The reverse is true too: look at what happened to Von when he signed over there. It takes a certain maturity and level of open-mindedness to live and adapt to a new culture and being away from friends, family, and everything you're used to. Some guys strike me as way to parochial to hack it (like Von, V-span, or Bonzi). Some guys are very open-minded and flexible (like Scola, Hakeem, Yao). And some guys really surprise me, like Marbury. I'm impressed he's ante-ed up for 3 years there and is even thinking entrepreneurially about business opportunities there (who knows if he'll be successful).
Rudy and his agent come out looking like whiny biatches here. All they're doing by complaining to the media is reducing his trade value. If all PDX is losing in all this is a late first round pick, I can see them calling Rudy's bluff, while forcing him to stay idle in Spain and waste two years of his prime. (As long as POR does not release, he's not legally allowed to play in any FIBA affiliated team either). Paul Allen is one spiteful dude. You don't want to mess with him.
Somebody needs to give Rudy his bottle of formula so he'll stop crying. What a jerkhead! He can take his sissy-soft diva self back to Spain where he belongs. Doesn't he realize it's just August? But I guess you have to be a grown-up to have patience.
No, as long as he is under contract with the NBA, the Fiba teams honor it. He should do whatever he thinks is right for his career, if he is not going to get a fair shake in the NBA, then go back to Europe. Sometimes players get stuck behind better players for a good portion of their career and it bugs them. Drazen Petrovic had that happen, heck, Kyle Lowry is experiencing it now. Sometimes it is best if they whine a little to get to a better situation, your career is only so long, you can't waste years..... Gotta do whatever you gotta do, and screw whatever other people think...it is his career. DD
Nope. He's dead in the water for 2 years if the Blazers want to play hardball. After this latest tantrum, they may want to teach him a lesson. Rudy's side had earlier hinted about exercising the "nuclear option" with the Blazers. Now we may find out which side really has that option vs. the other. DD, "your career is only so long, you can't waste years". So true, as Rudy may find out.
It's funny that they're throwing POR under the bus for not giving in and accepting ***** deals just to appease Rudy. Don't they realize that crying to the media only reduces his value even more? POR's new GM was straightforward in responding to the comments: "It's unfortunate that he feels that way and it's unfortunate he's making these public statements. It doesn't help the cause any at all. I don't really feel a sense of urgency any more than I did last week. I'm not going to be strong-armed into making a deal."
