Does this also mean that Mills may be unavailable?

Anyone have an idea of the cost of insurance. It would obviously be based on the ammount of the players contract and the number of games.

If there was no lockout it would appear that the insurance must be covered at least partly by the NBA otherwise it would need to be paid everyime.

Get Bogut to move his Aussie home to Newcastle and Nathan Tinkler will pay it.

I would assume that since Pat Mils is an NBA Free Agent at this point, there is no insurance required, as he has no contract in place.

There was a qualifying offer sent to him, but from reports was not signed in time, so he will definitely be on the look out for a team this summer while the Lockout is in action.

With all the big money in Europe, you can be guaranteed they'll be able to cover insurance costs, to get the NBA players to those Euro leagues. So getting Patty to the NBL may be easier than once thought.

My feelings on the issue...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wxlhyX-4qKI

I thought to myself , if I took on insuring Bogut's $60M contract @ 5% = $3M.
But if he got injured , then I'd go broke.
When there's no lockout , he's insured and BA only have to pay a little bit to cover 3 games.
I believe , also, if I were a young player just starting out in the NBA , that I wouldn't risk playing uninsured.

How do the FFA do it with all of their football stars earning millions??

I don't understand your question. Could you ask it agen?

( I have no idea on soccer. I can only guess.
It might be that their contracts are insured 'cause there is no lockout and FFA only have to pay a little bit of a top up.)

FIFA control all of soccer whereas the NBA is part of Basketball USA.

Basketball USA is not part of FIBA

hope that helps make sense of this.

NBA players playing for their country and getting injured is a massive issue not just for the player.

What would it mean for the Mavs in ticket sales and sponsorship if Dirk blew his knee for instance. The Mavs and Dirk take all the risk while the home country gets all the upside at no cost.

FIFA want their players to represent their country ( possibly fine them from memory for bogus injuries etc) as they make massive amounts of money through the World Cup and internationals.

Their is no financial benefit or incentive for NBA players top represent their country. For the love is not a good enough answer when you are risking 10's of millions of dollars.

This is why im getting sick of the NBA.

God Bless Oscar Schmidt for wanting to represent his country, regardless of whether it was a qualifying series or an Olympic games.

He made the ultimate sacrifice (turning down the NBA) to continue to represent his country.

The NBA shouldn't dominate World Basketball like it does. It is just one league in a world of many.

Im over the NBA anyway..don't care too much about the lockout.

Just a league dominated by money, fame and over-inflated egos.

I love the Euroleague much more, but unfortunately coverage is severely limited i.e. There is none.

Now I see why a Juan Carols Navarro left the NBA to return to FC Barcelona..

Can't blame him. Its a huge risk to play without insurance and lose that kind of money. Not one of us here would play under those circumstances. Hope this lookout resolved itself before the Olympics!!!

We should get Patty Mills!

Sorry, wrong thread.

KB3, the NBA is not part of Basketball USA. Basketball USA is a member of FIBA however.

Isn't this all a beat up? I though Bogut originally said he would play WC's and Olympic's but never committed to playing the qualifying events?

He averaged 11 points per game as an NBA rookie. Made it to the NBA all-rookie Second team.
I think you'll find he was easily NBA quality.

The reason he left was because he wanted to win games--He is a natural winner. He didn't care about the fame and prestige of playing NBA.

Barcelona loses 10-15 games all year, and wins 65 or so. Their record from last season was 64-12.

Memphis lost 60 or so games when JCN was there and he has even said that he felt like there was a carelessness towards that..He felt as though the players and staff in the team didn't show the same concern that a euro team would..i.e. There isn't as much emphasis on winning in the USA as there is in Europe

All im saying is that when all these internationals like Bogut retire..sure they have millions of dollars, but they've missed out on rare opportunities to represent their country.

If the lockout was still on in Sep, Bogut asked
would BA cover his $60M contract?
and he would play in Australia against NZ
What if in olympic qualifiers his back was to break
insurance companies are not that eager to make a mistake

i stand corrected HO.
There is some disconnect between the two though i know that for sure, it may only be at NBA level.
What the main difference i was highlighting is that FIFA can tell any player to play anywhere at any time where as FIBA does not have that power.

