Former NBA and current BC Zalgiris player Alen Smailagic spoke in an interview with BasketNews recently. When talking about his time in the NBA with the Golden State Warriors, and what the big difference between the NBA and the EuroLeague is, Smailagic noted that the EuroLeague forces players to think and play smarter, whereas the NBA is more entertainment-based and theatrical.
“So, I don’t think there’s anything bad about the EuroLeague. It might not be the best league in the world, but it’s the smartest. You have to think to be able to play. While the NBA is more acrobatics, more for the fans to watch.”
Smailagic is far from the first player to express such sentiments regarding the NBA and the EuroLeague. While many acknowledge that the NBA is the best league in the world from a talent standpoint, the EuroLeague’s commitment to proper basketball and the fundamentals makes it a far more challenging experience for players.
However, it is ironic that a player like Smailagic, who wasn’t able to find much success in the league, is making comments about the EuroLeague forcing players to play smarter basketball when you consider that he didn’t impress many players or coaches with his play, despite playing under one of the best coaches in the NBA in Steve Kerr.
During his stint in the NBA, Smailagic played 29 games for the Warriors and averaged 3.0 points, 1.5 rebounds, and 0.6 assists, while mostly playing for the Warriors’ G-League unit. His disappointing run in the NBA had little to do with his lack of ‘acrobatics’ as he put it, but more on his inability to adapt to the league.
And that is not an issue other European players like Nikola Jokic, Luka Doncic, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Victor Wembanyama have faced. In fact, these players have actually thrived in the league because of their experience in Europe.
NBA vs. EuroLeague Debate Will Never End
Earlier this summer, Dennis Schroder made similar comments about the difference between European and American basketball, noting that American basketball is more about entertainment whereas European basketball focuses more on the purity and fundamentals of the sport.
Kevin Durant immediately clapped back at Schroder, boasting Team USA’s gold medal win in the Olympics. There is valid frustration among NBA players, especially American ones, who feel as though their talent and skill are often undermined by European players when they sing the praises of the EuroLeague.
This becomes even more frustrating when one considers that players who aren’t able to find success or a spot in the NBA find teams in Europe that are willing to play them and pay them more money. Most recently, Patrick Beverley rejected an NBA minimum contract to go play in Israel, where he is a respected starter for Hapoel Tel Aviv.
This debate between the NBA and the EuroLeague will only continue to intensify, as more European prospects choose to come to the NBA and find success. In the last six seasons, no American player has been named league MVP, and that could continue if players the European stars of the NBA continue to perform at the level they do.
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