raiding (some high-profile) star before the NBA has to react” (“PTI,” ESPN, 8/8). Dallas Morning News columnist Jean-Jacques Taylor: “Josh Childress and Earl Boykins does not a mass exodus make” (“Around The Horn,” ESPN, 8/8). 

WORLD VIEW: On his blog, Mavericks Owner Mark Cuban wrote NBA players "look like bargains" with the exchange rate. But there is "nothing better than competition for the NBA." Cuban added, "If we lose a few players, that's not a bad thing. In fact, a couple All Stars going over there is a GREAT GREAT thing." European soccer "has done a phenomenal job of inventing tournaments that drive huge revenues and TV dollars," and "this would allow the NBA to do the same thing." Cuban: "Take a Christmas break, or do it in the summer, where the top 6 records in the league play the top 6 teams over there, with the revenues from the event being split primarily among the participant teams rather than equally among all NBA teams." Cuban added, "Then of course we could create our own World Cup type tournament every 4 years" (BLOGMAVERICK.com, 8/7).

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