Some of you blokes are full of yourselves. Ive had my gripes with Bogut before, but in this case you can't blame him.It's nothing to do with representing your country these days, FIBA tries to milk money the same way the NBA does. If they can't cover a players insurance then they don't deserve that player to play. Gone are the days where you take the risk and play. If Bogut or any other player was to have a career ending injury playing for their national team, I would bet Basketball Australia and FIBA would wipe their hands clean of everything.Not one person here would risk the $$ that Bogut is getting the next 3 years, NO ONE.

BTW he also stated he wanted to play in the OLY Qualifiers, because he wants to play in the Olympics.

Sport is a business, including national teams. The smart players know this, the dumb ones, well.......

Oh and BTW Nene is out for the same reason.

Parker might be too
http://basketball.realgm.com/wiretap/214529/French_Basketball_Trying_To_Find_Insurance_So_Parker_Can_Play

Average OKKA,
I think your interpreting it in the wrong light.

Im not criticising Bogut at all. No one is actually.

I am criticising the NBA for their failure to establish relations with FIBA, and their inability to incorporate Int'l Basketball into the scheme of things (They need to refer to the World Soccer model--They show that international soccer and club soccer can co-exist)

MACDUB
Sorry mate, was talking to a couple of others mainly.
But yes the NBA isn't helping because clearly the lockout is a big factor.
www.nba.com will explain how far the NBA has gone, wiping off player photos throughout the site!!!

i pose this question to everyone. does basketball australia spend millions of dollars assisting basketball players around this country with the absolute best facilities available so they can play NBA?
While i am sure they hope these players reach their full potential, I am also sure it is because they hope these players will REPRESENT their country and maintain our proud existence as a basketball leader.
I'm sure we all understand just what these guys are potentially risking by commiting to play for their countries, but had these countries not pumped the millions of dollars they do into basketball programmes then they wouldn't be earning those contracts.
Now our woman are leading by example in a sense by commiting to play locally next year in the lead up to the London olympics, and while the scale of their pay certainly doesn't compare, they would be earning considerably less by doing so.
WHY? Because they love to play for their country.

Now if a guys earning 60M, why doesn't he swallow his pride, pay the 1M it probably costs to insure himself for the series and thank those that have made him the player he is today.

good call I Spy

Yeah, that taxpayer funded stint at the AIS that culminated in a World Championship MVP and a World Championship had nothing to do with Australia....

Face Palm!

So bogut was cut from teams, ooh argh, but he did benefit from the AIS program, and if he had not then more than likely he would not have played for Utah and so on. He needed that exposure that only the AIS can offer.
In threads relating to the lockout people have stated that its a business, and I agree. Well the AIS basketball program is a BUSINESS, and its sole objective is to produce basketball players of an international calibre that will represent their country, which through success at interbational level continues to attract the corporate and government dollars that keep the program going.
The by product of this program is their employees as such learn the skills that make them employable around the globe.
Now basketball australia would not begrudge anyone from being able to make a living, and absoluely college in the US has also helped develop some of ur best players, but how many of our senior men's team have not played at the AIS? (and by this i mean players who represent at a major tournament, not mickey mouse shit)
And this is only an assumption, but those that have not more than likely hold dual passports and have been lucky enough to play in Europe as a local.

Best Facilities in Australia? Have you tried to hire a court to train in SA during the week. Its either booked for badminton or has school kids all over it.

Didn't Bogut or Andersen bulld a gym somewhere in Melbourne for this reason?

I believe in todays day and age playing for your country has become as big a business as any. BA makes money if Bogut plays, If Mills Plays, ETC. The argument of paying 1 million cause he has 60 is plain stupid. "Hes rich he can afford it". FACEPALM. Im sure Bogut, Mills and our other star athletes have other financial obligations outside of basketball (family, business, charity).

