Vander signs in Israel

[MKE_GoldenEagleFan]

$150k a year is nothing to sneeze at but I'm not sure Isreal is where I'd want to be, but I guess to each his own. With all of that being said its unlikely that Vander having a degree will really matter, most of these guys will make career's off of playing basketball and then after they retire will still do something related to the sport. I hear that whole "get a degree" thing tossed around but it really hasn't affected many guys as that field certainly doesn't require one.

[MUMac]

Good for him.

In another year, will his experience in Israel help or hurt Vander as he makes another attempt for the NBA? IOW, what's more valuable - a year playing part-time for nothing at Marquette or a year playing full-time while earning six figures in Israel?

VS

That's a great question VS. I don't know the answer. IWB's response makes sense, though I know one of the attractions to this years draft was the expectation that next years draft would be more loaded. So that factors in.

Back to your question. I would add to it, how many players actually come back from oversea's to make it in the NBA? I don't know that answer, does anyone know if m(any) do?

[Goose85]

$150k a year is nothing to sneeze at but I'm not sure Isreal is where I'd want to be, but I guess to each his own. With all of that being said its unlikely that Vander having a degree will really matter, most of these guys will make career's off of playing basketball and then after they retire will still do something related to the sport. I hear that whole "get a degree" thing tossed around but it really hasn't affected many guys as that field certainly doesn't require one.

One issue with a degree is that I think a lot of colleges require you to have a college degree to coach.

[Phantom Warrior]

Playing in Israel is actually a pretty good gig. For one thing, Israelis are absolutely gaga over basketball and have been since former Illinois star Tal Brody played in Israel many moons ago. The level of play is pretty high as well. Maccabi Tel Aviv is one of the best clubs in Europe, and the rest of the teams in that league are also pretty good.

Another advantage is that most Israelis speak English, so communication should not be as difficult as it would be in the majority of other countries. If I were an American playing hoops in a foreign country, that would be a huge factor for me.

[dubs98]

I guess I don't know the evidence behind this, but I would tend to disagree with you on this. How many quality jobs can someone get without a degree? I am sure there are probably several, but options can be limited as well (especially considering he is one year away from completing the degree). If you are not a star, then what jobs do you feel most retired players tend to get? Coaching is probably the most likely, but unless you are coaching at a higher level pay is not exactly stellar. what other careers related to their sport do you consider substantial enough to support ones self that can easily be had without a degree?

$150k a year is nothing to sneeze at but I'm not sure Isreal is where I'd want to be, but I guess to each his own. With all of that being said its unlikely that Vander having a degree will really matter, most of these guys will make career's off of playing basketball and then after they retire will still do something related to the sport. I hear that whole "get a degree" thing tossed around but it really hasn't affected many guys as that field certainly doesn't require one.

[MKE_GoldenEagleFan]

I find it hilarious that you guys think just having a degree will make jobs easily available for Vander. The truth is that no job is easy to get, however being a basketball player at Marquette or most D1 schools will open up more doors for players than having a degree will. There are coaching jobs, AAU jobs, TV analyst jobs, speaking and motivational type stuff, not to mention if things really break down there are usually tons of contacts that these players make that could get them jobs doing all sorts of stuff that is unrelated to basketball that they can use to support their families. There are tons of students out there with degrees who cannot find jobs, these guys aren't likely to finish basketball and go become lawyers or doctors or even mid level managers at local companies, and if they were they would finish their degree and chase that dream.

[CaribouJim]

Playing in Israel is actually a pretty good gig. For one thing, Israelis are absolutely gaga over basketball and have been since former Illinois star Tal Brody played in Israel many moons ago. The level of play is pretty high as well. Maccabi Tel Aviv is one of the best clubs in Europe, and the rest of the teams in that league are also pretty good.

Another advantage is that most Israelis speak English, so communication should not be as difficult as it would be in the majority of other countries. If I were an American playing hoops in a foreign country, that would be a huge factor for me.

...and they often show their games on the NBA Channel.

[GOMU1104]

Their arena only seats 2,000 people. I doubt hes getting $100,000-150,000.

[Hamostradamus]

FWIW, this website has a bunch of players there making $3k per week, one guy making $15k per week. If the translation feature is working correctly.

http://www.buzzerbeater.com/team/92298/players.aspx