The NBA's "Heave Rule" should bring more excitement

 

                        (Stephen Curry heaving a shot. Credit: Noah Graham/NBAE via Getty Images) 

The NBA has made a change to how they statistically record last second shots of 36 feet or longer. Rather than having such shots count against a player's field goal percentage if they miss, they'll only count against the team field goal percentage. If the player makes the shot, then it will count toward the player's field goal percentage as it normally would. 

Below are the conditions of the rule: It is for shots 36 feet or further and within the final three seconds of the first three quarters. The play must also originate in the backcourt. 

The purpose of this rule change is to encourage more end of quarter shots without players worrying about the impact it would have on their field goal percentage. Many players hesitated to take such shots given it would hurt their stats. If you were say 9-9 on the night, you might not want to throw up a prayer that will end your perfect shooting night. Now, players can heave such shots with no such worries. As a result, we should see more last second attempts and thus, more crazy shots, upping the entertainment level. 

All around, this is a great rule and one that has been long overdue. Not only is it unfair to a guy's stats to count those shots against him, but also when you think about it, the whole point of field goal percentage is to track shots that are well, shots. In many ways a last second heave of 36 feet or longer isn't really a shot. It's a heave. Hence the name of the rule. On those grounds, they really should be a different statistical category. 

On top of being more entertaining for fans, this rule change will also have an impact on fantasy basketball. Many fantasy basketball matchups have been affected by a last second heave and now they only will be impacted if the shot goes in. Fantasy basketball owners will no longer have to worry about someone on their team taking a last second shot that costs them a matchup. That more than anything might be the best part of this whole rule change. 

Finally, I think it would even be better if shots beyond half court were worth four points and not three. The half court line is an easy dividing mark and it's well beyond the 3-point line such that it would make sense to add an extra point for such shots. Imagine a team being down four points with three seconds left and attempting a four-point shot! That would be wildly entertaining. Or a rare five-point play! A guy getting fouled while making a four-point shot. Can you imagine? Not only that, but getting fouled from beyond half court while taking a shot would be worth four foul shots instead of three. This is sort of a next level rule suggestion, but I think it's one that the NBA should consider. Maybe try it out in the G-League first. 

While a four-point shot may not be coming to the NBA, it is good they have implemented this "Heave Rule." There's no downside to it and it will enhance the experience for all. It'll be fun to see the impact it has on this upcoming season! 

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What are John Wall's Hall of Fame chances?

 

                                              (Credit: Brad Mills-Imagn Images) 

Last month, former Washington Wizards star point guard John Wall announced his retirement after having not played in the NBA since the 2022-23 season with the Los Angeles Clippers. During his 13 year NBA career, Wall averaged 18.7 points, 4.2 rebounds, 8.9 assists, and 1.6 steals per game. At his peak during the 2016-17 season, Wall finished 7th in the MVP voting averaging 23.1 points, 4.2 rebounds, 10.7 assists, and 2.0 steals per game. Wall was also the number one overall pick by the Wizards in the 2010 NBA Draft after a stellar freshman season at Kentucky in which he averaged 16.6 points, 4.3 rebounds, 6.5 assists, and 1.8 steals per game. Wall and the Wildcats fell to West Virginia in the Elite Eight of the 2010 NCAA Tournament. 

There's no denying the talent that Wall had when he came into the NBA. With Rickey Green type speed, Wall had all the pieces to be a legit franchise player and when he was healthy, he was just that. He could score at an elite level, he was electric in transition, could guard the top point guards in the game, and was a fabulous facilitator. He truly had all the tools and for five straights seasons starting in 2013-14, Wall made the All-Star team. 

However, his career was marred with injuries as he had to miss two of those 13 seasons in entirety. The 2019-20 season was missed due to injury while the 2021-22 season was missed due to the Houston Rockets wanting to prioritize the development of younger players while also unable to find a team willing to take on Wall's massive contract. 

