32 teams now, I really wish they could adapt a baseball minor league or soccer divisions, where you have premiership and then first division etc. Why not affiliate with the better Euroleagues as a minor league system too? DD
I don't see why not. The people there didn't just like the novelty of having an NBA team in town, they loved the Hornets. Man, you should've seen just how much they got behind that team. As far as getting another team goes, OKC is bigger than other NBA cities, such as Cleveland, Sacramento, Salt Lake City, New Orleans, Miami, Orlando, and Atlanta. Also, it has no other Pro team, ensuring a devoted fan base. It has a new arena (which they are planning on rennovating even further), plus a ****load of casinos(!), clubs, and the downtown BrickTown district (picture a clean, more adult oriented RiverWalk) for player entertainment. I mean, it's not like Utah or something. There's sh*t to do in OKC. If the League doensn't get a team in OKC, it will truly be a shame. It's a much more viable option for this overflow of players than Europe.
OKC Metro is not bigger than most of those metro areas, it's tiny compared to Miami, Atlanta, and Cleveland -- why do people not realize this?
When looking at a potential fan base for a city, you have to look at the size of the metro area. Austin is ranked #16 based on city size alone, but #37 when you factor in the metro area. This is why cities like Austin will not get a pro team in the near future, not to mention the HEAVY influence of UT.
It's a stupid article to make after years of other articles claiming that rapid expansion has diluted the league. If it seems full to a player, get a better jump shot or learn how to read plays instead of practicing And 1 moves or holding meaningless dunk contests.
You're undersitmating what "OKC Metro" actually is. The whole damn South central area of the state is OKC metro. Not to mention the large amount of people that would have no problem making the 1:30 drive from Tulsa (350,000+ population) for games. OKC could definitley outdraw the areas you named. And that's all that really matters.
If you said this was a stupid article... You are right. There aren't any good players getting screwed here. Teams aren't even as deep as they used to be. Talent is spread thinner than ever. You have guys getting huge contracts (Rahim before the Kings for example) that are expected to carry a franchise. Guys of that caliber would have been 2nd or 3rd bananas back in the day (you cant cant tell me Rahim was looking better than Shrempf). Is the NBA Full? LOL
Every pro baller would want to play in the NBA, so no surprises that it's 'full'... go play in Europe or someplace else instead of hanging around the NBA looking for a non-existent roster spot.
I don't know what the guy is trying to say, because "decent" players get cut every year who go on to play basketball elsewhere. It's hardly a recent phenomenon. The issue at hand might actually be, do we still need a second round of the draft in the NBA? We're at a point where 2nd round picks are basically used to send around in trades like trash without taking salary space. Sure, teams "stash" foreign players with them. But as in the Scola situation, this might not be the best thing for the NBA and its image. So perhaps a one-round draft is all we need, and everyone else become FA for teams to pick up.
Maybe the NBA is "full" at this time. Buts its not a PROBLEM, as the article is somewhat suggesting. I dont think the league would miss Calvin Booth or Andre Barrett or most any of those guys if they didnt sign. That just means other leagues besides the NBA get better players. Everyone that thinks just a little past the so-called novelty of adding European teams know its all about getting the Euro money. It has nothing to do with adding competitive balance. Just add more NBA teams and keep draining the international talent like they've been doing.
so we need another team to fill with a bunch of end of the bench players? this league certainly doesn't need another team, the guys that don't make it can play overseas and still get paid rather well. how long is it going to take the freaking bobcats to be any good?
I rather like this problem, because it means the NBA won't stay so watered down in talent anymore. The good players will get their chances. The bad players will move on. All it means now is good is no longer acceptable to make it into the NBA even as a role player. And the more great role players on each team, the better off the quality of more NBA games will be. Besides NBA athletes make up less than 1% of the workforce in United States I imagine. Getting in at all is akin to winning the lottery anyways.
I think Stern will regain all the respect he's lost with this Donaghy fiasco if he can pull that off. Look, as much of a pain as it sounds to pull off, something like this will be inevitable in the future. The world is getting smaller, our planes are getting faster; I don't care if they have to revive the Concord to do this it will reap billions of dollars for the first sport to integrate franchises across the pond. Scheduling arrangements can be made, where the Euro teams have extended road trips in the States and teams that have to fly over there will play all three opponents in succession so as to not have to travel there too often. By the three cities, I'm thinking Barcelona, Madrid, Paris? Cities close to the Atlantic with huge European basketball followings already. Or maybe just the best Euroleague franchises like Tau Ceramica, Olympiakos, Panathinaikos and CSKA. Although Russia's definitely too far away to start with.
I don't know, there are 15 roster spots on each team and there are 30 teams. That means there are 450 players. For NBA athletes to make up more that 1% of the workforce there would have to be less than 45,000 jobs in America. I don't know if my imagination can handle numbers that size. Stern has alreadty said that the first three teams are going to be Panathinaikos, Tau Ceramica and CSKA Moscow.
The NBA is completely full. Just call it the INBA now, the Inter National Basketball Association and be done with it.
