New Collingwood Recruit

[prO]

a) A 10 DAY contract in the NBA costs about 1 mill
b) There are plenty of "white" tall guys here who have hops - I used to play bball with 6ft8 - 6ft10 guys all the time who could jump through the roof.
c) A college kid who isnt drafted in the NBA isn't going to suddenly move over here and play a sport he most likely has never heard of over 100k.

 

[Vinnie Vegas]

a) A 10 DAY contract in the NBA costs about 1 mill

No it doesn't - It's worth about $150,000. And an incredibly small amount of college basketball players will ever even get the shot at a 10 day contract in the NBA.

b) There are plenty of "white" tall guys here who have hops - I used to play bball with 6ft8 - 6ft10 guys all the time who could jump through the roof.

Since when did I say that they had to be black? There is just more athletic talls over in the American college system.

c) A college kid who isnt drafted in the NBA isn't going to suddenly move over here and play a sport he most likely has never heard of over 100k.

Some might prefer to come and play a sport in a country that is great to live in and reasonably similar to what they're used to, rather than go to Europe and live in a country where they don't speak English and the lifestyle is vastly different. The appeal to playing in front of crowds of 50,000 plus on a week to week basis would probably appeal to their egos too.

I'm not going to say that there will be fleets of them queuing up to get over here, but you might find that the prospect appeals to some of them.

 

[Jabso]

You would actually be surprised how little some of these basketball players can earn outside of the NBA.

Think about it - Many of them end up over here playing basketball, and footy pays a lot better than the NBL. Stephen Jackson, who won a championship with San Antonio and now plays for Golden State, was a journeyman who played in Australia. He's a 6'8" small forward - Exactly the type we could have targeted.

A two year rookie deal is worth about 100k, IIRC, and if there's promise of a big salary at the end of it, it could be enough.

The NBL would be a 5th or so tier league. Sure it may be unattractive playing in Europe especially in some countries (i.e. Greece recently) where they can riot over their sports. But the majority would still rather try their guts out in the Euroleague or even the NBL at a sport they've known their whole life and work towards the NBA than try to play a sport they might excel at.

 

[prO]

No it doesn't - It's worth about $150,000. And an incredibly small amount of college basketball players will ever even get the shot at a 10 day contract in the NBA.


Since when did I say that they had to be black? There is just more athletic talls over in the American college system.


Some might prefer to come and play a sport in a country that is great to live in, rather than go to Europe and live in less pleasant country where they don't speak English.

a) Was I directly quoting you? Learn to read.
b) For the sake of this discussion - we will say its 150,000 - why would a player waste their time here for 100,000 a YEAR when they can get 150,000 in 10 days and a crapload more in Europe still playing the game they love.
c) And you think those same people who prefer to live in a country where they speak English wouldn't prefer to earn a decent living off the sport they love? Hell if they have such a passion for the English language, I think its fair enough to say they would have the same passion for their sport.

 

[Collingwoodrow]

There is an American kid playing basketball in Warrnambool by the name of Lester Strong (probably 23)......he is about 6'7 and would rival most AFL onballers over 40 yards.......and would have a 40 inch vertical.

Now this kid played Division II NCAA......no disrespect to Lester, but guys like him are a dime a dozen in the USA.

He would be on no more than AUD$30,000 to play over here. Maybe a little more with basketball camps and community work.

Now if he or someone like him was recruited straight out of college and rookie listed after six months tuition on the finer points of football.....you could create a monster.

Even better....get to the playgrounds and get a kid who is a pure baller/athlete. Someone who is looking for a way out of the hood with no chance at going to college....get 'em at 18 and create a monster and save a life.

 

[Vinnie Vegas]

b) For the sake of this discussion - we will say its 150,000 - why would a player waste their time here for 100,000 a YEAR when they can get 150,000 in 10 days and a crapload more in Europe still playing the game they love.

Actually, I looked it up - It's only $50,000 for a 10 day contract, and they can only sign two per year without being signed for the entire season.