On top of having a career marred with injury and setbacks, Wall only reached the second round of the playoffs twice in his career, never reaching the conference finals. For all his talent, he was never able to lead the Wizards or any team to serious playoff success. 

Something that will start to get debated in the coming months and years is what Wall's Hall of Fame chances are: 

On the positive side, I think his peak level was certainly Hall of Fame worthy. He was definitely not a bust. He backed up the number one pick hype that he received and on top of that, he had a strong single season at Kentucky. It should also be factored into the equation that the Wizards historically are a pretty bad team and he stayed loyal to the franchise, not jumping ship for greener pastures. He took it upon himself to be the franchise player and that's commendable. 

On the negative side, you'd like to see more than five All-Star selections for his career and the lack of playoff success is unfortunate. Also, you are judged on your production and injuries are a part of the game. It is what it is.

When you at it all up, I think it's hard to make a case for why John Wall should make the Hall of Fame. While he was one of the most talented players to come into the NBA, he simply didn't sustain Hall of Fame level play for a long enough period of time. If Wall does get in, it'll likely be after several years of being on the ballot but at some point, Hall of Fame cases lose steam and while I'm sure there are some that will try to lobby a case for him, I don't see him getting enough support to clear the threshold needed to get in. 

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Saturday Slam: It's about time the WNBA started treating their players better

Earlier this week, the WNBA announced a new CBA (Collective Bargaining Agreement) that gives its players an opportunity to make way more money ($250K+ salaries), paid maternity leave, an upgrade from coach to economy plus or comfort plus on flights, private hotel rooms, etc. Click here for a full breakdown.

What I wanted to quickly do in this blog post is express my happiness about this news and also frustration that it took this long for WNBA players to get treated better. Let me first talk about my happiness.

What makes me happy about this news is the fact that WNBA players are really really good at basketball. It's a ridiculously competitive league. When you are one of only 150 people or less in a profession, you should be treated really well. These WNBA players have made the same sacrifices as NBA players and deserve to get treated way better than they have as a result. They also grew up with dreams of playing pro basketball, practiced for hours on end, played on their travel ball and high school teams, played college basketball, etc. They've taken a very similar path to get to where they are and its about time they get better compensation for it.

Some of you know I also cover Cal men's and women's basketball for Rivals.com, so I've gotten to appreciate the women's game over the years. I've seen up close how hard they work. Trust me. They put in the same work as the men.

As for why I'm frustrated that it's taken this long, my frustration stems from the fact that the NBA makes LOADS of money and the NBA runs the WNBA. Why the NBA couldn't have used some of their revenue to give WNBA players a better situation years ago baffles me. It's good it's happening now, but once again, this should have happened a while ago.

Finally, I want to say that while I'm glad this CBA is being implemented, I feel WNBA players deserve even more than what they're getting. I don't understand why they can't fly private jets. Like, seriously? Give me a break! However, when you are hoping for progress, you gotta be happy when progress is being made and that is most certainly happening here. Hopefully this news will steer more young women into basketball and give them more reason to follow their dreams and become the best athletes and role models that they can be.

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Saturday Slam: Remembering David Stern

                                          (Credit: Tony Gutierrez/AP Photo) 


On New Year's Day, former NBA commissioner David Stern passed away after undergoing surgery to address a brain hemorrhage. He was 77 years old. In this blog post I want to quickly share my thoughts on Stern and the impact he made on both the NBA and the game of basketball.

David Stern was the NBA's commissioner from February 1, 1984 to January 31, 2014. In those 30 years, the NBA transformed itself from a league known for its rampant cocaine use (R.I.P. Len Bias) to a league that had global appeal and the biggest stars in all of sports. It's fitting that just a few months after Stern took office, Hakeem Olajuwon, Michael Jordan, Charles Barkley, and John Stockton were drafted into the NBA. Those guys became the face of the post Bird/Magic NBA along with Patrick Ewing, Karl Malone, David Robinson, Scottie Pippen, and Shaquille O'Neal who were all drafted in subsequent drafts. Stern taking over as commissioner truly ushered in a new era of the NBA.

