Ball Don't Lie - NBA

Thu Jun 19, 2008 9:00 am EDT

Juan Carlos Navarro dumps the NBA

One can guess where your head is at. 

You're in front of a computer, for whatever reason. You've pulled BDL, and this post, up. You've likely sat through us going back and forth regarding two of the most storied franchises in sport (much less the NBA) for three weeks, and four of the more prominent and successful NBA clubs out there (once we throw in Detroit and San Antonio) for a few weeks before that.

You know that the Finals are over, the C's won, and that the Draft is still a week away. You also know that Skeets and KD get a bit of a thing in certain areas when it comes to reverently handling coverage of what we're supposed to.

And, here it is: a guard few have ever heard of, on the NBA's most unheralded team, going back to Europe. Somebody's trying to be obscure, and somebody succeeded on top of the trying.

It's not like that, I swear.

Juan Carlos Navarro is a bit obscure, but he can also ball, and he's heading into his prime. He's also reported to have signed a five-year, 25 million dollar deal with FC Barcelona, that's huge money, and that's probably twice as much as he'd get in the NBA's open market. And the reason I'm bringing this up, is because I'm a little (well, a lot) bummed that I can't watch him play stateside this year.

But that's me. And while the original intentions behind this post were to wonder aloud about just how the NBA let JCN go (took years to bring him over, saw him struggle with learning English, traded his best friend in the world halfway into the season for Kwame Brown, had no real money to offer him to stay), a good evening's thought turned it into something else.

And that something else is this:

Over the summer, NBA players are going to be met with a series of tough choices regarding their future employment, just how much money they'll make, and who they'll make it with. And 99 times out of 100, the players will follow the dough. No shame in that.

What I am asking is - please, dearest ballers and shot callers - look after the things that bring you joy outside of making the most dough. It's incredibly important. Go after winners. Go after teams you can contribute to. Go after teams you'd fit on, for whatever reason. Follow the money, but don't make it everything.

Summer after NBA offseason after summer I spend too much time hemming and hawing over players heading to teams that you know they're just not going to be able to work with, while knowing quite well that the teams in question will be regretting the move sooner rather than later. I'm sick of that. Lose that. Follow the fun. Do what makes you happy, no matter how un-rehearsed, no matter how embarrassing, and no matter how out of tune you are.

Follow JCN's lead, even if it means you tick off some NBA scribe who digs your game in a certain situation. Do what you can now to avoid that trade demands and/or salary/luxury tax woes that could make for headaches later. It's a long summer, use it.

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  1. orangeblobmanthechampion
    1. Posted by orangeblobmanthechampion Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:38 pm EDT

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    I am shocked that a European b-ball club could offer that contract. I am also happy that they can, and am now sporting a sheepish grin.
  2. QUE RICO
    2. Posted by QUE RICO Thu Sep 03, 2009 8:42 pm EDT

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    ""Follow the money but dont make it everything"" as rod continues , but as the season ended this , is what is going to follow for sometime , gay as stories
  3. Ryan Schwan
    3. Posted by Ryan Schwan Thu Sep 03, 2009 10:04 pm EDT

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    i'm a little bummed he left too. i was hoping the hornets would be able to snag him.
  4. Jeff Wong
    4. Posted by Jeff Wong Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:32 pm EDT

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    That was poignant, KD. I laughed, I cried. It moved me.
    But seriously, I agree with you: Navarro's got NBA talent, and I would've loved seeing him in a Toronto uni (why not another shooter on this Raptors squad?), but we sometimes forget that these are people trying to find happiness while earning a living. Barcelona might be a better situation for him personally.
  5. QUE RICO
    5. Posted by QUE RICO Thu Sep 03, 2009 8:42 pm EDT

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    who cares about this canadian team the knicks are going to destroy them
  6. Tiven W
    6. Posted by Tiven W Thu Sep 03, 2009 10:12 pm EDT

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    i'd take 25m to live in barcelona. barcelona is awesome!
  7. the REAL Headless Chicken
    7. Posted by the REAL Headless Chicken Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:12 pm EDT

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    The Knicks... man... they're just going to destroy themselves. (And don't mistake me, I root for the Yanks, the Jets and nobody in the NBA but certain players. But the Knicks? Man...)
  8. the REAL Headless Chicken
    8. Posted by the REAL Headless Chicken Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:12 pm EDT

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    Aside from those Knickerbocker comments - btw, a dutch team, as we all know - K-Dig really owns that guitar people spoke of just recently. And what's that haircut? Why can't we white people just once have us a good haircut??? ;)
  9. the REAL Headless Chicken
    9. Posted by the REAL Headless Chicken Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:12 pm EDT

