For N.B.A. Players, China Is Up (and the D-League Down ) By ROB MAHONEY
对于NBA球员来说，中国是时候了
When Deron Williams signed with Besiktas back in July, he was supposedly opening the floodgates. N.B.A. players were expected to follow him across the Atlantic in search of steady income and legitimate competition. The various European leagues were seen as a plentiful resource for players without any obligation to their N.B.A. employers, and a first-class fallback plan in case the collective bargaining negotiations stalled.
七月份德隆威廉姆斯与贝西克塔斯签署协议悔过之后，可以说他在是“开闸放水”了。NBA的球员可能跟随他之后去大西洋变寻求稳定的收入和合法的比赛。各种欧洲联队被球员看成是不再对他们的NBA雇主负有任何义务的相当丰富的资源，并且是作为头等退路以免劳资双方谈判协议失败。
But the relationship between the European leagues and the available pool of N.B.A. players was never quite so simple. American players may have considered foreign leagues to be an easy alternative, but each European team had its own dynamics to consider. In the final calculus – after weighing team chemistry, fit, long-term value, and cost – shelling out relatively large salaries for N.B.A. players who aren’t even guaranteed to play for an entire season just didn’t make sense for every European club. Plenty of players have still been able to find work overseas, but the number of openings is inescapably finite.
但是各欧洲联队与NBA联营选手的关系却不只是这么简单。美国选手可能认为欧洲联队是一个非常简单的选择，但各欧洲联队却都有自己的状态要考虑。在最终抉择中，考虑到队伍球员之间的感情，合适度，长期价值以及费用——为那些NBA球员支付大笔薪金，而他们甚至不能保证打完整个赛季，这对几乎每家欧洲俱乐部都是没有什么意义的。大批的NBA球员可能会去海外寻求工作，但空缺职位显然是有限的。
It was never as easy as the lockout rhetoric made it seem; the notion of playing overseas as a means of filling the lockout void was almost romanticized, as if N.B.A. players would land on foreign soil and be immediately greeted with equivalent salaries and ample playing time. Needless to say that hasn’t been the case, as plenty of N.B.A. players have found the offers from foreign teams to be underwhelming, and many of those currently playing overseas have struggled with either the lifestyle or the playing style of their temporary homes.
这绝不是像停工这类词看上去那么简单，去国外打球来填补停工的间隙，就像NBA选手去国外打球立即能得到相同的薪金和足够的上场时间是一样的，看上去这个想法过于浪漫。不用说，事情不总是如人所愿，大量NBA球员发现国外球队的出价没有预期的高，并且许多正在国外打球的球员正在为国外的生活方式、打球的方式或者住处伤透脑筋。
Now, with the entire N.B.A. season in serious jeopardy, more players than ever are fighting for what precious few spots – and paychecks – are still to be had. The lockout drags on, and the complexity of the European alternative only grows.
如今，随着整个NBA赛季很可能陷入停赛的僵局，比以往更多的球员来争取少数珍贵的空缺——还有支票。随着停赛的持续，欧洲俱乐部选择的复杂性也在增加。
Risk and Reward in China
Though there may not be many remaining roster spots for N.B.A. players in Europe, the Chinese Basketball Association (C.B.A.) provides decent competition and solid compensation–with a catch: Chinese teams are not allowed to sign any N.B.A. player currently under contract. That slashes the pool of possible candidates for the C.B.A., but we’ve already seen Wilson Chandler, J.R. Smith, Aaron Brooks, and Kenyon Martin – who are all free agents – find employment there, with Jamal Crawford and Rodney Stuckey perhaps not far behind.
在中国的冒险和酬金
尽管欧洲方面已经没有太多的空位提供给NBA球员，中国的CBA协会为他们提供相当好的竞赛机会和固定的报酬，但是有一个条件：中国球队不准签约任何仍受合同约束的NBA球员。此条件大幅削减了CBA的可能候选人员，但我们仍然看到了Wilson Chandler，J.R. Smith，Aaron Brooks以及Kenyon Martin这些合同期满的球员在中国找到了雇主，也许Jamal Crawford和Rodney Stuckey也会紧随其后去中国打球。
China could be the most logical landing spot for restricted and unrestricted free agents, but there are two important considerations for any C.B.A. candidate to consider. The first is the well-publicized fact that the C.B.A. requires any player who signs there to remain for the entire season. If the N.B.A. were to resume, players like Chandler, Smith, Brooks, and Martin would not be able to return to the States until their team’s run had concluded. N.B.A. players clearly grasp that the 2011-2012 season may not happen, but are they willing to potentially miss months of a shortened campaign should the lockout be lifted?