For me personally, David Stern is the NBA commissioner of my childhood. In some sense, he still feels like the commissioner even though Adam Silver I feel has done a wonderful job replacing him. I still feel like Stern's name should be on an NBA basketball. He's that ingrained into the fabric of the league. In a lot of ways, he was and still is the modern NBA.

While the players I just mentioned along with many others took the NBA to new heights with their talents, Stern gave them the platform by which they could do so. He cleaned up the image of the NBA, had a vision for where he thought it could go, and he took it there. He felt the NBA could become a global brand and he made sure that it happened.

What says it all I think, is the response from players around the league. Scottie Pippen was just one of many who tweeted about Stern's impact on the game.

Very sad day for basketball. We saw David Stern a lot in the 90s and I found him to be kind, thoughtful and almost always the smartest person in the room. He was an innovator who helped grow our sport into a global game and his impact will never be forgotten. RIP, Commissioner. pic.twitter.com/FzlJwnJmrK

— Scottie Pippen (@ScottiePippen) January 1, 2020

Pippen's words I feel sum it up the best. Stern was "an innovator who helped our sport grow into a global game and his impact will never be forgotten." Truer words could not be spoken about the subject. When we look back on what the NBA has become and the genesis of where it all started, in many ways it begins with Stern. Before he became commissioner, he took over as executive vice president for business and legal affairs under commissioner Larry O'Brien in 1980, the same year Larry Bird and Magic Johnson not only entered the NBA, but began to save it as well. Stern was primarily responsible for the marketing, media relations side, something he would continue in full force when he became commissioner.

If you are a fan of basketball and especially the NBA, David Stern has played a very important role in your life. Without him, the sport and game we all love wouldn't be what it is today. On behalf of all NBA fans around the world, I want to say thank you to David Stern. You will not be forgotten.

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Rapid season preview of all 30 NBA teams!

With the NBA regular season already underway, it's time for me to do my season preview. Rather than going division by division in separate articles, I will go through a rapid preview of all 30 teams by division. Enjoy!

Atlantic Division 

Boston Celtics: The Boston Celtics are coming off a 48-34 season in which they made the Eastern Conference Playoffs before losing to the 4th seeded Atlanta Hawks in the first round. The Celtics should look to have an even better 2016-17 campaign with the additions of Al Horford and #3 overall pick Jaylen Brown. If this team stays healthy, look out.

Toronto Raptors: The Raptors are coming off a 56-26 season in which they finished second in the Eastern Conference, losing to the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference Finals. The Raptors are a very dangerous team and appeared to have a breakthrough season in 2015-16. In the 2016-17 season, look for DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry to play with more confidence in the post season and give the Cavaliers a real run for their money.

New York Knicks: The additions of Joakim Noah and Derrick Rose are nice and Kristaps Porzingis has a year under his belt. Expect the Knicks to exceed their win total of 32 from last season and find their way into the playoffs. Carmelo Anthony finally has a respectable supporting cast around him and a quality head coach in Jeff Hornacek.

Brooklyn Nets: This team is led by Brook Lopez, Jeremy Lin, and Luis Scola. Very odd trio. I don't know what to expect from this Nets team, but this is definitely not a team equipped to make the playoffs.

Philadelphia 76ers: With Joel Embiid finally healthy, 76ers fans thought they were in for an exciting season. But then, Ben Simmons went down with a foot injury that will keep him out through January. The 76ers will struggle, but if Simmons can remain injury free once he  comes back, the 76ers should start to see some bright light in what has been a very dark and gloomy cave for them.

Southeast Division

Atlanta Hawks: The Atlanta Hawks project to be one of the most dangerous teams in the Eastern Conference with the addition of Dwight Howard to a lineup that already includes Kyle Korver, Paul Millsap, and Dennis Schröder. The big question for the Hawks is whether or not the addition of Dwight Howard outweighs the loss of Al Horford to the Celtics. I personally think that Dwight Howard will be a good fit in Atlanta, giving them better rim protection than they had with Al Horford.

