**Originally appeared on SLAM Online February 21st, 2012**
I don't know how familiar many of you are with the how things
work in world of European basketball, so I wanted to give you all a little
background. The ins and outs, so-to-speak.
With the influx of international stars into the NBA/WNBA in
the last decade, and then with the lockout this year, European basketball is
suddenly more visible in the States. But just because it's more visible,
doesn't mean we understand it any better. So hopefully I can answer some
questions you may have!
Unless I specifically say otherwise, this is how things work
in both men's and women's hoops in Europe (from my experience!). And generally
speaking, each country works the same, with the exception of a few rules here
and there. (I'm speaking of the domestic leagues, not EuroLeague/EuroCup/etc
which have a whole different set of rules.)
Professional Divisions
First and foremost, nearly EVERY country has multiple
professional leagues, and they've been in existence for decades. What
differentiates the leagues, is the budgets of the teams, and the number of
foreigners each team is allowed to have.
Foreigners Allowed
The number of foreigners is where you'll see the biggest
difference in rules.
On the women's side, the rule generally is that a team can
have two or three foreigners on its roster. For example, I'm in France this
season, so we have two non-French players (myself, and a Ukrainian) and the
rest are French (or carry a French passport). I have had seasons where I have
been the only foreigner (last season in Sweden, for example), and I have also
been on a team with three other foreigners (also in Sweden, in 2008-09).
The men's side is more complicated, and varies quite a bit
more. Probably because stakes are higher, with larger salaries, bigger crowds,
etc... In some countries (Germany and Belgium, off the top of my head), there
is no limit to the number of foreigners a team can carry. But, there is a rule
that at least five players on the roster must be domestic players. So in those
countries, many times you'll see six or seven Americans scattered throughout
team's rosters.
Other countries have rules about the number of domestic players
that are required to be on the floor at all times. The rules are a bit
controversial, and seem to be changing on a yearly basis, so it's all a little difficult
to keep track of.
The roster rules are in place mostly to ensure the
development of the local talent. If every team could field an unlimited number
of foreigners, the number of jobs for domestic players would drop across the
board.
Team Funding
Secondly, how teams are funded is vastly different from how
it's done in American professional sports. Salaries are paid by sponsorships
for the most part. Which is why you see uniforms covered in logos and company
names. It's also the reason why multi-year contracts are rare in Europe (you
only see multi-year deals involving the biggest/richest clubs).
I have never
signed a contact longer than one season. Since salaries are paid by sponsors,
you never quite know, on a year-to-year basis, what a team's budget will be. So
you don't want to tie yourself to a situation where a team may not be able to
pay your salary. Clubs many times, are partially funded by city subsidies as well.
Domestic Leagues vs. International Leagues
If a team plays only in their domestic league, they'll play
a game just once a week, for the most part (on the weekend). And they'll only
play games within their country (so my team this year plays only on Saturdays,
and only against other French teams).
Four or five teams per league can also play in
outside/International leagues (EuroLeague, EuroCup, EuroChallenge, etc). In
those cases, teams will have games during the week, on top of their domestic
league games. International games are usually reserved for weekdays, either
Tuesday or Wednesday in most cases.
All the leagues are separate entities, and a team's win-loss record in one league has no bearing on the other.
Agents
Now how do you go about finding a team, and securing a
contract in Europe? That's one aspect that is the same as American professional
sports. The best way to find a team is to sign with a quality agent. They'll contact
teams, negotiate for you, and hopefully find the best possible situation for
you, both on and off the court.
I no longer have an agent, however. Since I have been
overseas for almost 10 years, I have developed numerous relationships and
connections along the way. My last three jobs have come about because of prior
relationships, through former teammates, coaches, and the like.
Both ways have
worked out just fine for me.
What's in a Contract?
Finally, you might wonder what a run-of-the-mill contract
get you.
Most-importantly, you get a furnished apartment to live. Many times, a
car is also a part of your contract (though you must pay for the gas of
course). It's also commonplace to have at least two round-trip plane tickets
as part of the deal (so you can go home at Christmas).
I've also had it in various contracts that I am provided with one meal a day from a local restaurant, or
given a food stipend on a monthly basis.
You're also provided with health
insurance, which as we know is a huge perk! And of course, your payment schedule
should be included!
There can be other things, based on your needs (if you have
a family, for example), but that's what a barebones contract will get you in
Europe.
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