NBA players will be allowed to play in FIBA-affiliated leauges during the lockout, FIBA announced in a press release Friday.
By Nicole Sweet, US Presswire
New Jersey Nets point guard Deron Williams has already agreed to a deal with Turkish club Besiktas.
By Nicole Sweet, US Presswire
New Jersey Nets point guard Deron Williams has already agreed to a deal with Turkish club Besiktas.
"During a lockout NBA players who continue to be under contract with an NBA team are free to play anywhere they want, whether for their national teams and/or for club teams," FIBA said in the statement.
The decision comes with conditions.
"If an NBA player requests to play for a club of a FIBA affiliated league, the NBA will not object but will state that the player will have to return to his NBA team as soon as the lockout ends. Consequently, FIBA will deliver a letter of clearance subject to the receipt of a declaration signed by the player, stating that he will return to his NBA team when the lockout is over," the FIBA statement said.
FIBA secretary general Patrick Baumann, whose organization has a long-standing relationship with the NBA wants the lockout to end.
"As the world governing body for basketball, we strongly hope that the labour dispute will be resolved as soon as possible, and that the NBA season is able to begin as scheduled," Baumann said.
"In view of our role to promote basketball worldwide, we support any player wishing to play the game, wherever and whenever. We do so while obviously taking the interests, rights and obligations of all parties into account."
FIBA's decision comes in the wake of NBA players under contract to play in the NBA next season already signing deals with overseas clubs or expressing interest in doing so.
New Jersey Nets point guard Deron Williams agreed to a deal with Turkish club Besiktas, and Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant is scheduled to meet with Besiktas officials in Washington, D.C., according to Besiktas.
Milwaukee Bucks guard Keyon Dooling is also closely looking at playing for a Turkish club if the lockout extends into next season.
The NBA and the players remain far apart on a new collective bargaining agreement, and there is a concern games in the 2011-12 will be lost, just like they were during the 1998-99 lockout, which resulted in a 50-game season for each team.
The two sides are scheduled to meet Monday in New York.
Many players under contract have asked international teams for opt-out clauses in their contracts. But FIBA's declaration that players under contract in the NBA next season must return to the NBA once the lockout ends makes the clause unnecessary.
There is one more caveat for NBA players to consider: Playing overseas will be at the player's risk, meaning his NBA contract is not insured and if he is injured, his contract could be voided by his NBA club.
"FIBA has stated that it is up to the clubs to decide whether or not they shall sign a waiver clearing them of any responsibility towards the player in case of injury and other reasons preventing him from returning to the NBA and from fulfilling his obligations vis-�-vis his NBA team," the FIBA statement said.
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