Washington Wizards: The John Wall-Bradley Beal backcourt will prove to be very dangerous provided both guys can stay healthy. The Wizards have tons of upside. It's just matter of avoiding injuries and getting some of their role players to step it up. Definitely expect the Wizards to return to the playoffs after missing the playoffs last year with a 41-41 record.

Miami Heat: With Chris Bosh uncertain to play again and Dwyane Wade in Chicago, it really is a new era in Miami with Hassan Whiteside and Goran Dragic as the faces of the franchise. The Heat should prove to be a very competitive team that threatens to make the playoffs. The combination of front court play with Whiteside and back court play with Dragic makes them a tough match up for anybody.

Charlotte Hornets: The Charlotte Hornets are very strange team. Kemba Walker leads the charge, but with Al Jefferson departed for Indiana, I can't help but feel like this team has taken a step back. It'll be interesting to see how this team does in 2016-17 with some new faces like Roy Hibbert and Marco Belinelli.

Orlando Magic: The additions of Serge Ibaka and Jeff Green are nice, but the loss of Victor Oladipo (trade with Thunder for Ibaka) is also significant. The Magic traded one of the best young guards in the NBA for one of the best two-way forwards in the NBA. Trading Victor Oladipo for Serge Ibaka could prove to be a beneficial trade for the Magic, but this is still a young team that is at least a couple of seasons away from making serious noise in the NBA playoffs.

Central Division 

Cleveland Cavaliers: With LeBron James at the helm, the Cleveland Cavaliers are the clear favorites to win the Eastern Conference title. Kyrie Irving, Kevin Love, and J.R. Smith proved to be a championship caliber supporting cast around LeBron James and there is no reason to not think they'll be back in the NBA Finals again.

Chicago Bulls: I'm a big believer in these Chicago Bulls with Dwyane Wade and Jimmy Butler as the one-two punch. The addition of Rajon Rondo could bring mixed results, but overall, expect the Bulls to compete with the Cleveland Cavaliers for the Eastern Conference crown.

Indiana Pacers: Al Jefferson could prove to be a very solid acquisition by the Pacers. A trio of Paul George, Monta Ellis, and Al Jefferson looks really good on paper and should prove to make the Pacers a very relevant team in the 2016-17 season.

Milwaukee Bucks: The Milwaukee Bucks put all of their chips in on Giannis Antetokounmpo when they signed him to a four-year, $100M contract extension. I expect him to be worth the money. Look for the Bucks to have an improved season and make a push for the playoffs in the process.

Detroit Pistons: Andre Drummond, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, and Reggie Jackson is a very nice trio, but are they a good enough trio to get the Pistons back into the playoffs? We'll have to see.

Southwest Division

San Antonio Spurs: It's truly a new era in San Antonio without Tim Duncan. The Kawhi Leonard era has officially been ushered in and it is now HIS team. Look for the Spurs to make a deep run in the playoffs and prove to be the toughest opponent for the Warriors all season with their trio of Kawhi Leonard, Tony Parker, and LaMarcus Aldridge. Their 129-100 win in Oakland on Tuesday certainly proved this.

Memphis Grizzlies: The Grizzlies are all in on Mike Conley, Jr. after signing him to the richest contract in NBA history. While I wouldn't consider the Grizzlies a contender in the Western Conference, like every season in recent memory, the Grizzlies will be very dangerous and not be an easy out for anybody in the playoffs.

Dallas Mavericks: The additions of Andrew Bogut and Harrison Barnes (both with the Warriors last season) should prove to be very nice for the Mavericks. Bogut will give the Mavericks sound rim protection and Barnes will give them an athletic forward that can attack the basket. With Dirk Nowitzki, Deron Williams, and Wesley Matthews still on board, these Mavericks should be a competitive team. I don't see them winning a playoff series, but they'll be a playoff team for sure.

