By Kellex

Editor’s note: It seems the NHL is not the only league to face competition from another league. The NBA has Euroleague and the question is will the day come when the best players from the NBA (and NHL) head elsewhere to earn a living?

So after years of out-sourcing all sorts of jobs to foreign countries are we now outsourcing our Basketball stars? Will the rumors start flying that LeBron James and Dwyane Wade are heading to Spain in 2010? NBA Commissioner David Stern has always wanted the NBA to have a global presence, but I don’t think having former NBA stars playing for Euro-League teams is what he had in mind.

Will The Euro-League Become A Threat For The NBA?

I was far too conservative in my time frame, instead of having to wait until 2010, it took just a little over a week. “Sports Illustrated.com” NBA beat writer Ian Thomsen wrote on Friday that the latest rumor he was hearing was that Olympiakos would make a bid for LeBron James when he has the chance to opt out of his contract in 2010. Thomsen wrote that his information comes from “a reliable league source” who told him that the information was coming from the Greek team. Olympiakos of course is the team that signed restricted free agent Josh Childress to a contract last month. Childress was the first prominent NBA player to sign with a Euro-League team, while his career was still on the rise.

Thomsen writes “At first glance it is ludicrous to imagine that the NBA’s next big star would move overseas as he’s trying to win championships and replace Michael Jordan as a household name globally.” Ian not only at first glance, but at second glance, passing glance, and a glance across a crowded room is it ludicrous!

However Thomsen points out that the most LBJ could earn in a NBA contract would be less than $20 million per year. He theorizes, that the owners of Olympiakos could pay him maybe $40-50 million for a season. Thomsen then goes on to say that James could sign for one season with Olympiakos, make that one big score, and then return to the NBA.

Thomsen then writes “From James’ point of view, playing overseas for a year could enhance his marketing status and turn him into more of a global star than he is now. He could build up his name in an entirely unprecedented way and then return home as a free agent to sign with the NBA team of his choosing.”

Okay Ian, LBJ the man who was just on the cover of your sister publication “Time” magazine last week, is going to become more of a global star by playing for a Greek team, than he would in the NBA? Ian, LeBron James is one of the most recognizable people on the planet, because of what he has accomplished at such a young age in the NBA. You think that will be enhanced by his playing for Olympiakos? You think Nike, and all the other products he endorses would prefer to market to the Greek audience rather than here in the USA?

Thomsen finishes his column by writing “I am not saying that any of this is going to happen. I can tell you, however, that this kind of speculation is going to generate a lot of talk throughout the basketball world.” I think they call that a self fulfilling prophecy; of course it is Ian, because a respected writer in a prestigious publication just wrote it!

I have always had nothing for the utmost and deepest respect for Ian Thomsen. I have been reading his stuff since he was writing for the “Boston Globe” long before he started writing for S.I. I have had Ian on as a guest on a sports talk show I used to co-host with my partner Matt Loede in Cleveland. Ian has broken major stories, and written some great in depth pieces. That is why I am so amazed that he wrote this column. Because it just does not make any sense!

There is a huge difference between Josh Childress going to play for Olympiakos, and LeBron James going to play there. Although Josh Childress, is a recognizable name in the NBA, he is a role player, he was not even a starter for the Atlanta Hawks his former team. Childress in four NBA seasons averaged 11.1 points, 5.6 rebounds, 1.8 assists, per game. LBJ in five seasons, in the Association, has averaged 27.3 points, 6.9 rebounds, 6.6 assists, per contest. And he will not turn 24 years old until December 30. Josh Childress was not one of the top 50 players in the Association, James if not number one is definitely in the top three. James has the potential to surpass Jordan, and his hunger for a NBA Championship is ravenous. You think he will pass that up to go play in Europe?

Josh Childress made a wise business decision, and it may help him long term in his career if he decides to return to play in the NBA. Now I guess everybody has a price, although there are certain things I would not do for all the money in the world. We will see other big name players go to Europe, of that I have no doubt. But to think that LeBron James with all he is capable of accomplishing in what is still Basketball’s biggest stage, just does not make sense.