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$50M for Lebron..... why not $100M for 3 years for Iverson when he becomes a free agent next summer?

Because he's in his 30's and LeBron is only 23.

Allen Iverson is not as famous in Europe. Plus he got a public image problem. As for Lebron James, everybody knows Lebron James from Europe all the way to China.

slamdunk wrote:Allen Iverson is not as famous in Europe. Plus he got a public image problem. As for Lebron James, everybody knows Lebron James from Europe all the way to China.

i have no idea about Europe, but Iverson is actually very famous in China and through all of Asia.

slamdunk wrote:Allen Iverson is not as famous in Europe. Plus he got a public image problem. As for Lebron James, everybody knows Lebron James from Europe all the way to China.

Iverson is very famous in Europe.

For years my friends wanted me to buy them the Phila Jersey with Iverson's name on it. Trust me.

slamdunk wrote:Allen Iverson is not as famous in Europe.

fail.

slamdunk wrote:Allen Iverson is not as famous in Europe.

the jersey I see the most here is Iverson's so go figure

slamdunk wrote:Allen Iverson is not as famous in Europe. Plus he got a public image problem. As for Lebron James, everybody knows Lebron James from Europe all the way to China.

i just came from india a few months ago and let me tell you one thing people there had NO clue who lebron james was... in fact out of all of my cousins friends and family who know a little bit about western sports the names that rang a bell with them were michael jordan and kobe

on a side note the only basketball jersey i saw someone else wearing was a tj ford raptor jersey :S

mcmasterballer1 wrote:

slamdunk wrote:Allen Iverson is not as famous in Europe. Plus he got a public image problem. As for Lebron James, everybody knows Lebron James from Europe all the way to China.

i just came from india a few months ago and let me tell you one thing people there had NO clue who lebron james was... in fact out of all of my cousins friends and family who know a little bit about western sports the names that rang a bell with them were michael jordan and kobe

on a side note the only basketball jersey i saw someone else wearing was a tj ford raptor jersey :S

Yup, LeBron isn't really that famous over here in Europe, yet. MJ (still nr 1 by 5 miles), Kobe and Shaq are the most famous ones it seems. Olympics might put him on the map a bit more if he shines.

I think Iverson is more famous and more realistic..I can actually see him getting something like 3 years 75 million

Yeah, there are definitely more Iverson fans in Europe than LeBron fans.

on the other hand would an owner risk paying so much for a player that is not that likely to succeed (relatively) in europe in Iverson? I think he would do well here but he couldn't use his advantages in europe as much as he does it in the NBA.

I live in Denmark, and Allen Iverson is a very popular player in Europe. No doubt LeBron is also, but I see Iverson Philadelphia jerseys everywhere. So it's wrong to say he's not popular over here. He is.

because this is 2008 not 2001...

Iverson is more popular than Lebron overseas. Lebron is popular in the states because he is constantly being hyped all over the media. He's not popular because people actually like him. Iverson is top 3 in popularity in europe and he's like a god in asia.

the_incredible_basti wrote:on the other hand would an owner risk paying so much for a player that is not that likely to succeed (relatively) in europe in Iverson? I think he would do well here but he couldn't use his advantages in europe as much as he does it in the NBA.

i don't agree, unlike Lebron, Iverson actually has a jumpshot and 3pt shot. i think AI fits the international game better than alot of NBA elites

If Iverson means what he says about wanting to win an NBA Champion, leaving the NBA would seem counterproductive.

theTHIEF wrote:because this is 2008 not 2001...

that is why i would only offer Iverson a 3 year contract and nothing like a 5 or 6 year.

Why not in Europe?

Style of play, I'd think. Iverson is everything bad about American basketball personfied in one individual. He's almost exclusively an isolation scorer and dominates the ball even in Denver.

Still, adjusting to a new style of play... He shot really well in the '03 qualifying tournament (nearly 54% from international 3, too)...

And then was mostly terrible in the '04 Olympics (though he shot almost 37% from international 3), shooting a hair under 38% FG.

It's touch and go; Iverson won't be a big-time ball-dominant guy on most European squads, except bad ones, because that generally doesn't correlate with success in the Euroleagues. But he is an acceptable shooter given the international 3pt range and he is an underrated and talented passer.

His defense wouldn't be an issue, his size much LESS of an issue, so the only real question is could he do without 18, 20 shots a game?

If the answer's "yes," then he could probably pull it off successfully. Won't get the same kind of respect from the refs and would have to change his game accordingly but it might work.

$30M for that seems excessive, but his return might make it worth it for the fan buzz it'd create.

draft wrote:Iverson is more popular than Lebron overseas. Lebron is popular in the states because he is constantly being hyped all over the media. He's not popular because people actually like him. Iverson is top 3 in popularity in europe and he's like a god in asia.

so you traveled the world over and know all that? Impressive....

Top 10 Most Popular NBA Jerseys in Europe:

1. Dwyane Wade, Miami Heat
2. Allen Iverson, Denver Nuggets
3. Tony Parker, San Antonio Spurs
4. Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers
5. LeBron James, Cleveland Cavaliers
6. Boris Diaw, Phoenix Suns
7. Pau Gasol, Memphis Grizzlies
8. Andrea Bargnani, Toronto Raptors
9. Carmelo Anthony, Denver Nuggets
10. Tracy McGrady, Houston Rockets

http://www.nba.com/europelive2007/most_ ... 71004.html