Houston Rockets: With Dwight Howard gone, this is the now the James Harden show. Whether that will yield more fruit we'll have to wait and see.

New Orleans Pelicans: This team better start making serious strides if they want to hang on to Anthony Davis past his current contract. The supporting cast could be there in Lance Stephenson, Jrue Holiday, Buddy Hield, Tyreke Evans, and Langston Galloway. Time will tell us if it is.

Northwest Division

Oklahoma City Thunder: Losing Kevin Durant is definitely a blow, but now it can be the Russell Westbrook show. Trading Serge Ibaka to the Orlando Magic for Victor Oladipo and Domantas Sabonis was a gutsy move, but I think it will pay off. The Thunder get a quality back court mate for Russell Westbrook and a promising young front court player. The Thunder will be the kings of the Northwest Division again and prove to be a very tough out in the playoffs. Don't rule these guys out. They'll once again be a very competitive team.

Utah Jazz: Lots of people are expecting the Utah Jazz to have a breakout season. They have a very talented roster with Gordon Hayward, Rodney Hood, Rudy Gobert, Derrick Favors, Dante Exum, and Alec Burks. My only concern with this team is that a lot may be expected of them too soon. I expect the Jazz to make the playoffs and threaten to win a series. But as for this talk of them being a team capable of reaching the Western Conference Finals, that's just silly. They're not there yet.

Portland Trail Blazers: Damian Lillard, C.J. McCollum, and Allen Crabbe make for a very nice trio up in Rip City. The Trail Blazers didn't appear to miss LaMarcus Aldridge too much when he departed for the Spurs and I see no reason for things to be any different this season. The Trail Blazers should prove to be a playoff team again and make things difficult for whoever they face in the first round.

Minnesota Timberwolves: I don't know if this team has what it takes to make the playoffs this season, but the future is very bright with Andrew Wiggins and Karl-Anthony Towns as their foundation. Kris Dunn should prove to be a very good rookie this year, too. The Timberwolves are building something good. It'll just take a little bit of time before we start to see the finished product.

Denver Nuggets: The big question the Denver Nuggets need to answer is whether or not they see Kenneth Faried as a permanent piece for the future. I don't see why not, but if Nikola Jokic and Juruf Nurkic live up to their billing, maybe trading away Kenneth Faried isn't such a bad idea.

Pacific Division 

Golden State Warriors: By signing Kevin Durant in free agency, the Golden State Warriors have put all the pressure on themselves to win the 2016-17 NBA title. This team is coming off of an historic 73-9 win season and they added one of the greatest pure scorers in NBA history in the off season. If the Warriors don't win the championship this season, it'll be a major disappointment. The only reason to think they won't win it all is if you argue that the loss of Bogut's rim protection will prove to be too great of a hurdle to overcome. It very well might, but even so, a lineup consisting of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green, and Kevin Durant is just too scary to not make the Warriors the favorites to win the NBA title.

Los Angeles Clippers: The Chris Paul, Blake Griffin, DeAndre Jordan trio will make the Clippers a dangerous team, but they are more or less remaining the same team as last season. I have no reason to think they'll be any better than last season, which is a team that makes the playoffs and loses in the first round.

Sacramento Kings: The Kings have a new logo and a new arena. But, they still have a disgruntled DeMarcus Cousins and Rudy Gay to worry about. What gives me hope for a better season in Sacramento is the decision to hire Dave Joerger, who did a fantastic job in Memphis. The George Karl experiment was doomed for failure from day one.

Phoenix Suns: What the Phoenix Suns should be getting excited about is the possibility of a breakout season for Devin Booker. If Devin Booker really steps up his game, the Suns could be a decent team with Brandon Knight and Eric Bledsoe rounding out the back court rotation. The Suns won't be a playoff team, but they could be one of the most improved teams in the NBA.

