With the first season of the EuroLeague under the new league format in the history books, many supported the way the competition was presented despite the gruelling schedule. But there have been a few players that have come out to criticise the competition and basketball in Europe all-together.
Fenerbahce forward Nikola Kalinic and CSKA Moscow guard Aaron Jackson both competed in the EuroLeague Final Four last month in Istanbul.
The Serbian international, Kalinic took to Twitter to launch a series of tweets, voicing his concerns about European basketball in general.
So, in Europe as a professional basketball player, you:
– Play as many games as "they" want (same number as in Nba but…)— Nikola Kalinic (@nikola_kalina) June 11, 2017
– But you get no summer off (in my case, in 5 seasons maybe 20-30 days total!!! Thats 30/1825!)
– You can go to as many doping tests— Nikola Kalinic (@nikola_kalina) June 11, 2017
– You can go to as many doping tests as "they" want #noprotection
– You change the ball two times per week?! (Imagine that in NBA…)— Nikola Kalinic (@nikola_kalina) June 11, 2017
– You have nowhere to complain about refs, in case you want
Etc. Etc. These are the first things I remembered.— Nikola Kalinic (@nikola_kalina) June 11, 2017
And then you wonder why every player want to go to NBA, or somewhere else as soon as he gets opportunity… #noprotection
— Nikola Kalinic (@nikola_kalina) June 11, 2017
For Kalinic, the most disheartening tweet came at the end when he, along with Fenerbahce captured their first EuroLeague title. Well, except for the Serb. At the moment, Fenerbahce are 1-0 up in the Turkish League finals over Besiktas.
For example, I couldn't celebrate Euroleague title with my team, because I had to go to doping test…
— Nikola Kalinic (@nikola_kalina) June 11, 2017
And Kalinic is not alone, CSKA Moscow’s Aaron Jackson, one of the EuroLeague’s most prolific tweeters, stood up and supported Kalinic by revealing some issues that have been bothering him as well.
Jackson, along with CSKA are on the verge of capturing the VTB League against neighbours Khimki.
https://twitter.com/AaronfingJ/status/873967427389882370
https://twitter.com/AaronfingJ/status/873967903351201792
Jackson, along with Unics Kazan guard Keith Langford, who has also agreed with the series of tweets that have been published have been urged to voice their opinions at the EuroLeague players meeting to take place in July. But Jackson has gone a step further.
In another tweet, the American guard stated that player voices are usually not heard properly, with it going in one ear and out of the other.
Jackson, along with Panathinaikos’ Mike James and Fenerbahce’s Bogdan Bogdanovic has called for a Players Association, like the NBA Players Union, headed by Los Angeles Clippers guard Chris Paul.