Not too long ago, pundits were touting Europe as serious competition to the US in pro sports. They could pay more to their basketball and hockey players, and were attracting stars at a growing rate. Well, it looks like there’s still a ways to go before the US loses its role as the premier sporting nation. Just ask Alexei Cherepanov. Or ask Brandon Jennings, who’s alive and talking about how terrible it is over there.
Jennings isn’t getting paid, isn’t getting to play, and isn’t getting to work on his game the way he would had he stayed in college. Add to that the language and cultural barriers, and Jennings is sending up a big red flag for any athletes who are thinking about going for a quick and easy payday.
“I’ve gotten paid on time once this year,” he told the NEW YORK TIMES. “They treat me like I’m a little kid. They don’t see me as a man. If you get on a good team, you might not play a lot. Some nights you’ll play a lot; some nights you won’t play at all. That’s just how it is.”
While Jennings admits the $1.2 million he received to play for Lottomatica Virtus Roma is nice, he’s concerned it could hurt him down the road, possibly weakening his draft standing. He’s only getting 15-20 minutes a night, and when he is in the game, plays aren’t drawn up for him to shoot. He’s averaging less than seven points a game.
“My role is to play D and take open shots — that’s it,” he said. “And I’ve accepted that role.”
The problem is, that’s not the role the scoring point guard will play once he joins the NBA next year. And some are wary that this year will be a lost year in his development, and will set him back a year compared to where he would be had he gone to college.
“I don’t see too many kids doing it,” Jennings said. “It’s tough man, I’ll tell you that. It can break you.”
2:29 pm on January 24th, 2009
should have gone to uofa, now they are asu's bitch
9:07 pm on January 24th, 2009
F*** you reinaldo
1:49 am on January 25th, 2009
He would've made just as much money this year had he gone to USC. Who goes to Europe and expects to develop a basketball repertoire? That pansy loser Josh Childress left the Hawks for Europe and they got exponentially better without him. Plus Childress is back in the U.S. right now claiming he has some kind of sports Hernia A real man doesn't take the easy way out. A real man looks at the hard way and sets out to make it look easy. Guys like Jennings and Childress don't have the heart to play with the big guys and earn the money and respect by hanging in with the best in the game. You don't go to the M.L.S. if you want to be the best in Soccer and you don't go to Italy if you want to be the best 19 year old basketball player in the world heading into the N.B.A. draft. What no one talks about is the fact that the European leagues have just as many washed up former U.S. college basketball stars that are close to jennings age. They have all been cut from N.B.A. training camps recently. Some were lottery picks and other first round picks. So If I'm a GM, why would I draft a player in the first round that is only averaging 7 points a game against guys that I wouldn't even let ride my bench. Plus, he gets paid 1.2 million so I doubt there is some kind of conspiracy to keep him off the court. He probably just isn't that good yet.