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    And aside from that side story stuff about K.D. on the guitar. Nice one. But you know, you'll never find many human individuals to follow this and not the money. Show me the money!!!
  10. khandor
    10. Posted by khandor Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:50 pm EDT

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    JCN doesn't have a PRIME TIME READY FOR THE NBA GAME and is a better fit for a Euroleague team, at a big bucks pricetag, than he is for any of the 30 teams in the world's best league.
    After seeing him play during the 2007-2008 season the only thing which SHOULD be called into question is the basketball acumen of those NBA observers who felt (mistakenly) that JCN was a primetime PG in the NBA wasting away in Europe.
    IMO ... these people do not have as good an eye for basketball talent as they think they do. :-)
  11. pepefantasy
    11. Posted by pepefantasy Thu Sep 03, 2009 7:30 pm EDT

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    In Spain nobody believe that yesterday. Annonaying news from Barcelona. The truth behind is that the Barcelona president is against the ropes and needs a really big move. Navarro is a hero here in Spain, more than Gasol, and is more than a hero in Barcelona. I'm happy for him, but i'm sad because he and Garbajosa couldn“t work on NBA anymore.
    Our hopes for Rudy and Marc!
  12. se7en
    12. Posted by se7en Thu Sep 03, 2009 2:59 pm EDT

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    "It's about money! Just g*d da** money! And I bought into it."
    Name that movie. One of my favorites.
  13. QUE RICO
    13. Posted by QUE RICO Thu Sep 03, 2009 8:42 pm EDT

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    Knicks in the play offs are my first prediction for the new season ... later fakers, the blogs are all yours once again
  14. A Yahoo! User
    14. Posted by A Yahoo! User Thu Jun 19, 2008 3:32 pm EDT

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    You guys are a bunch of freakin american morons! He is going back to play Futbal (soccer) in Europe where soccer is bigger then MLB or NFL.
  15. Son
    15. Posted by Son Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:30 pm EDT

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    if i was with memphis i'd want to leave too...not to mention the extra money
  16. jeezee10
    16. Posted by jeezee10 Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:31 pm EDT

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    Well, they traded his buddy, Pau Gasol, and the Grizzlies are languishing in the cellar.
    He won't be in the limelight. At least in Spain, he will be, doesn't matter if the basketball world is smaller.
  17. Nutcracker
    17. Posted by Nutcracker Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:55 pm EDT

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    Chad J, you are the stupid one. FC Barcelona has a basketball team too. Stupid Idiot!
  18. SurfinKen
    18. Posted by SurfinKen Thu Sep 03, 2009 9:49 pm EDT

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    Que Rico are you seriously a knicks fan talking smack about anybody, let alone a Finals team? Dude the Knicks suck, I mean really really really suck! And if you think they will make the playoffs, then they must be transfered to same league as FC Barcelona (the b-ball team Chad J). They aint making the NBA playoffs even in the weak east.
  19. A Yahoo! User
    19. Posted by A Yahoo! User Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:53 pm EDT

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    Lakers need to get rid of radmonovich, walton, turiaf, mihm, mbenga, karl and get big strong players like artest, mutombo, diop, kurt thomas, mourning, or ben wallace to counter celtics garnett, perkins, powe, davis, and pj brown
  20. Clark
    20. Posted by Clark Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:08 pm EDT

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    goodbye more room for another blackguy with the skills to take that spot.
  21. duritn
    21. Posted by duritn Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:50 pm EDT

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    don't forget that 1 euro = 1.55 us dollar these days, so european clubs can often compete with nba offering big contracts... usd does not buy as much these days overseas...
  22. sam
    22. Posted by sam Thu Sep 03, 2009 10:10 pm EDT

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    Good riddance.
  23. setsunamasterdecoy
    23. Posted by setsunamasterdecoy Thu Sep 03, 2009 9:14 pm EDT

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    he wouldve played well here in the nba (for those of you who actually watched, and not just blindly assume)...
    good for him to decide and leave--going back to a place where he can be a superstar, get richer, and have friends surrounding him... unlike here in memphis
  24. Andrew P
    24. Posted by Andrew P Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:26 pm EDT

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    wow have you seen this guy play?
    he was actually pretty good
  25. John D
    25. Posted by John D Thu Sep 03, 2009 9:48 pm EDT

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    He got tired of playin in fixed games and he also went for the money. I'd do it ...lol

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