中国也许是对受限制或者无自由约束的职业球员来说最合理的发展地点，但这里仍然有很重要的两需要CBA的候选球员谨慎考虑：第一是较为广泛被报道的事实，即CBA要求签约的球员打完整个赛季，如果NBA重新开始，像Chandler, Smith, Brooks和Martin这样的球员将不能返回美国直到他们所在的球队结束参赛。NBA球员很清楚2011-2012赛季将不会开赛，但万一停工结束，他们愿意错过几个月缩短的比赛吗？
Additionally, though the C.B.A. may offer better pay than most other foreign leagues, free agents would be putting plenty at risk by playing outside of the N.B.A. A major injury sustained during the lockout would hurt any player, but free agents would be putting their earning power – and immediate chance at a much bigger N.B.A. payday – at risk. Still, the odds of such an injury are quite slim, and with the likelihood of an N.B.A. season diminished following the players’ recent legal maneuver, China becomes an increasingly more palatable option.
此外，尽管CBA可能比任何国外联队出价都要高，这些自由球员在NBA之外比赛仍会会处于很大的风险中。在停赛期间一个严重的持续损伤将会影响到任何一个球员，自由球员将会使他们的赚钱能力以及在NBA发放酬劳的那一天更大的机会处于危险之中。
Trickle-Down Economics
Even with the N.B.A. facing a work stoppage, the Development League – the N.B.A.’s minor league affiliate – is set to begin its season in short order. However, the disclaimer of interest filed by the National Basketball Players Association on Monday could have devastating effects on the D-League’s player pool this season.
滴漏经济学
即使NBA面临停工抗议，NBA小职业球队发展联盟将会开始他们的赛季。然而，美国职业篮球协会与周一递交的权益转交免责声明的申请对这个赛季发展联盟的选手联营有着毁灭性的打击。
The D-League’s primary allure is the potential for a call-up to the big leagues, and without that carrot dangling above the heads of fringe prospects, there isn’t much reason to take part. The D-League’s standard salaries are far below what some players can earn elsewhere, and many of the league’s base cities – Fort Wayne, Bakersfield, Boise – hold little outside appeal for professional athletes. The D-League has real value when the N.B.A. is in session, but for the moment it lacks the ability to create a true reward system for its players.
发展联盟的主要诱惑在于可能对美国各大职业联盟发出的召集令，如果没有这样诱惑的边缘前景，也就必要去参加。发展联盟的薪金标准远远低于某些球员去别处可赚的钱，并且大多数这些联盟球队所在的城市——韦恩堡市、贝克尔斯菲市、博伊西市——对这些职业球员几乎没有外部诱惑。当NBA开赛的时候，发展联盟有着实际价值，但是目前它还缺乏为选手创造真正的奖励系统的能力。
We may already be seeing the impact of that unfortunate truth. According to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports, Alando Tucker, who was selected with the No. 2 pick in the D-League draft just two weeks ago, has agreed to a deal with C.B. Gran Canaria of the Spanish A.C.B. League. Tucker was among the more high-profile D-League players, but the potential for superior earning overseas is hardly unique to him. D-League players may be able to find the sweet spot in European clubs’ financial goals, as they can contribute on a professional level without pulling in the substantial salary that N.B.A. talent demands.
也许我们已经看到了这个不幸事实的影响力。据雅虎体育的Adrian Wojnarowski透露，2周前在发展联盟的选修中当选为二号掩护选手的Alando Tucker，已经同意与西班牙ABC联盟合作，但是在国外获得更高收入对他来说几乎是不可能。发展联盟的球员也许会在欧洲俱乐部的财政目标上找到想到满意的位置，因为他们可以有助于球队走上职业的水平，而不会像其他NBA天才球员那样要求大量的薪金。
It may seem odd that a team would elect to sign a D-Leaguer rather than an N.B.A. veteran, but many smaller clubs are priced out of the running for N.B.A. regulars. Plus, the fact that a player like Tucker has had experience with two different international teams certainly doesn’t hurt, particularly when considering how many N.B.A. players have struggled to produce in their first European tours. Tucker may be the first D-League player to bolt as a result of the lockout’s legal proceedings, but considering the value of affordable talent in overseas leagues, he likely won’t be the last.
一个球队宁愿签约发展联盟的选手而不是NBA老手，也许这看似去很奇怪，但是很多更小型的俱乐部被排挤出NBA的常规赛之外。此外，尤其是考虑到很多的NBA球员在首次欧洲比赛中努力贡献得分时，像Tucker这样的球员体验过两种不同的国际队伍也不是坏事。Tucker也许是由于停赛走上法律诉讼程序之下第一个冲出去的球员，但是考虑到国外联队的负担得起有价值的人才，他绝对不是最后一个。
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发表于 2011-11-19 22:05
发表于 2011-11-21 11:39
