Giffey Going Overseas

[aceboon]

looks like he's going to sign with Alba Berlin, the top team in Germany

http://www.sportando.com/en/europe/...giffey-close-to-signign-with-alba-berlin.html

Niels Giffey is close to signing with Alba Berlin, according to sources.
The NCAA champion with UConn averaged 8.4 points and 3.4 rebounds as senior with the Huskies.

 

[ConnHuskBask]

Goes home a two time national champion and signs on with the best team in his home country. Talk about a success story. Well deserved.

 

[upstater]

Good for Niels, but Alba Berlin is not the best team in Germany. Both Bayern Munich and Brose Bamberg are ahead of Alba. They play in the Euro Superleague.

 

[aceboon]

Good for Niels, but Alba Berlin is not the best team in Germany. Both Bayern Munich and Brose Bamberg are ahead of Alba. They play in the Euro Superleague.

that's on me for believing wikipedia

edit: looking through history it seems that Alba Berlin is far more accomplished than those clubs, I guess they've fell behind them recently.

 

[noeynox]

Good for Niels, but Alba Berlin is not the best team in Germany. Both Bayern Munich and Brose Bamberg are ahead of Alba. They play in the Euro Superleague.

How the hell could you know something like that ??? The hell is the matter with you?

 

[CallMeBruce]

Getting a summer league spot probably upped his salary a fair bit, as they basically had to buy out his NBA hoop dreams. I'll be interested to see what he ends up getting. From what I've read about the German Bundesliga, the best players can make millions, but those guys were usually big stars in college (Casey Jacobsen, for example). Still, a guy like Giffey, who is probably relatively high-profile given his success at UConn and with the German National Team, should probably be able to pull in $300,000 or more.

 

[donyell34]

I like it. Going home , has to be decent money, more of a sure chance. Big part of our huskies and wish him all the best. I am sure we will be keeping track of him.

 

[upstater]

How the hell could you know something like that ??? The hell is the matter with you?

Well, there are only 20 or so teams in the Euroleague. It's not that hard. I have been to club FIBA games in Toronto over the last decade. NBA teams travel to Europe and the Euroleague teams come to North America for games in summer.

Same setup as soccer.

 

[noeynox]

Wow. Didn't know anyone in America followed Euro League. Good for you man, that is awesome. Only team name I know on that side of the atlantic is Macabi Tel Aviv cause of Nadav.

 

[noeynox]

Getting a summer league spot probably upped his salary a fair bit, as they basically had to buy out his NBA hoop dreams. I'll be interested to see what he ends up getting. From what I've read about the German Bundesliga, the best players can make millions, but those guys were usually big stars in college (Casey Jacobsen, for example). Still, a guy like Giffey, who is probably relatively high-profile given his success at UConn and with the German National Team, should probably be able to pull in $300,000 or more.

That would be damn good coin for your first job out of college. Has to be a good recruiting tool for UConn. There are only x number of NBA spots, but you could still make a damn good living playing the sport you love.

 

[upstater]

that's on me for believing wikipedia

edit: looking through history it seems that Alba Berlin is far more accomplished than those clubs, I guess they've fell behind them recently.

Alba was the second best in the Bundesliga last year. But two other teams from Germany compete in the Eurobasket league. I see Casey Jacobsen mentioned above. He plays for one of the German teams in the Euroleague.

However, since Alba finished second to Bayern Munich last year, Giffey is going to get a chance to compete against Europe's best teams, as Alba will be an entrant into the superleague. So I was wrong about that for next year.

 

[upstater]

Wow. Didn't know anyone in America followed Euro League. Good for you man, that is awesome. Only team name I know on that side of the atlantic is Macabi Tel Aviv cause of Nadav.

I watched the final rounds the last few years. But that's kind of light watching. I spend too much time watching NFL, college bball and premier league games to watch anything else. As a lifelong Red Sox fan, I only caught the World Series last year. That's it.

 

[upstater]

By the way, I just looked it up to see if there are any exhibition games involving Euroleague teams this year.

On October 8th, Giffey's Alba team is going to be playing the San Antonio Spurs in Germany.

