Looks like the world is on its way to getting a new form of basketball entertainment come summer 2016. The Champions League is looking to fill the void by giving us quality basketball during the NBA offseason.
Sam Amick from USA Today went into depth about the development, goals, and purpose of the Champions League,
Sixteen teams to begin competing in the summer of 2016, with a strong preference for players who have competed in the NBA during the last three years. According to George, the New York team is already fully formed and includes former NBA players Al Harrington, Rasheed Wallace and Maurice Ager. Teams in Boston, Philadelphia, Washington, Miami, Orlando, Atlanta and Cleveland are up next, with the goal to employ approximately 250 players in all (170 on teams, others as player-coaches or in other roles). Each team would have two former NBA All-stars on the roster and a Hall of Famer in the front office. George said that 60 players have committed to this point, with many more “in the pipeline” while the subsequent teams are rolled out.
Approximately 30 games to be played in July and August, with 10 charity/marketing events in non-NBA markets during the non-season months also included as part of a player’s compensation package. On average, George said, players would make approximately $200,000 per year (for 80 or 90 days of work) in their pay structure if they take part in both the season and the charity events.
Players prolonging their careers that are so often cut short, the businesses that provide the bankroll benefiting from their brands, and fans seeing quality basketball for $25 per ticket (there are no season ticket packages, but plenty of discount offerings for multiple-game packages).
Imagine turning on a game and being able to see former stars Like Tracy McGrady, Allen Iverson, Chris Webber, Brandon Roy, Rasheed Wallace, Yao Ming, Gilbert Arenas all on the same court going at it. Sure it might not be the same as watching a game with Curry, LeBron, Irving, and Harrison Barnes but those guys I mentioned above are still competitors, I could only imagine the amount of heated battles we could get from the retired veterans. On top of that we have possible college basketball players and NBA D-League players in the fold too.
Former NBA Player Keyon Dooling who plans on playing in the Champions League expressed to Amick why he loves this idea,
“It’s not about the money,” “Most guys will tell you that they miss the community in the locker room, the camaraderie in the locker room, they miss their favorite restaurants that they used to travel to in all these different cities, that they miss the noise of the crowd. Those are some things that even a hundred million dollars can’t fill that void.
“At the end of the day, I’m the one – because of who I am and what I’ve been through – I’m the one who hears how difficult this transition is for our players. I’m privy to all that information…I know that guys have not transitioned as smoothly as I have. I know the impact this (league) is going to have on my brethren. That’s why I’m so passionate about it, because it’s a great opportunity to help one another transition, help one another heal, and you can scratch a living for yourself to be able to be comfortable as you figure out what the next step is. I think it’s genius.”
The first charity game for the Champions League will happen on January 29, 2016 and will be aired on ESPN 3.
Proceeds from Champions League charity event will go to the Jimmy-Valvano-inspired “V Foundation” and the “Stuart Scott Memorial Cancer Research Fund”.
