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Josh Childress
There has been a lot of talk about Josh Childress, former Atlanta Hawks player who recently signed a fat contract with Olimpiacos, in Greece.
Apparently, the bottom line is that he can make more playing in Greece than he can in the NBA.
Childress is not the first American player to go and play in the European leagues, and is certainly not the last. The difference being (hence all the halabaloo) the fact the Childress it the first American player who is already making good money as part as a key part of a good team, to decide to leave the NBA for Greener pastures.
Henry Abbott has a different and interesting outlook on this situation that supplies ample food for thought.
Just about every reaction I have seen from NBA fans has been along the lines of “oh no, this is bad for us.”
My reaction is exactly the opposite. Unless you’re a fan of the Atlanta Hawks, have a party! This might be a little bit of a short-term black eye for the NBA, but this is great for NBA fans, and ultimately, the NBA.
There are lots of reasons I say that, and they all have something to do with real deal free market capitalism — with its many pressures to prove, daily, that you’re the best — coming to parts of the NBA where they have long been absent.
With all due respect to the ABA, the NBA does not have competition, and has not since the merger with the original ABA. That is good in some ways, I guess. It keeps things tidy for us fans. But it’s not so good for keeping the League office, the team front offices, the players, and everyone else on their toes.
In most businesses, if you do things in an inefficient manner, eventually your competition will come along and do it better, cheaper, faster, etc., and they will hurt your bottom line or put you out of business entirely. That’s how the free market forces efficiency on us all. It’s painful at times, but it sure teaches some strong lessons about figuring out what’s most important and constantly evolving.
To read his thought on the matter go to True Hoop