 

[intlzncster]

Getting a summer league spot probably upped his salary a fair bit, as they basically had to buy out his NBA hoop dreams. I'll be interested to see what he ends up getting. From what I've read about the German Bundesliga, the best players can make millions, but those guys were usually big stars in college (Casey Jacobsen, for example).

Is it really called the "Bundesliga" as well? That's like both the NFL and the NBA having the same name under an umbrella organization.

 

[intlzncster]

I watched the final rounds the last few years. But that's kind of light watching. I spend too much time watching NFL, college bball and premier league games to watch anything else. As a lifelong Red Sox fan, I only caught the World Series last year. That's it.

I'm a Sox fan, but haven't watched a game in a few years. I still follow casually on ESPNBoston, but I think I've given up on baseball. NFL, UCONN BB, and Soccer is all I have time for.

 

[CallMeBruce]

Is it really called the "Bundesliga" as well? That's like both the NFL and the NBA having the same name under an umbrella organization.

Yeah, it seems weird, but a lot of the clubs play so many different sports, so I guess that's just how things work over there. Bayern Munich has the best basketball team AND the best soccer team (and probably many other sports) in Germany most seasons.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

I believe Doron Scheffer faced something similar leaving UConn. Fight it out for 11th or 12th roster spot or make a lot of money close to home. Probably wasn't that hard a decision.

 

[noeynox]

I'm a Sox fan, but haven't watched a game in a few years. I still follow casually on ESPNBoston, but I think I've given up on baseball. NFL, UCONN BB, and Soccer is all I have time for.

It is amazing. Before I got married I would probably watch 120 or so Met games a year including some I went to. I absolutely loved taking a day off midweek, walking up and getting a ticket to the 1pm game. Since kids, I'm lucky if I watch a few innings a week. UConn FB, UConn BB, Patriots and the NBA playoffs here.

 

[ConnHuskBask]

I'm a Sox fan, but haven't watched a game in a few years. I still follow casually on ESPNBoston, but I think I've given up on baseball. NFL, UCONN BB, and Soccer is all I have time for.

Interesting. Almost everyone I grew up with watched the Yankees religiously and as everyone has gotten older its now NFL or college sports. Same thing with a lot of other buddies.

Doesn't seem like baseball interest overall is down ( that could be wrong) but I guess as adults I don't have the time or attention span for 3 hour games every night anymore where as I refuse to miss UConn basketball, football or giants football.

 

[CallMeBruce]

I believe Doron Scheffer faced something similar leaving UConn. Fight it out for 11th or 12th roster spot or make a lot of money close to home. Probably wasn't that hard a decision.

Make a lot of money close to home for a legendary club, to boot. I wish Sheffer had played in the NBA for a bit just to prove he could do it, but I'm not sure I would have been able to turn down what he was being offered.

 

[intlzncster]

Yeah, it seems weird, but a lot of the clubs play so many different sports, so I guess that's just how things work over there. Bayern Munich has the best basketball team AND the best soccer team (and probably many other sports) in Germany most seasons.

Yeah, the club system must be the key. Not going to lie, I kind of like the club system and wish there was something similar here in the States.

 

[intlzncster]

Interesting. Almost everyone I grew up with watched the Yankees religiously and as everyone has gotten older its now NFL or college sports. Same thing with a lot of other buddies.

Doesn't seem like baseball interest overall is down ( that could be wrong) but I guess as adults I don't have the time or attention span for 3 hour games every night anymore where as I refuse to miss UConn basketball, football or giants football.

Yeah, it's a combination of things for me. 1. slow pace of the game itself 2. time investment: long games and long 160 game seasons 3. no salary cap makes things more boring.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

Make a lot of money close to home for a legendary club, to boot. I wish Sheffer had played in the NBA for a bit just to prove he could do it, but I'm not sure I would have been able to turn down what he was being offered.

Scheffer would have been a good NBA player. Tall and strong, with a very quick first step and great instincts on both sides of the ball. The shot was slow but otherwise he had everything to make it. He ended up getting sick and quitting basketball in the prime of his career, although I believe he had a full recovery.

 

[Sibeerian]

See you at the Olympics, Niels.

 

[upstater]

Yeah, it's a combination of things for me. 1. slow pace of the game itself 2. time investment: long games and long 160 game seasons 3. no salary cap makes things more boring.

No salary cap kills it.