Oh and I SPY. I beg to differ. Bogut would have made it pro in either the NBA/Europe WITHOUT the AIS. Read his history and you would know he was off to Europe for a pro deal if he wouldn't have made the AIS. If the AIS made a player, where are the other basketballers who went there who we never hear of anymore playing pro ETC. Work ethic and drive make a player, not the facilities.

Im all for players paying for whatever the scholarship was worth if they make it pro though....

I SPY: Q:I pose this question to everyone. does basketball australia spend millions of dollars assisting basketball players around this country with the absolute best facilities available so they can play NBA?

A: No, you pay court fees, entry fees, scoresheet fees as a junior.So infact they make the millions, or the privately owned stadiums do. And as far as getting a court free to work on your game during the week. Good luck.

Average Okka, you make some very valid points. Yes perhaps my insinuation that those that have it should suck it up and give back is flawed and maybe even stupid.
My reference to BA spending is in the cost of setting up junior national championships, the talent identification camp in january at the AIS, the scholarships offered to players and the cost involved in the whole basketball program ie coaching, gym sessions, rehab and maintaining health and the numerous tours that the AIS go on internationally each year.
Then you add in the cost of senior and junior national team training camps & tours and the $$$ certainly add up.
Absolutely work ethic and drive make a player, but you are trying to say that if all of our Boomers shot in their back yard every night for hours and hours that they would be the success that they are today!? Please, you know as well as I do that without the opportunities presented to these players no where near as many would succeed and basketball would be the ass end of sport in this country.
In relation to the players at the AIS that are never heard of again, surely not all of this responsability lies with BA. Not everyone that attends the AIS has the WORK ETHIC or DRIVE to be a success. I do believe however that perhaps BA & the AIS need a training/development system in place to re-intergrate those that are unsuccessful into careers after leaving the program and only having known the basketball life.

I think this thread was best left at facepalm.

I understand Wayville courts are available during the week.

BUT not during school holidays. Or on weekends. Or at a time most people aren't working.

However I was told this by the stadium manager probably a year ago, so maybe something has changed....

NBA players that want to play for their homelands,
during lockout, will have to pay their own insurance.

No problems mate this is a good mature debate.
I still think BA doesn't lose a whole lot setting up Junior Championships, I think if anything they would bring in money at those things.
Talent ID camps, different story they might take a hit.

Having a son who repped his state team at a national champs and did some Talent ID programs, i can tell you it's definitely not world class. The kids barely got fed, and when they did it was a 5 buck pizza ETC. The accommodation was pretty much motels that were used for the sex industry if you know what I mean quality wise, and the travel arrangements were poor.

Not only that the parents got stung with a 4K bill to have their son or daughter go to a nationals. So not sure where your argument comes into play that BA invests millions? AIS is the only argument you have thats valid where players are paid to train. Lets not forget though that the AIS itself fetches sponsorships for apparel, drinks ETC which would get them a dollar here and there.

All in all im more than happy if our big stars just play the Worlds and Olys. If our younger players and bench players can't beat NZ, we probably don't deserve to be there anyway, lets be serious.....

I think you are badly underestimatng this NZ team. We need to be very close to full strengthnd even then it is no done deal. If we go in undermanned and loose then the pre qualifying tournament is even more tough.

Correct. NZ were every bit as good as us at the WCs. While Cameron and Jones have retired, Dickel has indicated that he wants to play, and Marks would have to be a chance with the lockout.

Not really. I respect NZ alot and they play like more of a team than us, hence being together for years!
But if the like of Mills, Newley, Ingles, Nielsen, Maric, Jawai ETC and so on cannot beat NZ, even with Bogut and Andersen out we are not looking to good.... Alot more pressure on the boomers with two of their main bigs out, but thats life. I think we would still be favourites with the roster i mentioned above..

Next: Barbosa out for personal reasons (insurance)
Same statement as Nene essentially.

team of stars Vs star team ;)
NZ's team will be made up largely of Breakers players who have a lot of on court chemistry with each other. Be nice to get Marks back in a black singlet but Pledger has been developing well.