Re: Pré-Olímpico 2011
Este é um bom texto introdutorio sobre a questão do lockout da NBA e os torneios internacionais.
NBA lockout would be costly to international teams
By Jeff Zillgitt, USA TODAY
The threat of an NBA lockout reaches beyond 30 teams.
National teams competing in important Olympic qualifying tournaments this summer could be affected, too.
The collective bargaining agreement between the NBA and the National Basketball Players Association expires July 1, and if a deal is not reached before then or shortly after, national teams are concerned they won't be able to obtain affordable insurance on players' NBA contracts.
NBA player contracts are insured in case of injury, guaranteeing a player will be paid if he is injured. In general, it's a 41-game deductible, giving teams some relief.
The insurance for NBA players in international events under normal circumstances — use last summer's world championships in Turkey with several NBA players as an example — works like this: The NBA's insurance plan covers a player's contract, and the player knows he will be paid his NBA salary if he is injured. The national team pays an additional insurance premium to cover career-ending injuries in international play, but since career-ending injuries are rare, the cost is nominal.
The situation changes drastically in an NBA lockout. Players' contracts are suspended in a lockout thus there is technically no contract to insure during that period. So if a player is hurt in an international competition during a lockout, there is no NBA insurance plan in place to guarantee his NBA contract if he misses NBA games once a new collective-bargaining agreement is reached.
Because the player wants to be paid if an injury occurs in international events during a lockout, he asks the national team to provide adequate insurance on his contract for any injury, not just career-ending ones, and in that scenario, the insurance price skyrockets.
Many of the NBA's international players, such as Argentina's Luis Scola (Houston Rockets) and Italy's Andrea Bargnani (Toronto Raptors) are scheduled to play in major events that will determine the field for the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. As many as 40 NBA players could be playing in qualifying events this summer.
In normal circumstances, career-ending insurance on contracts is obtained at a reasonable fee, anywhere from $3,000-$11,000 depending on a player's contract. But obtaining full insurance for any injuries on contracts is a different story.
France, looking into comprehensive insurance coverage on contracts for five NBA players, found costs as much as $2.9 million compared with mid-five figures on just career-ending insurance. European national teams are working with FIBA Europe officials to find a more affordable rate.
Puerto Rico Basketball Federation official Carlos Beltran said FIBA Americas is trying to do the same.
"We are prepared for Plan B," he said.
Poland's Marcin Gortat, who plays center for the Phoenix Suns, has acknowledged the insurance issue might be a problem.
When Great Britain Basketball had trouble insuring Chicago Bulls forward Luol Deng's contract in 2008, it discovered it would cost nearly $500,000 to provide adequate insurance for him.
Here is a look at some of the key international events this summer:
Eurobasket 2011, Aug. 31-Sept. 18 in Lithuania — The top two finishers earn automatic spots in the 2012 London Games, and FIBA increased the number of teams to 24, up from 16 in Eurobasket 2009. Spain is the defending champ and will again be a contender with Greece, Lithuania, Turkey, Italy, Serbia and Russia.
FIBA Americas 2011 Championship, Aug. 25-Sept. 8 in Argentina — The top two finishers earn Olympic bids. Team USA will not play because it qualified for the Olympics by winning the 2010 world championships. In the 10-team field, Argentina and Brazil are favorites, but Canada, Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic will try to field competitive teams.
FIBA African Championship, Aug. 17-28 in Madagascar — Originally scheduled to be held in Ivory Coast, FIBA Africa just changed venues because of the political unrest there. The winner of the tournament earns an automatic spot in the 2012 London Games. Angola, ranked No. 13 in the world by FIBA, is the favorite and has qualified for the past five Olympics. Nigeria, Senegal, Ivory Coast and Tunisia are ranked in FIBA's top 40.
FIBA Asia Championship, Sept. 15-25 in China — The winner gets the automatic bid to the Olympics. China is the defending champ and is ranked No. 10 in the world. Iran is No. 20, Lebanon No. 24, South Korea No. 31 and Japan No. 33. China has participated in the men's Olympic tournament from 1984-2008. South Korea (1988, 1996) and Iran (2008) are the only other recent Olympic participants. Iran has also won the past two Asia Championships. Hamed Haddadi of the Memphis Grizzlies is the only player from Iran to play in the NBA.
FIBA Oceania Championship, Sept. 7-11 in Australia — Australia and New Zealand will play a best-of-three series, with the winner earning a spot in the Olympics. Australia is ranked No. 9 in the world; New Zealand No. 18. Australia qualified for the 2008 Games, and both nations qualified for the 2004 Games.
As the host of the 2012 Summer Olympics, Great Britain has been awarded an automatic spot.
Just before the London Games, FIBA will hold a qualifying tournament July 2-12, 2012 that will enable three teams to round out the 12-team Olympic field.