Los Angeles Lakers: With Kobe Bryant retired, the Lakers can finally turn the page and start a new chapter of their history. The problem is I don't think this new chapter will be a pretty one. Brandon Ingram should be in the running for rookie of the year, but beyond that, there isn't much for Lakers fans to be pumped about.

Wednesday Windmill: Here's what training camp and the preseason is all about

With NBA training camps getting underway, I figured I would give a brief rundown about what training camp is all about and what purpose it serves along with the preseason. Many of you may have a loose idea about what it is, but I figured I would tighten things up and make things more clear to you. For the sake of simplicity, I will list 10 things that you should know.

1. Training camp is for everybody. This might seem obvious, but after hearing about guys getting training camp invites, it needs to be understood that training camp is for everybody on the team. The stars all the way down to players fighting to make the team attend training camp.

2.  Players on training camp rosters can play in preseason games. The main purpose of preseason games is to find out which players who are on the roster bubble will make the team. These are players who signed non-guaranteed or partially guaranteed contracts. When a player signs a non-guaranteed training camp contract with a team, this means that the player also will get to participate in preseason games and prove why he belongs on the team.

3. What are non-guaranteed contracts? Non-guaranteed contracts are just that. They are contracts signed by players who don't have a guaranteed spot on the team's roster but hope to make the final cut.

4. Is there a limit to how many players can be on a training camp roster? Yes, there is a limit and the limit is 20. Teams don't have to have 20 players signed for training camp, but they can't go beyond 20.

5. What role does the NBADL (D-League) play in training camp and preseason? Not a whole lot directly, but what should be noted is that players who don't make the final cut for an NBA team will likely find a home in the D-League. It's really competitive to make an NBA training camp roster, so if you are good enough to find a home in an NBA training camp, you are certain to find a home in the D-League.

6. What do coaches focus on in training camp and preseason? Coaches focus on a lot of things. They focus on what players are good enough to make the final cut, what lineups might work in the regular season, how best to get players to understand their coaching philosophies, and other things. It's a time for coaches to get a feel of the team that they have and also get back in the groove of coaching. Coaching is a skill and preseason is a great place to hone that skill and practice it.

7. How important is preseason and training camp for rookies? It's very important. Rookies get to use this time to adjust to the speed and style of the NBA while actually playing against real NBA players. They get their feet wet a little bit in Summer League, but for the most part, guys on Summer League rosters are guys who are unlikely to make an NBA team. Only the first and second year players who have to be there are legit NBA players. Preseason is really the first time these rookies get exposed to NBA-level basketball which is an important time in their process of transitioning from the college game to the NBA game.

In addition, while first round picks are guaranteed a roster spot, second round picks are not guaranteed a roster spot. This means second round picks have to use training camp and the preseason as a proving ground for why they belong on the final roster.

8. If preseason and training camp is important, why do stars often rest during this time? This is a tough question to answer in the sense that I want to argue that preseason is important for all players involved, so I'll just say that for some players, preseason and training camp is a great time to rest up and get healthy.

Players like Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, and Kevin Durant don't need to worry about making a team or getting a feel for NBA level basketball, so for them it might make more sense to rest up and get healthy for the regular season. However, for LeBron James, this preseason will give him a chance to get a feel for his new team in Cleveland and get a jump on how to play with Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love.

9. Preseason is a chance to grow the game globally. The NBA frequently has teams play preseason games in foreign countries to grow the game internationally. In addition, teams will play preseason games in smaller American cities that will otherwise not host an NBA game.

10. How similar is this to NFL training camp and MLB spring training? If you are more of an expert in the NFL, MLB, or NHL, I would say that whatever training camp is like in those sports, it's basically the same in the NBA. I know in the NFL that preseason rosters start at 90 players, get cut down to 75, and then get cut down to 53 for the regular season. The NBA works in a similar vein. They start at 20 players and have to cut the roster down to at least 15 players, though typically the number is 12 or 13 players.