But regardless, as I said only a small percentage of college basketball players won't EVER earn themselves even a 10 day contract in the NBA. I am talking about targeting the ones that have to otherwise give up their dream of playing professional sport.

c) And you think those same people who prefer to live in a country where they speak English wouldn't prefer to earn a decent living off the sport they love? Hell if they have such a passion for the English language, I think its fair enough to say they would have the same passion for their sport.

I don't see how the two things are related.

Living in an English speaking country is easier for most people who only speak English. If they have failed to make it as a basketball player, they may be interested in playing professional sport in Australia.

As I said, I'm not talking about there being a steady stream of applicants applying for Visas to come over and play, but if we had someone over there talking to them, you might that they're interested.

 

[Pie Fight]

As a person who was at the highest level of basketball in Australia, I couldn't work out how little footballers knew about certain aspects of defensive and offensive skills which could enhance their game. There is also footwork, leaping programs and general play reading abilities that come with this sort of training. As a former teammate of Sam McKinnon, he informed me years ago that he was actually down at Collingwood when he was a 15 or 16 yr old. I often told him to go back but he is a Carlton supporter so it didn't interest him. Believe me guys, I tried.

 

[prO]

I am talking about targeting the ones that have to otherwise give up their dream of playing professional sport.

100 k a year is not going to cut it, its that simple. Because we as a football club would be competing against far better options. In M Clarkes case - there aren't any. An 18 year old kid can still play college ball if hes not drafted out of high school.... He can even go to other leagues around the world to play the same sport. What makes you think anyone in their right ****ing mind would give that up to play a sport they have absolutely no idea about? Oh right we are talking about EX Basketball prOs who have given up on the sport they love...

So in reality we would be talking about recruiting a mature aged player who has no idea how to play but has all the 'physical capabilities' to play. Personally I see that as a waste of time and resources when we could be getting the sort of player we want in our own country.

 

[nick_savo]

Not that he will be can he play a match of afl if we want him to or does he have to be a certain age?

 

[Jimbeam]

100 k a year is not going to cut it, its that simple. Because we as a football club would be competing against far better options. In M Clarkes case - there aren't any. An 18 year old kid can still play college ball if hes not drafted out of high school.... He can even go to other leagues around the world to play the same sport. What makes you think anyone in their right ****ing mind would give that up to play a sport they have absolutely no idea about? Oh right we are talking about EX Basketball prOs who have given up on the sport they love...

So in reality we would be talking about recruiting a mature aged player who has no idea how to play but has all the 'physical capabilities' to play. Personally I see that as a waste of time and resources when we could be getting the sort of player we want in our own country.

Everything you have said Vinnie has proved you wrong, its extremely possible and i think it will eventually happen. How soon that happens im not sure.

 

[Collingwoodrow]

100 k a year is not going to cut it, its that simple. Because we as a football club would be competing against far better options. In M Clarkes case - there aren't any. An 18 year old kid can still play college ball if hes not drafted out of high school.... He can even go to other leagues around the world to play the same sport. What makes you think anyone in their right ****ing mind would give that up to play a sport they have absolutely no idea about? Oh right we are talking about EX Basketball prOs who have given up on the sport they love...

So in reality we would be talking about recruiting a mature aged player who has no idea how to play but has all the 'physical capabilities' to play. Personally I see that as a waste of time and resources when we could be getting the sort of player we want in our own country.

PRo......You'd be surprised how much young athletic talent doesn't get to college in the USA, whether it be grades or trouble with the law. I went to school in the states and some of the best athletes I saw were on the playgrounds of New York. Nobody falling over themselves to sign these kids up overseas, no colleges looking for them.

This is where clubs could look to recruit. They aint all bad kids.....just live in a bad enviornment with no direction from home. Most of these kids would jump at a chance at playing Aussie Rules.....beats selling crack.

 

[waveofthefuture]

I very much doubt that most of the kids playing bball on the streets of new york city would jump at the chance to play Aussies rules, away from home, in a country they've probably never dreamed of visiting.
Lets not get caught up in hollywood here.
One day, I agree, it will probably happen that a basketballer from the US (or possibly even russia? ukraine? why just the US?) will get a crack at AFL - but that comment was a fair bit of garbage collingwoodrow.