Can't really blame the guy. He has more money than him or his family will ever need, he lives in a beautiful country with beautiful women and beautiful nightlife, he plays for a champion, fans worship him, he is the leader of the team, why toy with that? To play for a team that's not winning it this year? I think he'll consider it once we become a threat to win it all, but at that point we may not want/need him anymore. No need to be bitter, this is the risk you take when you sign an international player.
If the sophomore team is in Spain and the varsity in Texas (food/lifestyle/women/weather), and the varsity team won't pay me significantly more, and I know that varsity teams know I'm varsity level since they keep calling me, and the varsity team is open to all players many of whom are world class, and I'm also on one of the best international teams on the planet, and my family and closest friends are all in Spain, and I'm winning championships with a 100+ year old historically succesful sophomore team while the team I can go to in the NBA is not built to win, and I have to play way more games under a way more restrictive contract in varsity ball, travel like crazy during the season being away from my family, there are some things more important than the difference between a euroleague championship and an NBA championship. I would be living a beautiful life, nothing stopping me from trying to become the most successful basketball player in history. Arvydas Sabonis was a historically good basketball player before he ever joined the NBA. Did it really matter he came to the NBA? Not really. He's still one of the best C's in the history of basketball. I think NBA fans sometimes forget that there is another factor: these are basketball players, some of them just love the act of passionately playing basketball, others are in it to make competitive history in their/another country's private league (the NBA), others are in it just for money or fame. We're so used to seeing players who seek money first, we can't comprehend a situation where a 20-30% bump in money wouldn't move a player. It's not the case with Llull imo, and I respect that FAR more than I respect players who are more money-centric than that. I get your point because I'm the type of person who likes to conquer milestones made up by others, over and over again. I don't think that's a positive trait though, and I resist it, and I'm much better and more creative and happy at what I do because of it.
Real Madrid just won (again) the second most important trophy in Spain, and Llull was (again) their best player, 22 points overall, 10 in the last minutes...this guy never chokes and always comes up big in late game situations...
You make some great points but you lost me with the Sabonis part. Absolutely his seasons with the Blazers mattered. Way more than you think. I don't know how extensive your knowledge of basketball is, but I assure you at least 50% of the people who know about his career only caught on after he started to play in the NBA, including myself. We're talking 15 years ago, no way I would read anything about a European star nor know about him besides the odd time Lithuania would play the USA in a tourney. I see the point you are trying to make, especially with how much he would be giving up without a guarantee that he would even be competing here, but there is always the point that if he does come here and does make a difference with a team, that would undoubtedly make a huge positive impact with his career. Big IF though.
We don't know that for sure. Maybe the money hasn't been right. I used to take him not coming over a little personally, but I can't fault him for doing what he thinks is in his best interest. If he doesn't come over to play next year, I'd consider trading his rights.
IMO Llull will come to the NBA (after a prearranged trade of his rights). Memphis, perhaps? Spurs (ouch), perhaps? Knixies?
That was a good interview. A lot of questions were asked that we would have asked him. He says he's happy now, but hasn't closed the door on the NBA. So, it's still possible he plays in the NBA someday. The money keeps going up in the NBA, so he could change his mind in a year or two. He's not someone I'm planning on for the future, but you never know.
The Rox should trade his rights IMMEDIATELY before the value of his rights are totally gone. If he really wanted the NBA he would have been here, long ago. This guy seems to love to be pursued and asked about the possibility before he professes his love for his current situation. He's done this time and again. At the end of the day, get something out his rights and let this drama be someone else's problem.
I agree with what you're saying but for particular players. Many more people knew about Sabonis after he joined the NBA, but his NBA years may have been his worst years. We were watching him do that on a broken down body. Those were his worst years. Also, I think Sabonis came to the NBA wanting to win an NBA title, not to become more famous and he came to the Blazers, who were gunning for a ring practically every year he was there. We can't say that about the Rockets in the summer of 2017 when they could finally afford to bring Lull over but we looked like a mess coming off last season. What I'm saying is, it's very possible Lull doesn't care about his career being more famous as much as all the other factors I listed. There are things more important than fame to some people. To Lull I would speculate being worshipped in his country is more important than being known in the world. Right now in Madrid, he takes pictures next to Zinedine Zidane and Raul, 2 of the most revered figures in Spanish sports history, and 2 people who are likely at least as famous as Michael Jordan in the world. Add to that the lifestyle, family, friends, women, etc. Are we also ignoring the possibility that he COULD come here and just not fit stylistically? He's a below average 3pt shooter. Can he flop like Spanoulis? Does that make him lose his legendary status back home just because his style doesn't fit the NBA rules? It's hard for a PG to make it without a great jumper these days. Anyways, just some thoughts. For all I know, he could care a lot about fame. Just using him as an example that profit and fame isn't equally prominent everywhere and sometimes because you and I live in cultures that worship those things, it's hard to understand motives of people in slightly different cultures.
Lol! I would like to see him come try the NBA and see if he be half the player he is in the Europe League. Let the Rockets trade his rights to Utah and we'll take Hayward just so Llul can have the spotlight on him as the Starting PG. And I want to see what he's made up of, facing NBA-level defense. Haha...these Euro-league guys are funny little creatures, man. Of all of them that came here, I only know two that performed above-average: - Dirk - Stokojovic (however his name is spelled) Prigoni wasn't s***. Scola flamed out and got bounced around the NBA. Papanikolua didn't even last....and he was the first guy I heard Morey used the "sturdy" word describing him. And boasting about his Euro-League heroics.......pfft. Ginobili and Parker did well for their career here but they wasn't in the top echelon of their position. I like both of them, though. Prozingis......still too early to tell how he'd pan out. But I want to see Llul match-up with our boys: - Harden - Curry - Lilliard - Kyrie - I. Thomas - CP3 - J. Wall And those guys.
Lull is like Beverley with much better offensive skills.The problem is he has been saying I am not interested in the NBA but you can never rule it out for god knows how long. Playing mind games with Morey.