---Ben Parker: follow me on twitter @nba_lord 

Saturday Slam: Could there one day be a "World Series" for basketball?

                                                     (credit: basketnet.wordpress.com) 

Basketball is increasingly becoming much more of a world wide sport with leagues in China and Europe gaining more popularity and financial benefits for players. For the very first time in the history of basketball, the NBA is losing some of its players to overseas leagues because the pay is better. E.g. Andray Blatche going to the Xianjiang Guanghui Flying Tigers of the Chinese Basketball Association and Gustavo Ayon going to Real Madrid which plays in both the Spanish ACB league and the Euroleague.

Now while these players are a very small percentage of the NBA population, the very fact that there are  players leaving the NBA to play overseas because the NBA is offering them less money is amazing. To be clear, I'm not at all suggesting that the NBA is in trouble. What I'm actually suggesting is that the state of basketball across the globe is improving and that in time we may see leagues that rival the NBA for getting the best players.

There is only one existing league that has a real chance to rival the NBA and that is the Euroleague. The Chinese Basketball Association doesn't stand a chance to rival the NBA so long as China remains communist, but the Euroleague has a real shot for a few reasons in addition to not being associated with communism.

First of all, the Euroleague can offer good money. Gustavo Ayon is getting over $2M a year to play for Real Madrid for the next three seasons. That's a total of over $6M in 3 seasons, which is definitely not a small chunk of change.

Secondly, the Euroleague can provide all the comforts of home to European players in addition to paying them well. Why do you think it is taking more effort to bring players over from Europe to the NBA? The answer lies in the fact that in Europe they make good money playing basketball while also staying close to home. We saw how much playing close to home mattered to LeBron James this summer, so why couldn't we see European players want to play closer to home, too?

Thirdly, it's possible that European basketball players could ink massive deals with companies like Adidas and Nike and see any discrepancy in pay between the NBA and the Euroleague as trivial and not enough of a motivation to leave Europe.

If enough European players stay overseas and never decide to come to the NBA, the Euroleague could eventually turn into a basketball powerhouse that produces teams of NBA quality. Once/if that happens, the NBA will suddenly no longer have the ability to say that all of the world's best basketball players play in their league.

 I do think that the gap between the NBA and the Euroleague could close enough that the NBA would consider adopting the Euroleague into its fold in some capacity. We've already seen Euroleague teams get added to the video game NBA2K14 and we've also seen the NBA flirt with ideas about having a "European division".

It is not at all crazy to think that sometime within the next 25 years, the NBA and Euroleague will join forces together and have their own "World Series" for basketball. The kind of idea I have in mind for this is rather simple. The NBA champion and Euroleague champion face each other in a seven game series at the end of June/early July. To accommodate for this new event, the NBA draft would be pushed back to mid July and free agency would start August 1. Training camp and preseason wouldn't at all be affected.

Such an event would truly be a great thing for the NBA, the Euroleague, and the game of basketball as a whole. Even though we all know that these other leagues exist, the NBA still reigns supreme as the best league in all of the world. But if the NBA champions actually faced the champions of another league in some sort of "World Series", the NBA would no longer be viewed as the only legitimate league.

If the Euroleague were able to get to a point where their champions could compete with NBA champions, the popularity of basketball around the world would explode. Fans in Europe would take more interest in the NBA and likewise I think fans in the United States would take more interest in the Euroleague. Most importantly, basketball would establish itself as the most internationally competitive sport in the world.

I know that this "World Series" of basketball idea sounds far-fetched and fanciful, but I really do believe this is where the game of basketball is ultimately heading. The trajectory can be seen from where we are now to a point in which such a "World Series" would be played. The money available for Euroleague teams to spend is growing, the amount of international players is growing, and the world wide popularity is growing. As far as I'm concerned, a "World Series" of basketball will happen. I just don't know when.

---Ben Parker: follow me on twitter @nba_lord