| 05 December 2011
Good Evening! It's Sunday evening here in the Czech Republic.
First, I would like to announce that my book, "A Guide to Playing Professional Basketball Overseas" is finally out! It can be purchased at Barnes and Noble, or on Amazon.com and even Xlibris.com. It's available in soft cover, hard cover and also as an e- book.
I am not sure if you all have been following, but a number of players have left teams around Europe this season because they have not been paid from their respective team. Of course things are tough with the economy being the way it is but this is not something that started this season.
When I first decided to come overseas to play I didn't know much about the way things were done here, but one thing I heard was that some teams don't pay or they pay their players late. Being overseas for 13 years I can say from experience that it's true. I have been paid late but I have always received all the money I was owed. The Czech Republic has a good reputation when it comes to getting paid.
Not everyone is so lucky.
Just recently I read that Ben Woodside (North Dakota State) left Union Olimpija in Slovenia because he wasn't paid for a couple months (thankfully, he signed with BC Armia in Georgia over the weekend). We as players play the game because we love it but we also play for money. It goes hand in hand. Basketball is a sport, but it is also our job. This is how we feed our family and pay our bills. We expect to be paid and paid on time just like everyone else working for a living.
Sometimes teams release players that have guaranteed contracts without paying them the money owed. When this happens players can and should take the teams to court. If you have a guaranteed contract and a team breaks that contract for any reason you should take that team to court. You owe it to the players coming after you to hold such teams accountable. If players and agents let teams get away with these type of tactics nothing will ever change, so we as players have a duty to fight these clubs that behave in this manor. Again, not every team withholds payment from players. Like I said, the Czech Republic has a good reputation for paying players and I hope it stays like that.
I go into this topic more in detail in my book -- about which country is most known for paying late or not paying at all, and also a chapter dedicated to the ins-and-outs of player contracts. Those interested should pick up a copy for more insight. If you are a basketball player considering playing abroad, it just might save you a headache in the long run.
Ell Sanders is a professional basketball player with Bk Decin in the Czech Republic and has spent the last 13-season playing overseas after graduating from Seton Hall in 1998. The Pirates 19th all-time leading scorer, Sanders has also played in Belgium and Poland. For more information about his upcoming book, "A Guide to Playing Professional Basketball Overseas", visit his website or follow him on Twitter at @levellsanders. His "Inside The Overseas Game" column for Beyond the Beat will be updated regularly.
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Inside The Overseas Game: Another Season In The Czech Republic
Inside The Overseas Game: Either Win Or Wait A Week
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